Inaugural General Meeting of the Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals

Inaugurated in Singapore on 19 June 2004, the Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals (AAPAF) aims to promote international co-operation between Asian festivals and other similar organisations; support the development and promotion of artists and fesitval organisations in Asia; facilitate and create opportunities for co- operation in artistic productions and operational fields; and provide a platform to access funding beyond the region. The Founding Festival Members of the Association are Singapore Arts Festival, China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Jakarta International Arts Festival (JakArt). As of 7 June 2005, the Membership of AAPAF stands at 13 full members and 8 associate members.

The Executive Council of AAPAF is chaired by Ms Goh Ching Lee, Director of the Singapore Arts Festival for a term of two years (19 June 2004 to 18 June 2006). The two Vice Chairs are Mr Cheng Shenglai, President of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and Mr Douglas Gaultier, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Other members of the Executive Council are the Macao International Arts Festival, JakArt, Tokyo International Arts Festival, and the Seoul International Dance Festival. The Secretary of the Council is Ms Chua Ai Liang, Deputy Director, Singapore Arts Festival. The Secretariat is based at the Singapore Arts Festival office.

At the first Annual General Meeting held in Singapore on 6 and 7 June 2005, key projects
identified for undertaking by AAPAF include developing a framework to develop and support co-collaborations and co-commissions, encouraging greater cross marketing among members and sharing information on programming, talents and best practices.

As part of its AGM, AAPAF together with Informal European Theatre Meeting and SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts organised Critically Speaking, the Asia-Europe Contemporary Performing Arts Colloquium to crictically address issues of creation, commissioning and producing in the performing arts world.

For more information on AAPAF and membership, please log on to the webstie www.aapaf.org or email to the Secretariat at secretariat@aapaf.org.

Please refer to the attached annexes for more information:
Annex 1 - AAPAF Membership List (as of 7 June 2005)
Annex 2 - Profile of AAPAF Members

7 June 2005

Annex 1

Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals
Membership List?as of 7 June 2005)

Full Members
1. China Shanghai International Arts Festival
2. Hong Kong Arts Festival
3. Jakarta International Arts Festival (JakArt)
4. Macao Arts Festival / Macao International Music Festival
5. New Vision Arts Festival
6. Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance)
7. Seoul Performing Arts Festival
8. Selangor State Culture, Arts and Heritage
9. Singapore Arts Festival
10. Tokyo International Arts Festival
11. Chuncheon International Mime Festival
12. Nanning International Folks Song Arts Festival
13. Jeonju Sori Festival

Associate Members
1. Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals
2. European Festivals Association
3. Festival Internacional Cervantino
4. Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture
5. The New Zealand International Arts Festival
6. Auckland Festival
7. Hirano Productions
8. Singapore Dance Theatre

Total Membership: 21

Annex 2

Association of Performing Arts Festivals
Profile of AAPAF Members

Full Members

China Shanghai International Arts Festival
The China Shanghai International Arts Festival is an international arts festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture of People's Republic of China and organised by Shanghai Municipal People's Government. Held in Shanghai annually, the Festival aims to present the best cultures from around the world, to promote Chinese traditional arts, to enhance Sino-international cultural exchanges and to develop cultural markets. The festival activities include performing arts programmes, arts exhibitions, public cultural activities and international performing arts fair.www.artsbird.com

Chuncheon International Mime Festival
The Chuncheon International Mime Festival, held annually in spring, began in 1989 as the first Korean Mime Festival. It has since developed into Asia's leading mime festival, inspiring other similar festivals in Japan and Mongolia. Besides the main performances, special sessions are also held, showcasing premier mime works from various parts of the world. Various other events, including mime workshops, juggling lessons, and mime performances for children also take place throughout the festival.

Hong Kong Arts Festival
Founded in 1972, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival as well as one of the premier arts events in Hong Kong. Featuring overseas and Hong Kong artists of renown in an eclectic array of music, theatre, dance, popular entertainment, film and exhibition programmes, the Festival offers a three-to-four-week-long cultural feast annually from February to March. The Festival's missions is to present an annual international festival of the highest standard for the enrichment of cultural life in Hong Kong. The Festival also serves as a catalyst to arouse wider public interest in the arts and to encourage artistic dialogue and cultural exchange.www.hk.artsfestival.org

Jakarta International Arts Festival (JakArt)
JakArt was established in 1999 as a grassroots organisation to demonstrate, expose, share, encourage and promote the Arts. This resulted in the organising of JakArt@2001, JakArt@2002, JakArt@2003 and JakArt@2004, an international Arts, Cultural and Educational Festival to commemorate Jakarta's Anniversary in the month of June. The JakArt Festivals have presented over 1,000 events and world class performances in more than 300 venues around Jakarta. Its missions is to expose, encourage and facilitate local and international artists in inter-cultural exchange and collaborations, as well as to advocate better understanding and support for the Arts in Indonesia.

Jeonju Sori Festival
The Jeonju Sori (Musical Sound) Festival is an event intended to spread Korean traditional music into the 21st century, under the theme of "All Over the World the Globalisation of Korea's Sori & the Culture of Sori". In this festival, visitors can experience music and the attractiveness of sounds from all over the world, and hear the passion and harmony of Korean music.www.sorifestival.com

Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance)
SIDance was created by CID-UNESCO (Conseil International de la Danse) Korea Chapter in 1998 as a proper channel for introducing Korean dance to international stages as well as worldwide trends to the local dance scene. SIDance stands out among its various activities to promote Korean Dance. The primary goals of SIDance are to provide world-class choreographic pieces to stimulate the intellectual capacity of Korean dance, to introduce competent Korean choreographers to prominent festivals for their international exposure, to assist in what has been a gradual elevation of dance to a decent and respected art form in Korea, to provide stages for dancers in their 20s, and to promote mutual understanding among different cultures and
introduce Korean dance to international stages.www.sidance.org

Seoul Performing Arts Festival
Seoul Performing Arts Festival is an annual international arts festival held every autumn in Seoul. It aims to establish an international performing arts market which will introduce and dynamically mediate contemporary artistic imaginations of the highest international reputation. Seoul Performing Arts Festival recognises the uniqueness of each individual performing arts genre. At the same time, it actively supports innovative trends and values manifested through a powerful interactivity of different genres within a broader field of performing arts.www.spaf21.com

Singapore Arts Festival
Established as one of Asia's leading arts festivals, the Singapore Arts Festival gathers internationally acclaimed and Singapore artists annually for a four-week long celebration of cultural diversity and artistic innovation. Seeking to entertain, enchant, inspire and impress, the Festival presents among the best and latest in artistic developments around the world, ranging from the classics to the highly experimental. The Festival is known for its embrace of the contemporary and cutting-edge works by leading contemporary artists from Singapore, Asia and beyond. www.singaporeartsfest.com

Tokyo International Arts Festival
Tokyo International Arts Festival is incorporated within Arts Network Japan. It is held annually and is made up of various programmes that can be rounded up into three areas. Firstly a Theatrical Programme which introduces not only Japanese theatre and dance troupes, but also works from overseas, collaborations by Japanese and international cast, as well as Regional Theatre Series. A Communication Programme, largely workshops also provides the opportunity for theatre goers to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of a theatrical production. Its International Visitors' Programme is offered in the hope of building networks and sharing ideas between Japanese and international professionals. www.anj.or.jp

Associate Members

Auckland Festival
The Auckland Festival started in 2003 as a celebration of the cultures and essence of Auckland. Held once every two years, the festival presents a broad programme of ticketed and free events, featuring both New Zealand as well as international performers, with an emphasis on the commercial viability of events through substantial investment from various sponsorships. www.aucklandfestival.co.nz

Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals
The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals is set up to support and facilitate collaborations and co-commissions among the arts festivals in Australia. Its members include Adelaide Festival of Arts, Brisbane Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Sydney Festival, and Tasmania Ten Days on the Island. www.festivals.on.net

European Festivals Association
European Festivals Association (EFA), an organisation representing more than 90 quality festivals and 11 national festivals associations in 35 European and non-European countries. The Association was founded in Geneva in 1952 upon the joint initiative of the eminent conductor Igor Markewitch and the great philosopher Denis de Rougemont. The creation coincided with other accomplishments in the late 40s and early 50s aimed at reuniting the countries of Europe after World War II. The EFA is a professional, non-governmental, non-profit-making and apolitical international association. This independent status makes it possible for the
Association to work in the best interest of its members.www.euro-festival.net

Festival Internacional Cervantino
For the past 32 years, Festival Intercional Cervantino has been the meeting place for all genres and trends of artistic creation, propitiating plural, generous dialogue among the world's diverse cultures. Heir to the Cervantine tradition, the Festival Intercional Cervantino has proposed the generating of new audiences and the updating as well as the methodic confrontation of Mexican artists. The Festival's programme has been designed according to cycles, among which the following: contemporary music, open space theatre and exhibits, are decidedly aimed towards new languages. www.festivalcervantino.gob.mx?BR>
New Zealand International Arts Festival
The New Zealand International Arts Festival is the largest and most successful cultural event in New Zealand. The 2002 festival presented 350 ticketed performances, 22 seminars, 19 visual arts events and saw over 1,300 artists from over 25 countries participated in the festival. Held once every two years since 1986, the festival has celebrated its 10th year in 2004. www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz

Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture
With the city government's endowment of 50 billion won, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture was launched in May 2004. It aims to promote Seoul as a culturally rich city, such as New York and Paris, by providing better culture-related services for its citizens and artists alike. Since its inception, the foundation has been making gradual movements towards its goal by holding public cultural campaigns and building cultural infrastructures to increase the public's participation in cultural events.

Singapore Dance Theatre
In the short span of 15 years since its inception in 1988, the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) can lay claim to being one of the most popular arts companies in Singapore. The Singapore Dance Theatre is a non-profit professional dance company that strives to provide quality performances and productions to Singaporean and international audiences. It aims to nurture and promote an interest in dance education in schools and the community at large, and to engage Singaporeans and others to participate in and support dance. www.singaporedancetheatre.com

Hirano Productions
Founded in 1994 by Managing Director Rosemary Hinde, Hirano Productions is a company speciailising in cultural trade and exchange between Australia and Asia in the contemporary disciplines of dance, physical theatre, circus and outdoor performance. In the past ten years, their activities have spanned seventeen cities in eight different countries in Asia including Japan, Korea, PRC, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia. www.hiranoproductions.com

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Critically Speaking: Asia and Europe Contemporary Performing Arts Colloquium
6 - 7 June 2005

Between 6 to 7 June, AAPAF (Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals), SEAMEO-SPAFA (Regional Centre for Archeolog and Fine Arts) and IETM (Informal European Theatre Meeting) bring to you Critically Speaking, an Asia-Europe Contemporary Performing Arts Colloquium that brings together artists, critics, festival organisers, programmers, producers and managers of arts organisations in Asia and Europe to critically address issues of creation, commissioning and producing in the performing arts world.

Organised in association with the Singapore Arts Festival, Critically Speaking is organised in the shared belief that dialogue between Asia and Europe must be an ongoing effort, and that encounters between different sectors in contemporary performing arts must be set up for an exchange of ideas and interests, leading towards new working relations. It is supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation, National Arts Council and The Arts House @ The Old Parliament. Also participating in the Colloquium are the Association of Asia-Pacific Arts Centres and SPACE Network (Resource Centre for Asian Small Venues).?BR>
June 2005

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Inauguration of the Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals (AAPAF)

The Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals was inaugurated on 19 June 2004 in Singapore. The Association is a network of Festivals which aims to promote Asian arts and artists through the exchange of information, knowledge, expertise and establishing a framework for collaboration and commission of new works. The Association currently comprises 10 Full Members and 4 Associate Members. The Founding
Festival Members are the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Singapore Arts Festival and the Jakarta International Arts Festival (JakArt). Other members include Tokyo International Arts Festival, Seoul Performing Arts Festival, Confederation of Australian Arts Festivals, Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), amongst others.

The governance structure of AAPAF consists of the Executive Council and the Secretariat. The Executive Council was elected for a period of two years wef 19 June 2004. The Singapore Arts Festival chairs the Executive Council with the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and Hong Kong Arts Festival as co-chairs. The Secretariat is based at the Singapore Arts Festival office.

For more information on AAPAF and membership, please log on to the website www.aapaf.org
or email to the Secretariat at secretariat@aapaf.org.

Aug?004