The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and The Museum of Contemporary Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) are pleased to announce The Bandung 2022 Residency, a new program intended to foster solidarity between the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Black communities.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

The Bandung 2022 Residency is an opportunity designed to uplift the work of organizers, artists, educators, and waymakers whose practice is intended to foster solidarity between Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Black communities.

Inspired by recent events that have deeply impacted these communities, as well as the Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter movements, this program takes cue from the first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference, which took place in 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The groundbreaking summit, which hosted leaders from 29 newly independent Asian and African states emerging from colonial rule (representing a total population of 1.5 billion people, 54% of the world’s population at the time), signaled a pivotal juncture between these communities to discuss peace, equality, and mutual respect for sovereignty, political self-determination, cultural cooperation, human rights, the role of the Global South (then known as the Third World), economic development, and decolonization. Building upon the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as identified the previous year by leaders from China and India, the primary objectives of the Bandung Conference ‘55 cohort were “a call for an end to racial discrimination wherever it occurred, and a reiteration of the importance of peaceful coexistence…and collaboration.”

Similarly, The Bandung 2022 Residency aims to cultivate a dynamic safe space for a diverse cohort of changemakers interested in engaging in social justice discourse, restorative healing, cultural placemaking, expanding the narrative between communities, and cross-community allyship, whether participating in the program for their personal transformation, in service to the communities identified, or both.

PROGRAM GOALS

For the inaugural year of this residency, 7-10 NYC-based visionaries will be selected as residents by an independent panel of 5 reviewers. They will be invited to participate in a 3-month long, hybrid program consisting of self-directed and group learning exchanges that introduce community leaders embedded in this social justice work, propel forward the spirit of solidarity crystalized during the 1960s and 70s, center the historical and contemporary issues faced by AAPI and Black communities, while enabling the deepening of each participant’s relationship with themselves, their practice, other participants within the cohort, and most especially with the communities identified.

Participants in The Bandung 2022 Residency will also be encouraged to connect with local leaders and community members to inspire unity through the lens of an artistic presentation, shared exploratory experience, or special project (e.g. public art piece, performance, walking tour, ephemeral installation, community building activity, etc.) that they will incubate / create during their residency. “Work” completed during the residency may also plant a seed that leads to a larger project that will be realized after the residency. While collaboration within the cohort is not required, we will support projects that evolve from an individual idea into a collective vision shared between (2 or more) participants.

Our north star rests in the human potential to strengthen cross-cultural community ties through intersectional advocacy (within and across participating communities), and to use “art” as a vehicle for social change through neighborhood interventions.

INFORMATION SESSION
An information session for those interested in applying will be held on Wednesday, April 6 from 12-1pm EST via Zoom. To register for the information session, please visit this link HERE. ASL Interpretation will be provided.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

The Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. Since 1983, A4 has sought to unify, promote, and represent the artistic and cultural producers of one of New York City’s fastest-growing populations. We are a diverse alliance of artists, organizations, and arts supporters who believe that working together as a pan-ethnic, multidisciplinary community is essential to nurturing the development of artists and arts groups. A4 serves as a thoughtful convener of the Asian American cultural workforce around issues of race, identity, and artmaking and provides a critical voice for this community. We are the only service organization in the country dedicated to the professional development of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in all disciplines.

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA) was born from the graduate thesis of our founder Laurie Cumbo on the feasibility of an African art museum contributing to the revitalization of its neighboring Black communities. Twenty years later, our mission has grown through three programmatic arms – Exhibitions, Education, and Community – that use art as a vehicle for social change via the celebration of Africa and the diaspora. Through artistic presentations, community conversations, creative expression, interactive learning, and cultural preservation, we amplify “voices” that are central to the upliftment of Black lives, and advocate for equity and access on every level. We reach beyond the walls of our physical museum space to deliver dynamic arts, educational, and social justice programs, including 60+ exhibitions, 500+ public programs, conversations, community gatherings, healing circles, learning opportunities and more in the gallery, the street, parks, schools, public housing and beyond. “More than a museum”, MoCADA has become a critical tool for welcoming those who are systematically left out, and a safe space for engaging with people across social divides.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Are you a NYC-based changemaker, organizer, artist, educator, waymaker or community leader interested in exploring and/or building a project rooted in fostering solidarity between AAPI and Black communities? Are you dedicated to inspiring and/or transforming yourself, other artists, the intended communities, or all of the above?

The Bandung 2022 Residency is seeking 7-10 participants with a range of artistic expression, social justice / social impact expertise, organizing frameworks, and lived experiences for its inaugural cohort. Criteria for selection include:

• A resident of New York City & primarily based in New York City during the residency period (this residency will take on a hybrid form with some in-person meetings required)
• All disciplines and stages of artistic exploration/developments, activism, community organizing, educational practice, and thought leadership are welcome
• Demonstrate a willingness or an interest in community work and fostering solidarity between communities
• Create or develop an existing or new project that is forward thinking and proactive, that centers community building, healing, and solidarity, and not limited to being solely reactionary to moments of crisis or protest
• Projects should center/engage in social justice discourse, restorative healing, cultural placemaking, expanding the narrative between communities, and cross-community allyship, whether for their personal transformation, in service to the communities identified, or both.
• Connect with local leaders and community members to inspire unity through the lens of an artistic presentation, shared exploratory experience, or special project (e.g. public art piece, performance, walking tour, ephemeral installation, community building activity, etc) that they will incubate / create during their residency.
• Project completion is not limited to the residency period. “Work” completed during the residency may also plant a seed that leads to a larger project that will be realized after the residency.
• If applying as a collective:
  • We encourage you to select representatives for your group who will be accountable for your power and knowledge sharing structure within the collective. Representatives for a collective must be reflective of all communities identified.
  • All members must participate in all three learning exchanges.
• A spirit of generosity and in fostering a collaborative close-knit community (artist knowledge/skill share and cultural exchange)
• An interest in using this residency as a platform to promote cross-cultural messaging of healing and unity
• Open only to individual participants (or participants working in collaboration/collectives); Organizations may not apply
• Degree-earning students at the time of residency may not apply
• Must be at least 18 years of age

PROGRAM STRUCTURE + TIMELINE

The Institutional Partners will provide support and logistical help during the application process. During the course of the residency, we will expand this framework to include mentorship, resource-sharing (community contacts), workshop facilitation, and presentation support for the inaugural cohort.

As part of the 3-month long residency, participants will:

• Must participate in 3 learning exchanges led by a notable anti-oppression coach (emailing coach for one-on-one support is optional, but available);
• Attend 3 conversations/workshops led by leading community voices (A4 and MoCADA are in the process of scheduling speakers for the summer months and will share the dates and names of the subject matter experts when confirmed. Residents are not required to attend these events, but we do recommend participation.);
• Create a new or build upon an existing project, art presentation/installation, performance, workshop or experience designed as a community activity that will inspire solidarity or create discourse between AAPI and Black communities;
• Receive an honorarium $1,500 per artist/collective plus additional support of up to $1,000 for the execution of their project (a workshop, project, installation, art piece or performance, etc)

The program schedule is as follows:

March 28, 2022 Application Opens
April 6, 2022 Pre-submission Information Session (12:00 – 1:00pm EDT)
April 17, 2022 Deadline for all Submissions (by 11:59 pm EDT)
April 21, 2022 Applications shared with the Review Committee
May 6, 2022 Panel Review
May 10, 2022 Inaugural Cohort Notified
May 17, 2022 Residency begins: Introductions
May 24, 2022 Learning Exchange 1
June 7, 2022 Cohort Meeting
June 21, 2022 Learning Exchange 2
July 5, 2022 Cohort Meeting
July 19, 2022 Learning Exchange 3
August 2, 2022 Cohort Meeting
August 16,2022 Final Cohort Meeting; Project share out

This residency is co-presented by the Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) and made possible through the New York City Council’s AAPI Community Support Initiative, the Ford Foundation, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Click to access the online application through Zealous.
Click to access application technical support instructions.
To download an accessible copy of the application questions and guidelines, click here.