Participants Announced For CAAP Artist Lab at OzAsia Festival

OzAsia Festival and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (CAAP) are pleased to announce the 12 South Australian artists who will participate in a five-day Artist Lab from November 1-5.

CAAP Artist Lab x South Australia will provide a fertile environment for experimentation, peer-to-peer learning and collaboration in a program that aims to expand and deepen the practices of SA-based Asian Australian artists working with performance.

CAAP champions Asian Australian artists and stories to take their place on main stages nationally and internationally and is partnering with leading South Australian companies ActNow Theatre, Brink Productions, Nexus Arts, State Theatre Company South Australia, Vitalstatistix and the Assemblage Centre for Creative Arts at Flinders University to deliver the Artist Lab as part of this year's OzAsia Festival.

The 2021 CAAP Artist Lab participants are Matcho Cassidy, Samuel Lau, Nicky Tsz Tung Li, Danielle Lim, Satomi Ohnishi, Roy Phung, Rubina, Penelope Shum, Noriko Tadano, Jennifer Trijo, Ben-Hur Winter and Mingyu 'Stevie-B' Zhao.

Annette Shun Wah, Artistic Director of OzAsia Festival and CAAP, said: "I'm excited by the potential that will be unleashed by bringing these 12 South Australian artists together to work actively with our partner organisations in Adelaide. I'm particularly pleased to include the CAAP Artist Lab within the OzAsia Festival program as a way of connecting and nurturing locally based artists to contribute to future OzAsia Festivals."

Brink Productions Artistic Director Chris Drummond: "There is an amazing cohort (and under-tapped resource) of Asian Australian artists here in SA. The hotbed of creativity that is the CAAP Artist Lab will offer these artists a unique opportunity to come together to expand their craft, diversify their practice, share their own skills and unique perspectives and build their networks right across the SA arts ecology. It's an exciting event for us all, meeting with, learning from and listening to a host of powerful and passionate voices with so much to say and share."

Vitalstatistix Director Emma Webb: "Artist labs like this can be so formative for people's artistic practices, relationships and future collaborations - and just for the opportunity to bring together an amazing cohort of artists when isolation and separation has had a big impact on our sector. I am looking forward to getting to further know these incredible South Australian artists."

State Theatre Company South Australia Artistic Director Mitchell Butel: "State Theatre Company South Australia is delighted to be associated with this CAAP Artist Lab during OzAsia Festival. We have witnessed the transformative effect of such labs around the country in highlighting and extending the talents of Asian Australian performers and artists, and we're thrilled that a similar focus will be given to such artists in South Australia."

ActNow Theatre Inc. Co-CEO & Artistic Director Yasmin Gurreeboo: "CAAP's Artist Lab is a unique and vital opportunity that has been afforded to some of SA's most exciting Asian Australian artists. This initiative will allow the artists to work on their own individual projects throughout the week, as well as benefit from peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and sessions with key SA industry professionals. I cannot wait to see what long-term impact this initiative has on participating artists."

The five-day CAAP Artist Lab x South Australia will be facilitated by Valerie Berry and co-ordinated by Zhao Liang.

The artists were selected by the partner organisations from an open callout for expressions of interest from South Australia-based Asian Australian artists.

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