Creation in Isolation - Adversity Meets Innovation
THE NEXT STAGE Episode 1: Creation in Isolation - Adversity Meets Innovation
The pandemic has forever changed our world, the arts included. While we may not yet fully understand the impacts, artists have taken on the challenges and benefits of isolation over the last year to evolve their practice of creation, collaboration, performance, and engagement. The pandemic will one day be behind us, but the changes it forced and the innovations it spawned will inform the creative process, touring and presenting for years to come. Creation in Isolation features a diverse panel of artists and producers candidly sharing their journeys. Zoom in to learn what worked, what didn’t, and what astonished.
Speakers
Cheng Tsung-lung | Artistic Director, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
From street hawker selling slippers to internationally recognized choreographer, CHENG Tsung-lung became the Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan in 2020, succeeding the company’s founder LIN Hwai-min. CHENG is best known for works inspired by the street life and folk religion elements that were part of his upbringing in Taipei. His recent creations include 13 Tongues (2016), which received rave reviews in France, Germany, the UK and China; Lunar Halo (2019), which is set to music by Sigur Rós and hailed widely as a work of “fierce beauty”; and Sounding Light (2020), which reflects on the relationship between human and nature, and is praised as a “beautifully crafted work, bearing repeated viewings.” CHENG is listed as one of the“50 Contemporary Choreographers“ by publisher Routledge, along with William Forsythe, Akram Khan, etc.
Farooq Chaudhry | Executive Producer, Akram Khan Company
Farooq Chaudhry, co-founder and producer of Akram Khan Company, plays a key role in forming innovative business models to support Akram Khan’s artistic ambitions and offering creative support during the development of Khan's projects. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Chaudhry in a list of the world's top hundred cultural actors and entrepreneurs in 2008. Chaudhry also produced for China’s national dance icon, Yang Liping and English National Ballet, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University for his services to dance. In 2018 Chaudhry became the Course consultant for the new MA Dance Producing and Management at London Studio Centre. In Sept 2018 Chaudhry became the Co-Artistic Director of PECDA (Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards) in India. In 2019, Chaudhry was awarded an OBE for his services to Dance and Dance Production. Early 2019 Chaudhry was awarded an OBE for his services to dance. In addition, during July this year he also became a board member for Tate.
Aditya Prakash | Artist, Aditya Prakash Ensemble
Aditya Prakash, an award-winning vocalist known for his powerful and emotive voice, is a young virtuoso of Carnatic music, and one of the youngest musicians to tour and perform with Ravi Shankar at the age of 16. In addition, Aditya has worked with leading innovators of the arts such as Anoushka Shankar, Karsh Kale, Tigran Hamasyan and most recently Akram Khan. In 2010, Aditya founded the Aditya Prakash Ensemble, a group that frames Aditya’s highly ornamented, stylized and emotive Carnatic vocal style around jazz instrumentation. Aditya has gained much acclaim for his traditional Carnatic performances in leading institutions in India and the USA.
Moderator
Chris Lorway, Executive Director, Stanford Live
Chris Lorway was appointed Executive Director of Stanford Live and Bing Concert Hall in May 2016. Before joining Stanford he was the Director, Programming and Marketing, for Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall—home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto International Film Festival—where he curated and presented an annual season of approximately 150 performances. Prior to that he was the Executive Director of Soundstreams, a Toronto-based music presenter that commissions, develops, and showcases the work of contemporary composers.
About the Series
THE NEXT STAGE: Essential Issues in Performing Arts Creation, Presentation, and Engagement is a webinar series produced by Western Arts Alliance in partnership with the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles and the Taiwan Ministry of Culture. THE NEXT STAGE will gather innovative artists and arts leaders in the United States, Taiwan, and beyond to explore the most significant challenges and opportunities of this global crisis. The series will spotlight diverse voices, new ideas, and groundbreaking innovations to help the performing arts navigate the pandemic and thrive.
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