Winners announced: Commonwealth Connections 2011

International Tue 07-06-2011

Winners announced: Commonwealth Connections 2011
Press Release

After a long track record in visual arts, Commonwealth Connections this year reaches out to dance practitioners. Jamaican dancer and choreographer, Neila-Ann Ebanks was awarded the first dance residency, which will take place in Canada later this year.

Commonwealth Connections 2011, Olaniyi Akindiya 'Eyin Gede' Installation 2011

Olaniyi Akindiya 'Eyin Gede' Installation

Commonwealth Connections International Arts Residencies enable artists from Commonwealth countries to work alongside artists in another Commonwealth country in a two-way cultural exchange.

Twelve international judges, all experts in their fields, took part in the rigorous judging process where seven artists were selected from nearly 200 applications to receive awards of up to £8,000 to spend time living and working in another Commonwealth country.

The winners will undertake original and innovative projects that promise to be of benefit not only to themselves, but to their countries of origin and their host communities.

The winners are an exciting and diverse selection of artists, including the first winner from the Pitcairn Islands, Meralda Warren, who wishes to engage with tapa makers across the Pacific, and Trinidadian photographer, Rodell Warner who will travel to South Africa to immerse himself in its dynamic arts scene and to work alongside the renowned photographer Pieter Hugo.
The 2011 Commonwealth Connections winners were:

Ruth Feukoua : Installation art, Cameroon

A pioneering artist in her native Cameroon and the winner from the Cameroon, Ruth is an installation and performance artist, whose practice revolves around issues related to the ecology and environment.

An activist, whose work is to 'educate consciences', Ruth proposes to undertake a specific project, 'Getting to Green', in Canada, working alongside Montreal artist Nicole Fournier, an interdisciplinary visual, conceptual and performance artist / environmentalist. 'Getting to Green' will merge seeds from Cameroon and Canada in a striking art project promoting nature and the environment.

Olaniyi Rasheed Akindiya (Akirash) : Installation art, Nigeria

Described as 'one of the most progressive, dedicated and innovative artists of his generation in West Africa' (Carol Padberg, Hartford Arts School, USA), Nigerian-born, Ghana-based Akirash produces mixed media installations bringing disparate objects together in intriguing ways.

His work is daring, original and informed by both the world and global contemporary art practices, whilst remaining true to his West African identity. Akirash's aim on his residency is to work in new media and technology as well as immerse himself in Zulu and Ndebele culture in Southern Africa.

Pradeep Thalawatta : Installation art, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan cutting edge artist Pradeep Thalawatta marries technical expertise with innovative experimentation to produce sculptural installations, lately incorporating digital video, focusing on issues of social strata and human relationships.

A dedicated and committed artist, he is a visiting lecturer at the University of Jaffna and works on community projects with Colombo-based Theerta International Arts Collective amalgamating art, archaeology and heritage management.

Pradeep intends to work on a new urban project in Bangalore, India, with 1 Shanthi Road, an artist-led initiative running an alternative public space in the heart of the city, hosting visiting international artists and exhibitions.

Rodell Warner : Photography, Trinidad and Tobago

A photographer and graphic designer who works in Trinidad and Tobago, Rodell Warner's photographs range from images of community-based environmental protection and enhancement programme workers to an exploration between public and private spaces. Filled with energy, creativity and excitement, Rodell's photographs provide a specific take on memory and experience.

Often working collaboratively, Rodell also creates and executes his own projects, consistently exploring and presenting new conversations about the ways we see ourselves. He plans to travel to South Africa to work alongside the South African photographer Pieter Hugo, as well as engage with the wider artistic community in South Africa.

Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa : Installation art, United Kingdom

A graduate from the Slade School of Fine Art in London with an MA in Fine Art, Emma Wolukau-Wanambwa's work is highly original and engaging. Her outstanding grasp of conceptual practice is augmented by technical knowledge.

She works with a range of media to explore the stories that we tell ourselves about the world and about one another – looking particularly at representations of the past, and of people, places and events considered 'distant'.

Emma is intending to explore issues of land and land ownership within Uganda and how this is changing, working with artists and filmmakers as well as screening artist's films and documentaries and discussions. She wishes to work with moving image and sound and aims to contribute to development discourse within the UK arts community and beyond.

Meralda Warren : Painting, Pitcairn Islands

The first winner from the Pitcairn Islands, Meralda Warren is an innovative and creative artist and teacher. She is leading the rediscovery of the art of tapa making on Pitcairn, teaching children and others to carry on the tradition which died out seventy years ago. With the children of Pitcairn she has written a book, 'Mi Base side orn Pitcairn', the first book to be written in Pitkern as well as English.

Working in isolation on Pitcairn, Meralda wishes to use the residency to connect with artists and tapa makers from around the Pacific, based in New Zealand, and to engage with artists who use tapa in their art practice. She hopes this will enrich her ability to pass on knowledge and new techniques to the next generation of Pitcairn Islanders and install pride in their heritage.

Neila Ann Ebanks : Dance, Jamaica

A dancer, choreographer and teacher, Neila-Ann Ebanks works across different forms of dance, including modern, contemporary, jazz and folk. Her strong performance skills are matched with creative thinking and innovative use of method, style and original conceptualisation, her work all the time being rooted in her Jamaican ancestry. Improvisation, site-specific and theatre work, are all part of her dance experience.

Committed to developing dance in Jamaica during her residency in Canada, Neila-Ann wishes to explore the use of video, using performing bodies with filmed projections. She will work specifically alongside four diverse Canadian artists in the arena of dance and theatre to enrich and expand the dance scene in Jamaica on her return.

About Commonwealth Connections.

Commonwealth Connections is the Commonwealth Foundation's international arts residencies scheme. The residencies enable artists from Commonwealth countries to undertake a self-managed residency, fostering a process of learning by exchange between artists working in different Commonwealth countries.

The exchanges promote creativity and individual cultural expression, increase mutual understanding between artists and give opportunities to learn new skills that can help individuals develop their livelihoods as artists.

The 2011 Commonwealth Connections Judges, (from various continents) were :

Africa:

Bisi Silva, curator and director of Centre for Contemporary Arts, Lagos, Nigeria.
Lilian Nabulime, Department of Sculpture, Makerere University, Uganda.

Asia:

Sunil Gupta, photographer and curator, India.
Shalini Ganendra, Shalini Ganendra Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Caribbean:

Oneika Russell, installation/new media artist and 2007 Arts and Crafts award winner, Jamaica.
John Cox, Director, Popop Studios, Nassau, The Bahamas.

Canada and Europe:

John Phillips, printmaker and director of London Print Studio, United Kingdom.
Sarindar Dhaliwal, artist, Toronto, Canada.

Pacific:

Caroline Vercoe, Head, Dept of Art History, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Semisi Potauaine, installation artist and architect, Tonga.

Dance (all regions):

Nicholeen Degrasse-Johnson, director, School of Dance, Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts, Jamaica.
Mira Kaushik, Director, Akademi, London, United Kingdom.

Posted By: Allan Kapten

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