From Floating Life to Open Homes: Exploring Cultural Exchange between Asia and Australia

ASEAN-Australia connections have been high on the political agenda in the recent years. Political, security, trade, education and development links have been formalised and growing.

But where do cultural relations and co-operation between Asia and Australia stand? What are some past and present modes and forms of cultural exchanges and collaborations, particularly from the context of Singapore? What roles do the arts and culture play in enabling meaningful dialogue and fostering mutual understanding? What sectors are better connected and where are the weak links? What role do public agencies play in promoting closer cultural ties? What are some best practices and pitfalls that arts and cultural practitioners should be aware of?

Join us for a stimulating conversation with professional and academic experts from the field, about the possibilities of cultural exchange between Asia and Australia, particularly in a globalised world where borders are increasingly fluid, but yet also progressively polarised.

Speakers:
Penny BURTT | Group CEO, Asialink
Pippa DICKSON | Director, Asialink Arts

Respondent:
Audrey YUE | Professor in Media, Culture & Critical Theory,
National University Singapore (NUS)

Moderator:
Anupama SEKHAR | Director, Culture, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)

This event is co-produced and co-hosted by the Asia-Europe Foundation and the Cultural Research Centre, a newly launched research incubator in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore. It also features Asialink, Australia’s leading centre for the promotion of public understanding of the countries in Asia and Australia’s role in the region. For further enquiries about the event or the Cultural Research Centre, please email: culturalresearch@nus.edu.sg.

Penny Burtt

Group CEO, Asialink

Penny is the Group CEO of Asialink, Australia’s leading centre for the promotion of public understanding of the countries of Asia and of Australia’s role in the region. She joined Asialink from global payments company Visa, where she served as Vice President, Government Affairs, Asia Pacific. Prior to Visa, Penny led External Relations and Client Service Risk for the Asia Pacific with McKinsey&Company.

Penny is a former diplomat and represented Australia at a senior level in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and at the United Nations in Geneva and New York. She previously served as an Adviser to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Penny has a deep passion for the not-for-profit sector and the arts. She has served on the Boards of the Singapore Institute for International Affairs, the Substation Arts Centre, BoardAgender Singapore and the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. She is a member of the Advisory Board for ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership. While serving in the Australian High Commission in Singapore, Penny played a key role in the development of new Australia-Singapore arts collaborations including showcases of indigenous visual arts and film, contemporary Australian design for the Singapore Design Festival and creation of a new exhibitions space at the Australian High Commission.

Pippa Dickson

Director, Asialink Arts

Dr Pippa Dickson is the Director of Asialink Arts. She is committed to facilitating true partnership and cooperation between Australia and Asia in the arts and creative industry sectors. Pippa has extensive arts leadership experience both nationally and internationally. In addition to positions as the Chair of Design Tasmania, Director of the National Association for Visual Artists (NAVA) and Co-Chair of the National Craft Initiative, Pippa founded Design Island for Arts Tasmania and is the founding CEO of the Glenorchy Art & Sculpture Park.

Pippa has raised significant investment in the private and public sectors for national and international art commissions and architectural projects, and worked as a project manager and consultant in the private and public sectors for almost 20 years. Outside Australia, her achievements include an International Advisor to the Cheongju International Craft Biennale (South Korea) 2017 and 2019 and mentorship at the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (Hong Kong) with former CEO Michael Lynch, AO OBE in 2015.

Pippa holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Australia, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons) and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Tasmania.