Bamboo Culture International ( affiliate of the Bamboo Curtain Studio)

Bamboo Culture International aims to promote the development of culture environment through incubation of creativity. Using action research, national and internationally, to create a network of dialogue on the core value of arts toward civic society.

Based on the belief of creative culture makes real difference for the development of civic society , our vision is to support creative talent, especially by provision of time and space to create. Bamboo Curtain Studio has provide that service for the last 12 years, but now wishes to understand the role of culture worker and the holistic environment that need that creativity. The Bamboo Culture International is thus incorporated in 2005, as a multifaceted organization, connects internally to the vision of promoting a better society through the engagement of arts and culture, locally and globally. Our programs varies from working studios, to artist in site specific residencies, then to the research & development on culture policies for local ministries, and networking to the global organizations.

1. Bamboo Curtain Studio
   Self-supporting , t hrough rental and events managements . The studio provides l ive / work , exhibition and performance spaces for artists. Events include the contemporary arts of Taipei metropolitan area, plus coordinating culture projects with the local community
2. Bamboo Culture International
   Research on the importance of engagement of creative talents in the form of policy recommendations, conferences, publications , such as cross cultur al exchanges in creative settings , as artist-in-residency with in Asia . Concrete services for referrals of time and space for creativity, and direct management of projects in AIR and reused buildings for cultural activities.
3. Bamboo Creatives
   Present c reative p roducts of artists through “art of living” at home and in one's local environment . Mainly hand made , or limited edition of functional art and decorative objects to be marketed locally and internationally . We also execute art intervention in urban spaces, so as to have an impact for local support for human interactions in the local public environment.

The Funder

- Margaret Shiu -

With a background in economic development at UC-Berkeley, Ms. Shiu worked as an economist before changing career paths to be a visual artist. Seeing constraints in the further development of the arts in Taiwan, she turned to advocate international cultural exchange and urban regeneration, especially in the reuse of space. As the director of both, the alternative space Bamboo Curtain Studio and the research unit Bamboo Culture International, Ms. Shiu has activated initiatives highlighting the artist¡¦s role in cultural, social and environmental development; her team networks with international organizations for research and collaborations, such the Intra Asia Network for Artistic Mobility

A newly finished research is "Mapping Asian Creative Clusters: the dynamic synergies of artist hubs". Other international researches published by the team include ¡§Magnetic Fields of Creativity -Cultural exchange programs as promoted by international artists-in-residencies¡¨ published in Chinese, 1999, and "Creative Programming in Reuse of Space: an International Perspective" published in Chinese, 2002.

Ms Shiu has served as national and regional representative of international committees/commissions such as Res Artis, the World Culture Forum Alliance, and the Asian Cultural Council. She is founding chair of the Association for the Visual Artists in Taiwan, and the Association for Cultural Environment Reform in Taiwan, plus serving on Taipei city planning and public art commissions.