Background
With over 1500 recognized cultural institutions, clubs, and galleries and some 70,000 resident artists from all over the world, New York is one of the cultural capitals of the world. There is no doubt that, for most artistic genres, New York constitutes an international art scene, where the quality of the art is assessed in terms of its international viability. Therefore, an engagement in New York is often viewed as a stamp of quality the world over.

American professionals agree that it is important for foreign artists to have a well-developed personal and professional network and to be present in New York with high visibility at regular intervals in order to create a long-term door-opener effect with respect to ongoing events in the US.

Even when there are ongoing Danish events in New York, many opportunities are still unexploited by Danish artists. It is one thing to know the most important New York venues and American artists with respect to one’s artistic endeavor. It is something else to have personal acquaintances, local know-how, and the networks that have to exist to stand out in and gain access to the art scene.

This project presents an entirely new way of thinking about cultural exchange. Previous Danish efforts and festivals have been event-based. The focus was on holding isolated events – theater performances, concerts, readings or exhibitions. Such events have then been linked together in an overall framework – as happened, for example, with SUPERDANISH in Toronto 2004.

This project departs radically from the idea of mounting joint presentations of Danish art and culture. The project builds on the artistic process itself. The focus is on establishing a network between Danish artists and artists in New York.

Goals

• To establish robust professional networks between the Danish and American art scenes
• To provide the Danish participants with the expertise and local know-how to work as international artists in New York and the US
• To make Danish art visible in New York and on the international arts scene and to bring art from New York to Denmark

Project description
The project will use the artistic process as its basis. Collaboration between Danish and American artists will be strengthened over a period of two years – 2006 and 2007. Danish artists will establish a network to current, established art scenes in New York. By working on joint projects, they will forge contacts with professional networks and gain experience by working in one of the world’s most important art scenes.

Depending on the individual genre’s form and method of expression, different projects will naturally take different forms – but there will be room for single artists as well as large and small cultural institutions – including the more established, the avant-garde, and everything in between. As part of the process, Danish artists will be exposed to a circle of important American and Danish leaders in the world of art and culture.

The Danish Arts Council will take the initiative in establishing contact between collaborative partners and in defining individual projects.

In this connection, the Danish Arts Agency and the Danish Consulate General in New York will undertake the outreach work for the Danish Arts Council – particularly with respect to selecting relevant collaborative partners in New York. At the same time, the American Advisory Group will act as a strong local partner to ensure that agreements are entered into with the right professional partners.

A collaborative agreement will be entered into with the New York Foundation for the Arts to secure the project’s anchoring and backing in the arts scene in New York.

Applications
There will be two rounds of applications.

• The first application round will offer grants to Danish artists in amounts up to DKK 20,000 for the research and development of a project idea.
• The second application round will allow the artists to submit their final project proposals.

The collaboration will begin prior to the end of 2006.

Financial subsidies for processes will be able to be obtained in 2006 and 2007.

The prerequisite for support is that there are active, competent artistic partners in New York who will contribute resources or financial means.

In Denmark, the general criteria of the Danish Arts Council will apply.

Longer-term collaborative projects will be prioritized.

Full financing will only be granted in unique cases.

The Danish Arts Agency will have the responsibility for announcing, advertising, and generating attention for the Danish Arts Council’s new initiative.

Budget
As part of its cross-disciplinary spending allocation, the Danish Arts Council has earmarked a total of DKK 10 million exclusively for project support in 2005/2006. The intent is to earmark an additional DKK 5 million of the Danish Arts Council’s spending allocation in 2007 after a concrete assessment of the need and the size of the cross-disciplinary spending allocation for 2007.

In addition, DKK 1,500,000 will be earmarked through a collaborative agreement between the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Ministry of Culture, primarily for PR and administration.