JUSFC/NEA
US/Japan Creative Artists Residency
Program Description
Each year leading contemporary and traditional artists from the United States spend five months in Japan as part of the United States/Japan Creative Artists Program. They go as seekers, as cultural visionaries, and as living liaisons to the traditional and contemporary cultural life of Japan. The outlook they bring home provides an unparalleled opportunity to promote cultural understanding between the United States and Japan.
Cultural understanding is at the heart of this program. It provides funds for up to five artists to complete the residency in Japan. Artists are free to interact with Japanese artists anywhere in the country and to pursue activities of greatest relevance to their creative process. While many artists chose to remain in Tokyo, others have undertaken their residencies in Kyoto or other cities, and still others have worked in rural settings or have visited a number of sites relevant to their work.
While artists will be predominantly on their own upon their arrival in Tokyo, International House of Japan provides in-depth orientation materials, expert advice and professional contacts, as well as logistical support during the residency period.
The Japan-US Friendship Commission works cooperatively with the National Endowment for the Arts to sponsor this program.
Grant Award
Each artist will receive:
a monthly stipend of 400,000 yen for living expenses, 100,000 yen a month as a housing supplement, and up to 100,000 yen a month for professional support services. (While the yen value may fluctuate against the dollar, applicants should be assured that these funds will cover the cost of living and working in Japan.)
a total of up to $6,000 for round-trip transportation for the artist, domestic partner and / or unmarried children (up to age 18) and a baggage/storage allowance, and any pre-departure Japanese language study in the United States.
Because of the limited number of awards, only one residency will be supported for artists who apply as a collaborative team. In addition, while artists may wish to apply for other grants concurrently with the application to this program, selected artists may not hold a second award for financial assistance during the period of support of the US /Japan Creative Artists’ Program.
Review Criteria and Selection Process
The US/Japan program is extremely competitive; only five artists are selected to go to Japan. Applicants should anticipate a highly rigorous review of their artistry and should have compelling reasons for wanting to work in Japan. Their work must exemplify the best in US arts. Generally this means that only those artists who have demonstrated expertise and established professional recognition (e.g. awards, featured shows, publications, etc.) in their field either regionally or nationally or who have shown truly exceptional promise at the local level are likely to be competitive. Proficiency in the Japanese language is not required.
Preference will be given to those applicants for whom this will be a first-time opportunity for in-depth creative work in Japan. Applicants must be able to begin their five-month residency within the period between January 1 and December 31 of the year following the application deadline.
Applications are judged by the following review criteria:
The artistic excellence of the applicant's work and artistic merit of the proposed residency
The extent to which working in Japan is consistent with the applicant's artistic vision and would contribute to his or her artistry
The applicant's ability to meet cross-cultural challenges successfully
The availability of resources in Japan that are necessary to the artist's proposed residency
Applications will be reviewed by a panel convened jointly by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Japan-US Friendship Commission. The panel will include previous recipients of US/Japan Creative Artist Residency, as well as other arts professionals with expertise in Japanese culture.
Eligibility
Candidates must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
Candidates must be professional creative artists (contemporary or traditional) working as: architects, choreographers, composers, creative writers, designers, media artists, playwrights, visual artists and solo theater artists who work with original material (including puppeteers, storytellers and performance artists). Artists who create original work in a multidisciplinary form are also eligible.
Application Deadlines and How to Apply
Deadline: June 26, 2006 is the deadline for the 2007 program. February 1, 2007 is the deadline for the 2008 program and for subsequent years. Residencies may begin any time between January 1 and December 31 of the following year.
Application and Complete Guidelines are available at: http://www.jusfc.gov/commissn/commissn.html#_US/Japan_Creative_Artists
