Fresh Milk is pleased to share our 2023 highlights newsletter, including our work with amazing partners locally, regionally and internationally, while celebrating grants that have us bursting with gratitude and happiness!

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In Barbados, we collaborated with the Future Centre Trust on our project for the Healing Arts Initiative (a programme by UK-based organisation Culturunners), while regionally we worked on an offshoot of the Caribbean Linked residency programme with Ateliers ‘89 Punto di Beyas Arte Aruba, the BIAC-Réseaux and Campus Caraïbeen des Arts (CCA) in Martinique, and participated in the inaugural FUZE Art Expo in the Bahamas. Internationally, our relationships with Rotterdam- and Amsterdam-based partners have grown deeper through the Tilting Axis Fellowship.

We’re also beyond delighted to celebrate with all of you the most amazing news of Fresh Milk having been successfully awarded a grant for 2024-2026 by the US-based Mellon Foundation’s Arts and Culture programme in support of our operating and programming expenses.

Mellon believes that “Art and artists are essential to human connection,” and we couldn’t agree more. We go into action this year to work on elevating the local contemporary visual art community in exciting ways, continuing to support the region’s creative network, while also looking for new partners to come on board. Stay tuned for more information as we focus on the local and Caribbean contemporary visual art community with some exciting plans for the next three years!

Read the full newsletter here

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If you would like to support the work we do in Caribbean arts, go ahead and click on the donate button below! It’s very easy to support us and the artists we work with by making a donation through this PayPal link. Your contributions make our programmes possible, and gifts of any size are welcome.

Thank you for your continued support, and we’d like to express gratitude to the many artists who we have had the honour of working with across the Caribbean as we continue to find ways of celebrating and nurturing creativity.

We look forward to continuing our creative journey together in 2024, and hope for peace and the cessation of war and conflict the world over.

Fresh Milk selected to receive a 2023 Catalyst Grant

December 7, 2023Leave a comment

Fresh Milk is thrilled to be one of the organizations to receive a 2023 Catalyst Grant from TEOR/éTica, with the generous support of Arts Collaboratory.

Huge congratulations to all of the other grantees, and we look forward to sharing our project in 2024!

Read the announcement on TEOR/éTica’s website here

Since 2014, the Catalyst Grant has been an important part of TEOR/éTica’s grants and support program and aims to empower artistic organizations and collectives that are playing an important role in the transformation of the cultural landscape of the Central American and Caribbean region, both locally and internationally. Contributing to the support of smaller-scale, non-formal or non-institutionalized initiatives is a way to strengthen an artistic community capable of responding to needs in a more rapid, coherent and experimental manner.

This year, again thanks to the generous support of the Arts Collaboratory network, we are awarding five grants of US $3000 (three thousand US dollars) to organizations or collectives selected through an open call. The grant money can be used to continue the work that these organizations or collectives have been doing, expand their reach, implement new dynamics, among others.

We received 55 applications from 12 countries, making evident the vitality of artistic practices in the region and the need for this type of support. The final decision is always difficult due to the power and relevance of most of the applications.

The jury based its selection criteria on the clarity of the conceptual approach, the level of detail on the history and trajectory of the organizations and/or collectives, as well as documentation that evidenced the consistency of the work carried out. It also took into account the capacity of the projects to generate communication and linkage between different agents in the communities in which they would operate. Attention was also paid to initiatives that blur the boundaries between artistic disciplines and push the limits of what is recognized as art. Finally, the jury sought to ensure that the selection reflected a balance that would benefit both population and conceptual diversity.

THE FIVE ORGANIZATIONS SELECTED ARE:

Cronologías de lo Invisible (San José, Costa Rica), for being a collective that arose from the need to learn more about the artistic production of women of the last century in Costa Rica, specifically from 1900 to 1980. The grant will be used to create an itinerancy in provinces of Costa Rica, such as Limón, Puntarenas, Guanacaste and/or Alajuela, with the exhibition that was presented at the National Library, in order to create links with the communities and thus begin field work that will allow them to expand their research and learn about women artists who created their works in the last century in those areas.

Malagana (Managua, Nicaragua) for being an intergenerational, interdisciplinary and self-managed contemporary art collective based in Nicaragua created with the intention of promoting experimental art spaces, breaking out of the logic of official art, embracing new art forms, and making social and political commentary, as well as on the institution of art itself. The grant will be used to initiate the systematization, preservation and publication of the historical archive of Malagana and Artefacto, focusing particularly on the first foundational stage of Artefacto (1992 – 2002). This archive will be published in the form of a web page and a printed publication (anthology style) compiling the first stage of this historical space.

The Fresh Milk Art Platform Inc. (St. George, Barbados) for being a platform that supports excellence in the visual arts through residency and residency programs that provide development opportunities for artists in the Caribbean in order to consolidate a strong artistic community. The grant will be used for the next edition of the Transoceanic Visual Exchange (TVE) an experimental film and new media project that aims to negotiate the in-between space of cultural communities outside of traditional geopolitical zones of encounter and commerce.

En una papa ( Panamá) for being an inclusive contemporary art project, developed with the participation of artists who, for different reasons, work on the margins of the art circuit and, in some cases, also of society. The grant will be directed to the creation of workshops of the 2024 cycle with the group La Perseverancia, designed to deepen the work done with people with mental disorders, in which the aim is to carry out small performative presentations and photo-dramatizations of the characters created by the participants in different everyday situations in which they have experienced rejection and stigma due to their condition.

Colectivo Rukotz’ijal Junajpu (Santa María de Jesús, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala) for being a collective that seeks to promote art as a tool to keep culture alive and to vindicate ancestral knowledge and cultural rights as native peoples. Seeking to create awareness in its population through education, art and culture that generates opportunities for integral growth in the community to transform their current realities. The grant will be directed to the consolidation of art classes and the creation of a mural festival in 2024, the goal is to create a joyful and safe space for children and youth to explore their cultural ancestry, identity and self-expression.

The jury was composed of Sofía Villena (Researcher and Curator, Estado del Arte – Catalyst Grant 2022 recipient), Aldeide Delgado (Curator and Researcher), Esperanza de León (Creatorio Artístivo Pedagógico – Catalyst Grant 2022 recipient) and Daniela Morales Lisac (Collective Artistic Direction).

The BIAC in collaboration with Caribbean Linked presents “TRANS-SISTORS”

October 6, 2023October 6, 2023Leave a comment

As part of the International Biennial of Contemporary Art (BIAC) in Martinique, supported by the European fund INTERREG Caribbean, the Campus Caraïbéen des Arts (CCA) in partnership with the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (CTM), and Ateliers’ 89 in Aruba, the exhibition “TRANS-SISTORS” will run from October 7 to November 6, 2023, at the La Véranda Gallery of the Tropiques Atrium, Scène Nationale in Fort de France, Martinique.

This exhibition is produced under the curatorship of Elvis Lopez, Director of Ateliers ’89 and a visual artist from Aruba. Four young artists from the Caribbean: Franz Caba (Dominican Republic), Taisha Carrington (Barbados), Chamika Germain (St. Martin) and Brice Lautric (Guadeloupe), will exhibit the work they produced as part of the Caribbean Linked artist residency exchange which took place in Martinique and Aruba between April and September.

Caribbean Linked is a program of artist residencies and exhibitions offering a space to raise awareness of the region’s disparate creative communities by bringing together emerging artists from the English, French, Spanish, and Dutch Caribbean.

This exhibition, held at the Tropiques-Atrium, was born from the desire to show the general public the work made by these artists during their residency. Two of the artists, Germain and Lautric, are CCA graduates. Since the start of 2023 and as part of the BIAC, residency exchanges with international artists, and curatorial training for students in collaboration with Martinique-based institutions are being coordinated by the Campus Caraïbéen Arts. This regional exchange programme will continue through 2024.

Klieon John selected for Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024

September 20, 2023September 20, 2023Leave a comment

In 2019 Nieuwe Instituut joined forces with Tilting Axis to offer a Fellowship to an applicant based in the Caribbean. We are delighted to share news that Klieon John, from St. Kitts and Nevis, has been selected as the fourth recipient of the Tilting Axis / Nieuwe Instituut Fellowship. Klieon will begin his Fellowship at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam starting February 2024 and will thereafter continue research and activities through August 2024.

See the announcement on the Tilting Axis website here.

Klieon John, from St. Kitts and Nevis

With over fourteen years in the media industry, Klieon John is based in St. Kitts & Nevis where he works as a writer, filmmaker, and creative director. His work in public relations, advertising, and brand development has expanded regionally to include Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. Klieon founded the film production and curation studio Twin-Island Cinema in 2019 which is dedicated to research, development, and the preservation of Caribbean history and culture through design and visual storytelling.

Selected project

Klieon John’s project, Nieuwe Bohío: An Immersive Digital Retrospective on Indigenous Caribbean history, culture, and mythology, is a research and design project that seeks to embark on an immersive journey into the Indigenous Taíno and Kalinago cultures of The Caribbean region, with the ultimate objective of creating a cinematic and transformative virtual reality experience. The findings will serve as the foundation for an eclectic spectrum of practical applications including architectural research, sustainable community planning, and the development of an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) experience. By examining the traditional architectural techniques, use of materials, and spatial organisation principles of our Indigenous peoples, we can integrate their cultural elements into contemporary design practices and create physical and digital spaces that pay homage to our indigenous legacy while addressing urgent contemporary challenges like climate change and economic instability.

Jury comments on the selected proposal

St. Kitts and Nevis-based Klieon John will use the Fellowship as a birthing space to develop his research integrating archeological findings, architectural research, sustainable community planning, non-western architecture and the development of an interactive 3D video game universe. Klieon’s examination of traditional architectural techniques, materials, and spatial organisation principles will form a foundation from which these cultural elements will be integrated into contemporary design practices, informing the proposed digital space honouring Indigenous legacies while responding to the urgent and current challenges of the climate emergency and economic crises. His research will explore the integration of gameplay elements with storytelling techniques to effectively convey mythical themes within the game format while encouraging active user engagement and an appreciation for indigenous cultural heritage.

The jury felt that Kileon’s interest in growing his understanding of virtual reality game design as a way to think about the region’s past and potential futures. His submission responds to the moment in compelling ways involving issues of interpretation, conservation, preservation and ethical considerations relating to understanding and working with Caribbean Indigenous narratives and knowledge systems. The jury was inspired by Klieon’s ambitious submission and his goal to create a transformative virtual reality experience informed by the indigenous Taíno and Kalinago cultures of St. Kitts & Nevis and the wider Caribbean. Furthermore, the jury recognised Klieon’s proposed methodology to consult with Indigenous communities and cultural experts to ensure respectful representation while maintaining ethical approaches to working with these communities in the region.

General jury comments on the open call

The members of the jury were impressed by the wide range of themes approached by the projects, as well as the relevance and timeliness. Applicants submitted a wide cross-section of projects from all four linguistic territories of the Caribbean. Proposals included various working methodologies and mediums such as architecture, design, dance and performance, sound work, virtual reality, digital design, and archival research. The projects represent the creativity and power of the work developed by makers and practitioners in the Caribbean, which highlighted the urgency of continued dialogue and collaboration with the region, as projects found resonance in cross-national focuses. Submissions included proposals concerned with topical themes such as sonic landscapes, AI, linguistics, Nation language, folklore, vernacular architectures, indigeneity, the marine environment, Afro-Caribbean spirituality, ritual, and queer futures.

Selection procedure

The Fellowship is supported by the Nieuwe Instituut as lead partner and host, and will include collaborations with the Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Kunstinstituut Melly. Between the announcement of the open call on the 15th of May 2023 and the deadline on June 23rd 2023, Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis received 24 eligible entries in response to the open call from eleven countries across the Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanophone, and Dutch Caribbean region including The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The proposals were reviewed by a committee composed of the following members:

Ramon Amaro, Senior Researcher, Nieuwe Instituut
Holly Bynoe, ARC Magazine, Researcher, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder
Annalee Davis, Visual Artist, Founding Director of Fresh Milk, co-founder of Sour Grass and Tilting Axis
Jessy Koeiman, Curator of Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly
Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa
Lara Khaldi, Director, De Appel
Imara Limon, Curator, Amsterdam Museum & Lateesha Verwey, Curator-in-Training, Amsterdam Museum
Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

The meeting was chaired and moderated by Nieuwe Initituut program manager, Joyce Hanssen and Nieuwe Instituut researcher Federica Notari.

Proposals were evaluated on the basis of their research proposal, considering their methodological approach and connection to the themes of architecture, design or digital culture; as well as their proposal’s interest in the hosting partners. Four candidates were shortlisted and invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee on July 3rd 2023. Following the interviews, the committee selected Klieon John (St. Kitts & Nevis) as the recipient of the Fellowship. The other shortlisted candidates were Simone Garcia (Cuba), Celine Choo Woon Chee (Trinidad and Tobago) and Matthew McCarthy (Jamaica).

Open Call: Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024

May 17, 2023May 17, 2023Leave a comment

Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis are launching the fourth iteration of the Fellowship program for applicants based in the Caribbean. The initiative aims to foster and support research based practices and stimulate mutual exchange between the Caribbean region and the Dutch cultural field. Together with the leading partners – Nieuwe Instituut and Tilting Axis – other cultural institutions including The Amsterdam Museum, De Appel, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Kunstinstituut Melly will engage with the selected applicant during the Fellowship.

About the Fellowship

This Fellowship focuses on applicants living and working within the Caribbean region offering the space to think through research and practice. The selected applicant will be based in Rotterdam at Nieuwe Instituut and will have access to other partner cultural institutions in Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

The Fellowship will be developed through independent research; individual support and interaction with the Research Department team at Nieuwe Instituut; monthly meetings to discuss thematic and methodological aspects of the project; and diverse collaborations with partner institutions.

Applicants are invited to submit a proposal that addresses their current investigations and research interests through the lens of architecture, design and digital culture.

Read more about the past editions of the Tilting Axis Fellowship with Fellow Sean Leonard in 2020-2021, Fernando Martirena and Anadis González in 2021-2022 and Israel Mapp in 2023.

Watch a video introduction to the Open Call here.

For whom?

One researcher, designer, writer, curator, or cultural producer based in the Caribbean region interested in building new links with cultural institutions in the Netherlands, and with an interest in developing their research practice around themes related to architecture, spatial practice, design or digital culture.

Neither a curriculum vitae nor letters of recommendation are requested. The Fellowship is open to all degree levels in design, architecture and digital culture. Equal priority will be given to those without a degree or institutional affiliation who can also demonstrate a high level of creativity, critical thought and other potential in their respective fields. There is no age limit for applicants.

Artists who are residents of and based in the following countries can apply: Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Barthélemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Martin, Sint Martin, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands.

Resources offered by the Fellowship

Stimulate and visualise curatorial, design, and artistic realities coming from the Caribbean region;
Enhance knowledge exchange and collaboration with a cross-section of Dutch cultural institutions;
Network and exchange with a variety of platforms for professional experience;
Produce critical knowledge on inter-disciplinary exchanges as well as visual culture;
Offer practical support for travel to the Netherlands;
Engage with hosting and collaborating institutions to interrogate and challenge their institutional structures and methodologies;
Utilise the existing Tilting Axis network.

The Fellow will be invited to:

Make a series of presentations in Rotterdam & Amsterdam at host and partner institutions on their research/practice;
Produce a monthly text/sound/video/photo essay as potential options to be discussed with the fellow. The fellow’s research could lead to an installation, exhibition, or further events at partner institutions during or after the Fellowship;
Write a final reflective report on the Fellowship experience is required and will be posted on the websites of Tilting Axis and Nieuwe Instituut, with links to the partner institutions.

Research Stipend and Travelling to the Netherlands

A total stipend of €12,000 will be granted by Nieuwe Instituut to cover living expenses and in addition to the stipend, Nieuwe Instituut will cover one round-trip airfare from any country within the Caribbean to the Netherlands. Accommodation costs will be reimbursed to the fellow for the period of stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of €800 per month. Stipends may be subject to a withholding tax.

Specific details about the position will be discussed with the selected applicant. Developments around COVID-19 and/or the restrictions imposed by governments including visa restrictions will be taken into account. The Fellowship might be undertaken partly remotely for applicants who are only able to reside in the Netherlands for 90 days given visa stipulations.

Crossovers Programme

This Fellowship is part of Nieuwe Instituut’s crossovers programme that aims to stimulate the international exchange of knowledge and research through collaborative fellowships, events, exhibitions, and publications involving designers, researchers and partners across the world. Broader alliances can contribute to cultural and political change, and eventually to policy adjustments.

Application process

Applicants for the Fellowship are invited to develop an independent proposal clearly outlining their areas of research/practice while also highlighting their interests in some or all of the partner organisations. The proposal should be content driven and can be based on already existing research or offer new projects. The Fellow is not expected to produce an outcome or finished artwork or product but will be encouraged to publicly present the ongoing research interests whilst in the Netherlands. The research will also be published on an ongoing basis via Nieuwe Instituut and partner institutions’ websites, newsletters, or other publications.

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Nieuwe Instituut teams along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, creative practitioners and museum professionals.

Apply

The Open Call for 2024 is available from May 12 2023, with a deadline for submission on June 23, 2023. Proposals should be submitted to ta-fellowship@nieuweinstituut.nl with the subject Tilting Axis Fellowship 2024/ .

In order to be considered, proposals should include the following information:

An introductory video of max 3 minutes in which applicants introduce themselves, their initial project idea and what inspired them to apply.
A written proposal of max 1000 words in which applicants detail: a statement of intent which should explain the applicant’s research focus and its methodology, highlighting its connection to architecture, design, or digital culture; the relation between their interests and the hosting partners and institutions; a proposed working calendar with availability to take up the fellowship from February- July 2024.
Relevant documentation of previous work (maximum 10 works), and/or links to audio or video files (maximum 5 minutes) in PDF format with an accompanying caption list.

Proposals should be written in English and applicants must have a working knowledge of English. While we understand that English proficiency may vary or that English may not be the applicant’s first or primary language, unfortunately, we are not able to offer translation support at this time. Applicants with specific questions are encouraged to contact ta-fellowship@nieuweinstituut.nl about the availability of any support service.

Selection process

Proposals will be considered by an international committee consisting of the Tilting Axis and Het Nieuwe Instituut teams along with representatives from the partner institutions including curators, academics, and museum professionals. Find a full overview of the jury members here. The review committee includes:

Ramon Amaro, Senior Researcher, Nieuwe Instituut
Holly Bynoe, ARC Magazine, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder
Annalee Davis, Visual Artist, Founding Director of Fresh Milk, Sour Grass and Tilting Axis co-founder
Jessy Koeiman, Curator of Collective Learning, Kunstinstituut Melly
Mark Raymond, Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa
Lara Khaldi, Direct at De Appel
Imara Limon, Curator, Amsterdam Museum & Lateesha Verwey, Curator-in-Training, Amsterdam Museum
Charl Landvreugd, Head of Research and Curatorial Practice, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an online interview with members of the selection committee. Candidates must hold the dates July 4th 2023 for the interview.