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NEWS RELEASE
The Glasgow School of Art supports Hikkaduwa Area Relief Fund initiative to develop on a Creation Centre in Sri Lanka
Key points: The Glasgow School of Art supports Hikkaduwa Area Relief Fund initiative to develop a Creation Centre in Sri Lanka The Lord Provost of Glasgow to be Patron of the Creation Centre First group of students from The GSA will go to Hikkaduwa later this week and be involved in a major local event in January HARF is working on the ground providing direct help for those affected by the tsunami and investment for long term regeneration projects. All donations to support the on-going work of the charity are gratefully received.
The Glasgow School of Art is to support the Hikkaduwa Area Relief Fund (HARF) initiative to develop on a Creation Centre in Dodanduwa, Sri Lanka, it was announced today, Tuesday 20 December 2005.
Conceived by HARF as part of a package of initiatives that is helping the Hikkaduwa area recover from the impact of the tsunami, the Creation Centre will be a key facility both for the local communities of Hikkaduwa and Dodanduwa, and for international artists wishing to work in Sri Lanka.
Announcing the initiative Neil Butler, Chairman of the Hikaduawa Area Relief Fund, said: “The Creation Centre is being developed to encourage collaboration between Sri Lankan and international artists. It will be a major resource for the local community and will facilitate relationships between visiting artists and local schools, community groups and refugee camps.”
He added “The Creation Centre will support existing events in the Hikkaduwa area by encouraging local and international artists to contribute to them. It will also provide a platform for increased artistic work to stimulate economic activity, particularly in terms of vital tourism revenues.”
The first group of international artists to visit the area comprises two graduates and three second year students from the celebrated MFA at The Glasgow School of Art. Their visit marks the beginning of a longterm relationship between The GSA and HARF: plans are currently being developed for a convention
involving the Mackintosh School of Architecture and the local architects in Sri Lanka on the role of architecture in regeneration, for staff residencies and for a summer school for students.
Prof Seona Reid, director of The Glasgow School of Art, said: “International exchange is a vital part of the education programme at The Glasgow School of Art. Dialogues between different art forms and different cultures are an enriching experience both in terms of fostering international understanding and developing artistic practice. The collaboration with HARF will enable the development of stronger links between The Glasgow School of Art and Sri Lanka, and will, we hope, bring benefits to the local community.”
It was also announced that the Lord Provost of Glasgow, the Rt Hon Liz Cameron, is to be Patron of the Centre. She said (quote to be agreed): “As patron of the Hikkaduwa Area Relief Fund it has been my privilege to visit the area to see the work that is being done to help the community get back on its feet after the devastating impact of the tsunami.. I am delighted to support the Creation Centre, an initiative that will support the development of the local economy in Hikkaduwa foster international cultural exchange.”
The economy of the Hikkaduawa region (population 120,000) is largely dependent on fishing and tourism, and after the devastation of 26 December less than 1% of the local fishing fleet was still operational. In the last 12 months, with the support of HARF, many of the destroyed boats have been replaced. To celebrate the revival of their fishing industry the towns of Hikkaduwa and Dodanduwa, will hold a boat race on 14 January 2006. Some of the 50+ boats taking part in the race, including “The City of Glasgow” and “Stravaigin” boats, will be decorated by the three visiting GSA students (Emily Strange, Alex Kyriakides and Gunnar Peturssen) working in collaboration with the local community. Meanwhile MFA graduates Tara Beall and Anthony Schrag will work with HARF to scope out how a continuing relationship between The GSA and the Creation Centre might be developed on the ground.
ENDS
Issued on behalf of HARF by New Century PR. For further information, interviews and images contact: Lesley Booth 0779 941 4474 lesley.booth@newcenturypr.com
or Rosy Matheson, The Glasgow School of Art,
0141 353 4443
R.Matheson@gsa.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
The Creation Centre will invite proposals from artists in any medium who wish to create work that will be enhanced by development in Sri Lanka. Artists undertaking residencies at the Centre will be encouraged to dedicate at least 20% of their time to working directly with local individuals and organisations, and the work they create will be show locally first. The prime criterion for selection will always be the quality of the artistic ideas.
The Creation Centre will house 8-10 artists at any one time and will provide workshop space. A performance area will be created in the form of a “Dutch Barn” to protect from the sun and the monsoon, and HARF is also funding the development of wood and metal workshops in a residential school close by.
International exchange is a key part of the education programme at The Glasgow School of Art. The GSA already has 80 exchange agreements with leading international art schools and approximate 15% of the student community is international. The School has also just embarked on a major exchange programme with the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing which will see up to 100 architecture and design students per year beginning their studies in Beijing under the auspices of The GSA and then completing their studies in Glasgow.
The Glasgow School of Art Master of Fine Art is a two-year, full-time, research-based, taught postgraduate degree. It has achieved international recognition as a centre of excellence in postgraduate education in the visual arts, occupying a unique and influential position within the extraordinary dynamic that characterises the visual art community in Glasgow. The Master of Fine Art has also developed a wide range of international links and formal exchange agreements with other prestigious art schools. MFA graduates include Claire Barclay; Beagles & Ramsay; Matthew Dalziel (Dalziel & Scullion); Louise Hopkins; Beck’s Futures winner, Rosalind Nashashibi; Tatham and O’Sullivan; Ross Sinclair, and 2005 Turner Prize winner, Simon Starling