PROGRAMS

CULTIVATE

About

CULTIVATE is a professional development program organized for curators / arts managers, targeting current staff of art entities and freelance operators, with particular overall focus on Southeast Asia. It takes place online and in-person. CULTIVATE is a not-for-profit initiative of in-tangible institute. Please note Module 3 is also open to applications from South Asia and Taiwan for the first time!

 

OVERVIEW 

CULTIVATE invites acclaimed experts as faculty to Bangkok to develop select arts professionals with skills and networks to distinguish themselves and their affiliates as leading facilitators of contemporary art in the region. For each module, different faculty members add topically-relevant experience as educators and facilitators of contemporary culture, with particular insight from their work across the Global South. 

Each of the 5 modules includes an in-person intensive, accompanied by a practicum of periodic group and individual online meetings with nominated faculty throughout a three month period. Participants will use their current projects/institutions as case studies for faculty consultation and problem-solving. To conclude each module, participants submit materials for assessment to guest faculty.

*Please note: different faculty are invited each time to address the nature of each module. A dedicated open call for applications is sought for each module. 

With thanks to CULTIVATE co-initiators (now advisors) Kate Fowle (Director, Arts Program, Hearthland Foundation, USA) and Luckana Kunavichayanont (Board Member, Secretary and previous director of BACC) for their continued support in the gearing of this program.

Learn more about Module 1: ‘Programming in the Arts’, Module 2: ‘Patronage’, and their participants.

 

ABOUT MODULE 3

Module 3 focuses on ‘Leadership’, examining how to be leader-full in designing, directing, implementing, inspiring, and sustaining holistic structures of support in the Arts, with particular reflection on the financial, intellectual and ethical impact of its assumptions on the growth of an arts ecology. In a global landscape where the political instrumentalization of the arts is increasingly prevalent, where the corporatization of art has our artists also fearing loss of autonomy in livelihood, where institutional business models of museums and galleries lack the ability to be responsive, nimble and effective on social levels of cultural impact, how do we lead our creative communities towards growth with innovative honesty?

Crucial to this module is giving recognition to the methods and research of artists as essential to the core of our art ecologies – how can we better map, serve, and raise awareness of our makers with the infrastructures we lead? How can we better navigate the demands between the private and government sector with their differing expectations of artistic outputs and audience generation? What values and ethics are best practice in governing and liaising with creative producers and the various stakeholders in the arts in our locales? How can we better equip ourselves as leaders with effective and meaningful networks that raise awareness of the value of contemporary art in social life? As curators leading institutions, how can we balance our own personal research interests whilst also leading organizations for another? In landscapes of considerable unevenness in access to art, with variable ecologies that are too often fragile in education and opportunities, how can we best gear responsive institutions that nurture the growth of creative flair and competency? How can we effectively guide our institutions, communities, and collaborators to be resilient and responsive in seeking context-sensitive means of addressing critical global concerns? Our planet is increasingly precarious, hence we must shift and transform our houses of culture to meet the needs of our time.

Module 3 takes a slightly differing format to prior iterations, its in-person intensive with Faculty specifically addressing the queries, concerns and dilemmas of the participants (as opposed to giving explicit presentations on their own work). Such an address aims to give in-depth and in-person focus on the diverse artistic realities across these regions, understanding that its leaders are predominantly time-poor and with little of such experienced supportive networks. 

 

STRUCTURE OF MODULE 3

Module 3 is co-convened by Zoe Butt and Adeline Ooi. 
There are 7 Faculty, each mentoring 2 participants.

Program Duration: 
1 July – 30 September, 2026 with online conversations (one-to-one mentoring  and group sessions)
21-23 August, 2026 as in-person intensive (hosted by Bangkok Art and Culture Centre)

*Applications are assessed and finalized by in-tangible institute and its convenors

*For Module 3, CULTIVATE offers two Thai scholarships (tuition fee only). If interested, please see ‘Application Guidelines’ below.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

CULTIVATE develops leadership and practical skills to raise the professional standards of facilitating contemporary art—both institutional display of art and curatorial development of private and public collections. For Module 3, participants learn from experts in an intimate 2:1 faculty ratio. CULTIVATE is conducted in English only.

  • Participants will learn how to expand audiences, build community, and facilitate transformative experiences between diverse publics and contemporary culture.
  • Participants will gain the skills to improve local and foreign audience engagement and curate innovative programs that can compete on an international stage.
  • Participants will learn to negotiate and collaborate with industry stakeholders, navigate cross-border programming, and elevate local community voices. 
  • Participants will expand their institutional and personal networks to leading talents in the region and beyond, opening the door to future global collaborations.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in English.
  • Critical approach to demonstrated curatorial / arts leadership (minimum 3 years experience in leading organizations or specific artistic/curatorial projects).
  • Desire to be mentored.
  • Living and working as citizen or permanent resident of one of the following: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Taiwan.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Art entities (public, private, or commercial) from eligible countries are invited to sponsor individuals who will most benefit from this program. Freelance individuals in the field can also apply at their own cost. Two scholarships are offered for Thai curators / arts workers (tuition fee only). 

Prospective participants are required to submit the following application materials in English:

  1. Statement of Query (≤ 500 words): share your questions / dilemmas / doubts that are you currently facing in the leading of your organization /projects. These concerns will be assessed as basis of your 3 month mentorship and will be of key focus during the in-person intensive in Bangkok.
  2. Context (≤ 500 words): background and motivation of your specific organization / project that you lead
  3. Resume / CV (≤ 2 pages).
  4. Portfolio (≤ 10 pages): written descriptions and image documentation of no more than 4 previous projects.
  5. Application for Thai scholarship: Please provide scan of Thai ID
  6. Affiliation: sponsor name, contact details, and associated institution (if relevant).
  7. Submit applications via email [programs@in-tangible.org], subject line “CULTIVATE Module 3 Application – [NAME]” with all application materials combined and attached as a single PDF (file size ≤ 15 MB).

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 13 FEBRUARY, 2026

Shortlisted applicants will be assessed by in-tangible institute and the convenors of Module 3. Successful applicants will be notified by 1 March, 2026. 

Each Module of CULTIVATE is a competitive Open Call. Dates for future modules to be announced in due course. If you are interested in becoming a CULTIVATE Program Partner (which would secure your participation in all future modules), please contact: programs@in-tangible.org 

Got more questions? See our FAQ here!

 

WHY CULTIVATE?

The first of its caliber in Southeast Asia, CULTIVATE offers professional development aimed at equipping a new generation of locally-rooted and internationally-informed leaders to elevate the standards of arts in the region. This is needed to strengthen the capacity of cultural institutions, particularly in Southeast Asia, to establish mutually generative international collaborations. The sector increasingly demands internationally competent expertise to realize programs that are resonant and relevant to both local and global contexts.

Supporting Southeast Asian cultural histories, heritage, and methodologies is inseparable from our participation on the world stage. Many regional economies are reliant on cultural tourism, which requires developing our own local talents into innovative stars, equipped to elevate community-rooted stories for global audiences. Southeast Asia’s cultural industry requires infrastructural and talent development to captivate both local and international attention and investments toward re-writing the art histories of our region on our own terms. 

If our cultural initiatives are to innovate and participate globally, we must cultivate local talent and equip them with resources and comparative experience. Rather than removing participants from the workforce, CULTIVATE leverages their ongoing careers as practical case studies and educational opportunities. Participants’ local institutions, programs, and audiences directly benefit from CULTIVATE top-tier faculty consultation on these live case studies. By convening local and international talents to address on-the-ground issues, CULTIVATE aims to nurture more diversified ‘centers’ of the global art world.

For Module 3, for the first time, CULTIVATE opens up to South Asia and Taiwan for applications – such geography of historical synergy to Southeast Asia, thus we would like to explore further!

Applications for CULTIVATE: Module 3 are now
extended to 13 February 2026!

Module 3 Program Dates:

1 July – 30 September, 2026 – Online Mentoring

21-23 August, 2026 – In-person Intensive

Location:

Online and Bangkok Art and Cultural Center 

Program Fee:

37,000 THB (1,000 USD) per participant per module (exclusive of necessary travel and accommodation costs)

Module 3 offers 2 scholarships (tuition fee only) for Thai nationals.

*Please note ‘CULTIVATE’ is a not-for-profit venture – all fees go directly to the running costs of the overall program

MEET THE FACULTY OF MODULE 3

Alessio Antoniolli is the director of ‘Triangle Network’, where he develops a programme of artists and curator’s residencies, as well as knowledge-sharing activities, across a world-wide network of non-profit visual art organizations. He is also the curator at ‘Fondazione Memmo’, Rome, where he commissions a yearly exhibition by international artists, including Sin Wai Kin, Wynnie Mynerva and Anthea Hamilton. Alessio is the former director of ‘Gasworks’, a non-profit visual art gallery and studios space in London, where he led a programme of residencies for over 500 artists from 80 countries around the world. At Gasworks he provided the first UK institutional exhibitions for artists including Song Dong, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Violet Kudzanai Hwami, Trevor Yeung and Anna Perach. He lectures widely on curating and artists professional development, and has been part of many international juries including the UK’s Turner Prize in 2019.

Teesa Bahana is director of 32° East, a not-for-profit that promotes the creation and exploration of contemporary art in Uganda. As director she has supported the development and execution of projects such as KLA ART Labs for research and critical thinking through public practice, KLA ART, Kampala’s public art festival, and residency exchanges with partners such as Arts Collaboratory, and Triangle Network. She is also currently overseeing 32° East’s capital project, raising funds to build the first purpose-built art centre in Kampala. With an academic background in sociology and anthropology, she is particularly interested in the intersection between art and Ugandan society, and how artistic environments should be protected and nurtured. Before her directorship at 32° East, she was on the inaugural organisation committee for Nyege Nyege International Music Festival, and worked in communications and external relations for educational non-profits in Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa. She has spent the last year on study leave getting an MA in Anthropology of Global Futures and Sustainability at SOAS University of London.

Zoe Butt is a curator, writer and educator, nurturing critically thinking and historically conscious artistic communities, fostering dialogue among cultures of the globalizing souths. Possessing an extensive exhibition, publishing and public-speaking history globally, she founded ‘in-tangible institute’ in 2022, seeking a robust ecology for locally-responsive curatorial talent in Southeast Asia. She is also the founding Artistic Director of ‘deCentral’, a forthcoming social enterprise for the arts, opening in Thailand in 2027. Zoe holds a PhD by Published Works, Center for Research and Education in Art and Media, University of Westminster, London and is currently also Lead Advisor, Kadist Art Foundation. Previously she was Artistic Director, Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City (2017-2021), Executive Director, Sàn Art, Ho Chi Minh City (2009–2016); Director, International Programs, Long March Project, Beijing (2007–2009); Assistant Curator, Contemporary Asian Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane (2001–2007). She has been published by Hatje Cantz; JRP-Ringier; Routledge; Sternberg Press, among others.

Kate Fowle has developed an international practice as a curator, writer and educator for more than 30 years. Currently she is director of arts programs for The Hearthland Foundation; board chair of The Center for Art & Advocacy; a regional collaborator for the Kadist Foundation; an advisor for the In-tangible Institute in Chiangmai; and on the board of Artistic Noise, in Harlem, where she lives. Over the last 18 years, she has served as the director of MoMA PS1 in New York; the first US senior curatorial director for Hauser & Wirth; the inaugural chief curator at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow; the executive director of Independent Curators International (ICI); and the inaugural international curator at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. Fowle trained as an artist and began her career as a curator at the Towner Art Gallery and Museum in South-East England in 1994.

LIR is a curator collective consisted of Mira Asriningtyas and Dito Yuwono. Currently they are the co-directors of ‘Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society’ in Yogyakarta. LIR emerges from LIR Space, an art initiative they established in Yogyakarta in 2011 to cultivate a supportive environment for artistic and discursive experimentation. Their practice centers on research-driven, multi-disciplinary collaborations that sustain transgenerational memory and shared histories. Key projects include the long-running “Curated by LIR” (2018–2023), presenting solo exhibitions by artists such as Mella Jaarsma, Jompet Kuswidananto, and Heri Dono among others; “Transient Museum of a Thousand Conversations” (ISCP New York, 2020; OUR Museum Taipei, 2023; Cité Internationale des Arts, 2025); and 900mdpl (2017, 2019, 2022), a site-specific institution in their hometown Kaliurang—a village under Mt. Merapi—dedicated to preserving collective memory through socially engaged archiving, international residencies, publications, and exhibitions. They also co-curated Pollination 3: “Of Hunters & Gatherers” (2020–2021), a multi-sited exhibition, symposium, and journal across Southeast Asia.

Adeline Ooi is a curator and art advisor, with in-depth and wide-ranging knowledge and experience in the visual arts field, built on over two decades working and leading in research, exhibition-making, strategy and management at a local, regional and international level. From 2015 to 2023, she was Art Basel Director Asia, leading the development of Art Basel in Hong Kong and the organisation’s strategic initiatives across Asia, playing an instrumental role in bringing fair representation and equal recognition of Asian art in the global art scene. A fine arts graduate from Central St Martin’s School of Art & Design, she began her career in the field as a curator and programme director at Valentine Willie Fine Art Kuala Lumpur (2000-2002, 2006-2008). From 2002-2005, as a Nippon Foundation Asian Public Intellectual Junior Fellow, she undertook key research-based projects on independent artists’ initiatives in Indonesia and the Philippines, and Manila-based artists. From 2008-2014, she was a co-founder and director of RogueArt, a partnership specialising in contemporary Southeast Asian art working on projects with artists, galleries, institutions, corporations and private collectors, while also independently working on curatorial projects in collaboration with leading cultural organisations such as Japan Foundation and Cemeti Art House. She serves as a board member of Asia Art Archive and Para Site Hong Kong.

Piergiorgio Pepe is a senior ethics practitioner, scholar, and contemporary art collector based in Paris, Athens, and (sometimes in) Bangkok. A solicitor of the High Court of England and Wales, he brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in professional ethics across both practice and academia, having held leadership ethics roles in global healthcare companies. He now advises a range of organizations – including museums and art workers’ trade unions – on ethics programs, codes of conduct, policy development, and training. He teaches professional ethics at Sciences Po and Seton Hall and serves as Executive-in-Residence at INSEAD. He is also a board member of the Ethics Society. Since 2006, he has been collecting contemporary art with his partner, Iordanis Kerenidis (kerenidispepe.art). Together, they co-founded ethicsofcollecting.org, which authored a code of conduct for contemporary art collectors. They also co-organize Phenomenon, a biennial art program on the island of Anafi, Greece, launched in 2015 and recipient of the 2018 Montblanc Patronage Award. Phenomenon now supports queer, feminist, and anti-colonial art practices in Greece through a dedicated grant program. Piergiorgio served on the board of the curatorial office Council until 2022.