Yale-China Association Partners with Louisville Organizations on Summer Residency

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - June 26, 2015 - PRLog -- The Yale-China Arts Fellowship aims to strengthen the creative voice in the U.S.-China relationship through the collaboration and dialogue of leaders in the arts. IDEAS and its Louisville partners in the residency including YouthBuild Louisville, Asia Institute-Crane House, Louisville Ballet, SeedCapitalKY, and Roots & Wings, are excited to welcome the artists to Louisville from June 30-July 20, 2015 for the first part of a year-long engagement between New Haven, China, and Louisville.

“Yale-China's launch of its inaugural Arts Fellowship has been an exciting program to develop because of the shared art-making and shared learning that is instigated by the presence of two Hong Kong artists in the New Haven community, home of Yale University. I am so pleased to see that an introductory visit to Louisville for the Humana Festival of New American Plays has opened new doors not only for our collaborative and curious HKETO-NY Arts Fellows, but also for the ready and welcoming community of Louisville. The steadily growing audience for these two artists encourages our belief that creative exchanges for person-to-person relationship building is key to developing a more understanding global society.” Annie Lin, Senior Program Officer, Arts, Yale-China Association

“IDEAS is honored to be part of Yale-China Arts Fellowship program in its inaugural year with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York. Our organizations share similar aims of inspiring people to learn and serve together—through the arts,” said Theo Edmonds, co-founder of IDEAS. “Parry Ling and Yang Hao will work along-side local residents, visual artists, filmmakers, YouthBuild students, emerging African-American spoken word artists and musicians, Asia Institute - Crane House, the Ballet, businesses like SeedCapitalKY and even professional gardeners from Versailles, France, West African artists and an Israeli curator - all in celebration of the 150 year anniversary of the Smoketown community. We are bound together by a common concern for each other and a belief in the democratizing power of the arts as an empowering force in our world.”

“At Asia Institute - Crane House we believe the exchange of culture and ideas this residency brings to our community is vitally important in growing our region’s global fluency. By bringing artists from China, through the Yale-China arts residency, to work directly with our community this summer, powerful person to person connections will be made that will bring the world to Louisville and Louisville to the world. It is exciting to work in partnership with IDEAS to make this happen in our city,” said Bryan Warren, Executive Director, Asia Institute - Crane House.

In addition to their investigative residency with IDEAS, artists Ling and Yang will be participating in the Smoketown Arts Festival on July 11, 2015. The Festival is part of the Creative Innovation Zone in Smoketown supported by ArtPlace America.  It will feature the premiere of Lavel White’s film “More Than Bricks and Mortar: Smoketown, A New Beginning,” community arts activities with Steam Exchange, and a special performance of The West End Poetry Opera by Roots & Wings.

About Artists

Parry Ling is an inaugural HKETO-NY Arts Fellow of the Yale-China Association and a cross-disciplinary visual artist specializing in sculpting based in Hong Kong. As a graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Baptist University, Parry has received awards and exhibited multiple works, including video installations, performance art, and other visual art in a variety of locales in Hong Kong. In addition to lecturing in the Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University, Parry has exhibited in 1a space gallery, A-lift gallery, Osage Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hui Gallery at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Baptist University. Parry has explored topics such as social identity, politics, and the environment.

Yang Hao is an inaugural HKETO-NY Arts Fellow of the Yale-China Association and a contemporary dancer based in Hong Kong. Yang Hao grew up in Chongqing and studied in Beijing until he moved to Hong Kong to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2007. In addition to teaching dance in Hong Kong, Yang Hao has toured with the Chinese Opera and Dance Drama Theater, China Song and Dance Troupe from Guangzhou, Guangdong Modern Dance Company, and the City Contemporary Dance Company. Most recently, Yang Hao has choreographed several pieces, including Autorun (2011), Rush (2013), Cube at the Seoul International Dance Festival, Outspoken (2014) at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Nothing… but something (2014) with Alice Rensy.

About Yale-China

The Yale-China Association (雅礼协会) inspires people to learn and serve together. Founded in 1901 by graduates of Yale University, we foster long-term relationships that improve education, health, and cultural understanding in China and the United States.

The Yale-China Arts Fellowship is a specially crafted eighteen-month experience for emerging professional Chinese artists. Fellows spend six months in residence in New Haven learning from practicing artists and professors at Yale and in the greater New Haven area, while developing a project of their own to be showcased a year after their residency. Yale-China is pleased to partner with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, New York (HKETO-NY), International Festival of Arts and Ideas, and Yale University to bring this program to life in New Haven, China, and Louisville.

About IDEAS

Based in Louisville, KY, IDEAS is a creative chamber of commerce run by artist-entrepreneurs who promote artists as agents of change in civic and corporate settings while serving as a creative catalyst to move Louisville forward socially, culturally, and economically. IDEAS is supported by ArtPlace America, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Educational Foundation of America. Theo Edmonds, IDEAS co-founder was named one of "50 People Who Are Changing the South in 2015" by Southern Living.

About Asia Institute – Crane House (AICH)

AICH celebrates and brings to life the cultural diversity of Asia to Kentucky and southern Indiana residents and visitors. AICH provides educational and cultural programs and services to the public and works to increase the capacity of our local Asian communities to share and preserve their heritage.