Edwina Cooper and Kenan Henderson have been announced as the inaugural winners of the Emirates Artist Development Opportunity.
Adelaide Festival of Arts partnered with Emirates Airline to enable two South Australian artists in the early stages of their practice the chance to identify and create unique development experiences that would enhance their careers.
Both of the winners will fly to Europe with Emirates for professional development experiences. On their return they will be guests at a selection of 2016 Adelaide Festival of Arts events where they will share their experiences.
Emirates’ District Manager for South Australia, Paul Jury, explains how the program aligns with the key values of the airline.
“Supporting the arts is a core passion of our airline, particularly on a local level with the opportunity to partner with the Adelaide Festival to foster the development of our emerging artists through this important initiative. We’re looking forward to seeing these young talented individuals travel to their chosen destination to develop their skills and further build their passion for the arts,” said Paul.
Adelaide Festival of Arts Chief Executive, Karen Bryant said that enabling two young artists to pursue great learning opportunities overseas would also enhance Adelaide’s reputation as a cultural centre. “Adelaide Festival of Arts has been connecting local audiences with some of the world’s best artists and their work for many years. It’s fantastic that our partnership with Emirates has allowed us to invest in the future by providing inspiring opportunities that will help nourish the long term creative identity of South Australia.”
A visual arts student at Adelaide Central School of Art, Edwina Cooper has chosen to fly to France to undertake a residency in Marseille. Early next year she will travel to the south of France and spend a month at Dos Mares, a port-side studio that provides the opportunity for artists to explore professional networks and work on research projects. Edwina plans to investigate the role of the boat and the human experience of ocean travel to broaden her understanding of international maritime heritage and culture. Edwina’s residency will enable her to produce a research paper to inform a future body of work to be produced and exhibited in South Australia.
Currently studying classical piano at Elder Conservatorium of Music, Kenan Henderson will explore the unique links between folk and classical music that exist in Norwegian culture. Later this year he will travel to Oslo and Bergen to meet with some of Scandinavia’s greatest living pianists and musicologists, including Håvard Gimse, Geir Botnen and Torleif Torgersen and Gyri Tveitt. Kenan also plans to perform the works of Klaus Egge and Geirr Tveitt while in Norway, in preparation for playing these works to local audiences on his return to Australia.
Edwina and Kenan will both receive $1,500 of spending money in addition to the return airfare to their chosen destinations.
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