Grants offered for Taiwan youths to boost southbound ties
As part of Taiwan's New Southbound Policy for enhancing regional participation through cultural and economic ties, the Ministry of Culture is looking for youth delegates to boost Taiwan's cultural exchanges with Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
"Youth Cultural Gardeners" is an annual initiative that stations Taiwanese delegates in communities scattered across Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.
Their interactions with local residents through a plethora of art forms help deepen mutual understanding and interpersonal relations among Taiwan and its neighboring countries, and upon return, their cross-border experiences subsequently help nurture Taiwan's ever-growing cultural dynamics.
Each delegation shall comprise at least three ROC (Taiwan) nationals and duration of travel shall not exceed 90 days. For those who seek to visit more than one nation in Southeast Asia or the South Pacific, duration of stay per country shall be no less than 14 days.
Moreover, for the 2019 open call, the age range has been amended to 20 through 45 years old. The previous limit of 35 years was abolished to make way for more established and senior cultural professionals to recruit and mentor such youth delegations.
The Ministry of Culture's southward bound policy is rooted in people and culture. This humanities-oriented approach aims to deepen exchanges and collaboration, and places a special emphasis on the ability of new artists and young cultural professionals to identify fresh areas for potential multicultural collaboration.
Upon their return, these "youth cultural gardeners" will also contribute to the progress of social thought in Taiwan, broaden the citizenry's global perspectives, initiate closer ties among Taiwan and its neighbors, and help the nation forge longstanding international ties based on mutual understanding and respect.
Proposals will be accepted through Nov. 20, 2018. Please visit the grants page or call 02-8512-6715 for more information.