Fulbright-Taiwan Ministry of Culture, Arts Professionals Grants, sponsored by Taiwan Ministry of Culture and U.S. Department of State, released the 1st-cohort official grantee list for Academic Year 2022, which was just approved by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The selected grantees are Dr. Hui-Ling Chen, Associate Curator of National Museum of Natural Science, Mr. Chih-Heng Chuang, Council member of Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology (TATT) and Artistic Director of Silver Lining Production and Aye Theatre, and Ms. Shan-Shan Huang, Director of JUT Art Museum. Their research topics cover the fields of museum volunteer, theater technology, and the public relationship of art museum.
Ministry of Culture cooperated with the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan), the office administering Fulbright programs in Taiwan since 2018, to select arts professionals participating in Fulbright exchange programs in the U.S. From Academic Year 2019 to 2021, seven grantees were selected. Considering that the cultivation of behind-the-scenes professionals and the relevant continuing education lack public attention and support in Taiwan, this program was upgraded to a hyphenated grant in 2021. And the support fields were extended from administration to technical support, curatorial and critical practices, to optimize the art/culture industry ecology in Taiwan. Grantee’s benefits include airfare, baggage allowance, stipend for living and research in the U.S. for 3 months, which are provided by the Ministry of Culture.
After upgraded, the 1st cohort of 3 grantees will travel to the U.S. in the Academic Year 2022. Dr. Hui-Ling Chen, Associate Curator of National Museum of Natural Science plans to visit the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to do the project “Young volunteer training and theater event management of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis”. Mr. Chih-Heng Chuang, Council member of Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology (TATT) and Artistic Director of Silver Lining Production and Aye Theatre schedules to be hosted by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) to conduct his project “How theatrical technicians in the United States handle challenges in pandemic times, as well as the their plans for the future”. Ms. Shan-Shan Huang, Director of JUT Art Museum proposes to conduct her research “The relationship between art museums and the public after the pandemic” in the museum in New York.
The awarded grantees, who were selected before the Program was upgraded, are also well recognized in different professional fields, including Mr. Liang-Pin Tsao, Founder and Director of Lightbox Photo Library, Ms. Hsu-Ping Wang, Independent Producer, Ms. Feng-Chih Tsou, Manager of National Performing Arts Center- National Theater & Concert Hall, Dr. Li-Hsiang Huang, CEO and Curator of Jieying Cultural & Creative Group, Mr. I-Wei Tsai, Director of Puppetry Art Center of Taipei, and Ms. Yu-Hsien Chen, Project Leader of Save Media Art (SMA) of Taiwan Digital Art Foundation.
Fulbright Program, founded by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946, is a global flagship international education and culture exchange platform. The Fulbright Program in Taiwan is administrated by the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan), which has financed over 1,700 Taiwan grantees to the U.S. and more than 2,100 U.S. grantees to Taiwan.