Welcome to the ArtsCross pages

ArtsCross is a long-term initiative which brings together academics and artists across cultural, national and artistic borders. It is designed to enhance the prospects of stronger, more productive debate between East and West at a strategically critical moment. It seeks to harness the transformative power of the arts and art-making, to further intercultural dialogue and understanding, and to develop professional, personal and institutional exchange.

Artscross began in 2009 with an innovative and successful collaboration between ResCen and the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), China entitled Danscross: dancing in a shaking world. In 2011 the ArtsCross partnership was extended and it now includes Taipei National University of the Arts, Queen Mary, University of London and University of Exeter, as well as UK arts partners Step Out Arts and The Place. Although to date projects have focused on dance, the initiative intends to consider wider forms and ecologies of performance, and to develop an interdisciplinary investigation into cultural identity/ies and intercultural exchange.

Each project includes artists engaged in making new work, academics observing creative process and debating the issues that arise, webpostings and blogs during and after the process, and a conference at which a selection of issues is explored. This rich dialogue is often followed by reflective writings published online and/or in journals.

The relationship between West and East is critical to a sustainable future, and the project focuses on developing understanding not simply through exchanging cultural artefacts or performances, but by working together; examining creative processes and their outcomes, and exchanging knowledge, skills and perhaps most importantly, points of view. At this time of intense change in the geo-political context, the project examines the particular – creative processes and performances – in order to glimpse the panoramic.

Please explore the ArtsCross pages – there are blogs and videos of past projects and articles and papers that have resulted from reflections on them. New projects are being planned and we hope that you will join the online discussion.

Professor Christopher Bannerman
Head of ResCen Research Centre

Dr Martin Welton
Queen Mary, University of London