Call for Participation in the regional network “U40 Asia-Pacific”

On the occassion of ArtThinkSouthAsia programme’s 5th anniversary, the U40 Network is inviting young professionals from the Asia-Pacific region to join a growing platform of culture experts under 40 years of age from across the world. This call responds to the urgent need to connect young experts across Asia and the Pacific region to collectively reflect on issues, trends and debates in arts and culture at both regional and national levels.

It invites them to engage with the 2005 UNESCO Convention as a starting point for broader discussions on issues such as the existing tensions between culture and the market, the role of culture in development and the prioritisation of culture as a governance priority.

Selected U40 Fellows from Asia-Pacific will be expected to participate actively (electronically and/or virtually) in network activities, including a joint project to document good practices relating to arts management and the role of culture in development.

More about the U40 Network

How to apply

Interested culture experts under 40 are invited to apply for participation in the network by sending a CV (max. 2 pages) and a short paper (max. 800 words) in English answering the following questions:

  • Did my country of origin (and/or current place of living) ratify the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and the Promotion for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions? If so, did the Government designate a national point of contact for the Convention (Art. 9) and/or did they assign some special (legal) structures for its implementation? You might want to contact this focal point, your National Commission for UNESCO or other relevant information sources.
  • Does a Coalition for Cultural Diversity exist in my country? If so, who are the members? What are their activities? If not, which neighbouring country or other country in the target region does have a Coalition? What are their activities? Who are their members? If not, who could be adequate bodies / persons to group a Coalition?
  • How can I contribute to improve the visibility and the understanding of the Convention in my country/region?
  • Please describe your engagement for the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, your motivation for participating in the U40 Asia network and a short description of what you intend to do as follow-up.

Please send your application to u40asia(a)u40net.org latest by 31 July 2014