Zuni Icosahedron - Symposium

Reassessing Global Cultural Exchange Models:
Human Resource Development as a Strategy

Conference - in hybrid formatival

Organized by Zuni Icosahedron (Hong Kong)
In Collaboration with INLANDIMENSIONS International Interdisciplinary Arts Festival
Grotowski Institute

Date: 17-18 September 2022 (Sat, Sun)
Time: 2:30pm-5pm (Poland time, GMT+1)
Venue: Ludwik Flaszen Reading Room, the Grotowski Institute, Wroclaw, Poland

Conference will be conducted in English.

Audience enrollment: festiwal@inlandimensions.com (Free of charge)

To enroll, send a message to the email address above including:

  • your first and last name,
  • if you’re joining online or in person.
  • (if online) if you want to join the  focus group discussion on Day 2. If yes—in which group?

Group division is in the program for day 2.

Enrollment deadline: 16/9 3:00 PM

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  • How equipped the existing protagonists are in carrying out creative and effective long-term cultural exchange in the post-pandemic era?
  • How do we build an institution that nurtures sustainable cultural leadership development to meet the challenges in cultural exchange?

Between 2017 and 2019, Zuni Icosahedron hosted three iterations of the Hong Kong Belt Road City to City Cultural Exchange Conferences – an arts and culture-oriented effort at organically leveraging the talents and institutionalised experience across Belt and Road countries – and beyond.

Subsequent to 2019 the pandemic interrupted most international exchanges and collaborations, but the brief hiatus also provided a window of opportunity to rethink the cultural exchanges we've had over the past few years - have they remained largely talk only, or have there been substantial progress and actual deliverables? How do we reassess global cultural exchange challenges, redefine the future cultural exchange models and restructure cultural exchange institutions?

As a result of our internal reflection, we have come to believe with increasing urgency - identifying and developing young talents and leaders is essential in long-term cultural exchange.

On the occasion of Interrupted Dream being invited to InlanDimensions International Art Festival as the opening theater program, we gather several experts and scholars who have profound insights into the nature, roots, and successes of cultural exchanges, they crucially also bring unique and personalised perspectives given their distinctive backgrounds. We hope that we can work together to come up with concrete, actionable propositions and action plans.

The convener of the symposium, Danny Yung (Co-Artistic Director of Zuni Icosahedron, Hong Kong) will give the opening and closing remarks for the two-day symposium.

After listening to the first day's sharing, participants will have the opportunity to meet with the four invited experts on the second day for a focus group discussion (limited to 10 participants per group)  based on their respective topics and to make specific recommendations for our future cultural exchange.


Program Day 1

17 Sep 2022, Saturday (Poland time, GMT+1)

2:30-2:35Opening
Liu Xiaoyi Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs, Singapore
2:35-2:45Keynote Speech 
Danny Yung Co-Artistic Director of Zuni Icosahedron, Hong Kong
2:45-3:55Panel 1 - Chaired by Brian Wong Founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Political Review, Hong Kong
Theme: Rejuvenating Cultural Exchange Post-Pandemic
Opening Remarks (10 minutes)
Moderated Discussion (40 minutes)  
Open Q and A (20 minutes) 
Dr Hans-Georg Knopp Former Secretary General, Goethe Institute Headquarter in Munich, Berlin
Rachel Cooper Director of Global Performing Arts and Special Cultural Initiatives of Asia Society, New York
Dr Monika Blige Deputy Director, Grotowski Institute, Wroclaw
Commentator Dr Maciej Szatkowski PhD, Centre for Chinese Language and Culture, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń
3:55-4:10 Coffee Break
4:10-5:20 Panel 2 - Chaired by Brian Wong Founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Political Review, Hong Kong
theme: Model for Human Resource and Research Cultivation
Opening Remarks (10 minutes)
Moderated Discussion (40 minutes)  
Open Q and A (20 minutes) 
Dr Rossella Ferrari Professor of China Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna, Vienna
Dr Pawit Mahasarinand Independent scholar, arts critic and producer, Bangkok
Dr Tadashi Uchino Professor of Performance Studies at Faculty of Intercultural Studies, Gakushuin Women’s College, Tokyo
Commentator Dr Maciej Szatkowski PhD, Centre for Chinese Language and Culture, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń
5:20-5:25Day 1 Closing
Liu Xiaoyi, Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs, Singapore

Program Day 2

18 Sep 2022, Sunday (Poland time, GMT+1)

2:30-2:45Day 2 Opening
Liu Xiaoyi Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs, Singapore
Nikodem Karolak Director of InlanDimensions International Arts Festival, Gdansk
2:45-3:00Speech
Dr Maciej Szatkowski PhD, Centre for Chinese Language and Culture, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń
Translation in Cultural Exchange
3:00-4:00Focus Group Discussion 1 (online participants may sign up for group discussion)
Group 1Theme: Transnational Organisations and Solidarity
Dr Rossella Ferrari Professor of China Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna, Vienna
Rachel Cooper Director of Global Performing Arts and Special Cultural Initiatives of Asia Society, New York
Hosted by Brian Wong Founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Political Review, Hong Kong
Group 2Theme: Civil society, Universities, and Governments in Cultural Exchange
Dr Pawit Mahasarinand Independent scholar, arts critic and producer, Bangkok
Dr Tadashi Uchino Professor of Performance Studies at Faculty of Intercultural Studies, Gakushuin Women’s College, Tokyo
Hosted by Liu Xiaoyi Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs, Singapore
4:00-4:15Coffee Break
4:15-5:00Focus Group Discussion 2  (online participants may sign up for group discussion)
Theme: What is next?
Dr Rossella Ferrari Professor of China Studies in the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Vienna, Vienna
Rachel Cooper Director of Global Performing Arts and Special Cultural Initiatives of Asia Society, New York
Dr Pawit Mahasarinand Independent scholar, arts critic and producer, Bangkok
Dr Tadashi Uchino Professor of Performance Studies at Faculty of Intercultural Studies, Gakushuin Women’s College, Tokyo
hosted by Brian Wong Founding editor-in-chief of the Oxford Political Review, Hong Kong
5:00-5:15 Closing Keynote Speech 
Danny Yung Co-Artistic Director of Zuni Icosahedron, Hong Kong
5:15-5:25Conference Closing
Liu Xiaoyi Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs, Singapore