Last year, the Danville Sister Cities committee sent an artist to our sister city, Carrickfergus, in Northern Ireland, to explore the country’s arts community and culture. In exchange, a Northern Islander came to Kentucky for an extended stay. Playwright Liz Orndorff was the Boyle County artist who traveled to Carrickfergus in 2012 and from her visit a new play, “The Search for Tinker Doyle,” was born. (It debuted last summer at Pioneer Playhouse starring Irish actor Kieran Cunningham!) In return, Irish installation artist Janet Crymble spent six weeks in Danville.
The exchange program expanded this year to include nearly anyone from Boyle County with business, recreational, religious and/or social interests to explore Northern Ireland in 2014.
Are you interested in being the first Cultural Ambassador to Carrickfergus? Then you are in luck, because the application window for the 2014 Cultural Exchange is still open! The deadline is Dec. 1, 2013.
Here’s the application (PDF). Read on for more information:
Purpose
To promote understanding of the cultural contributions of Danville/Boyle County, KY and Carrickfergus, NI through a cultural exchange where an individual (Ambassador) with business, recreational, religious and/or social interests in the home community, travels to the sister city to promote cultural awareness and to explore the sister city’s unique cultural practices. The Cultural Exchange is a learning and sharing experience, where the cultural ambassador shares unique aspects of his/her home culture while exploring unique aspects of the host culture. An essential element of this exchange is a two-way sharing of cultural processes and practices.
Guidelines
- · The Carrickfergus Sister City Committee will host a Boyle County resident who is over 21 years of age in Carrickfergus during the month(s) of their choosing. The Danville Sister City Committee will host a Carrickfergus resident who is over 21 years of age in Danville during a time of their choosing.
- · The duration of the residency will be 7 to 10 days.
- · The Danville Sister Cities Committee will provide $700 to defray some travel expenses for each participant. Each community will house the visitor in a location with cooking facilities. The visitor will be responsible for food costs and spending money during the cultural residency.
- · The cultural ambassador will immerse him/herself in practices, processes and products of interest based on his/her given vocation and/or avocation in the host community.
- · The cultural exchange ambassador will be expected set up (with assistance from their home Sister Cities Committee) a business, recreational, religious or social organization exchange. During this time the ambassador may be asked to present aspects of his/her home culture and community as well as explore the host community’s unique culture.
- · The cultural ambassador will be expected to present at least once to the host community during the exchange. · The cultural ambassador will also be expected to present on the visit to his/her home community.
- · Two letters of recommendation are required, one from a business/civic individual and one from a colleague.
- · Two essays must be completed.
- Applications will be accepted through midnight, Dec. 1, 2013.
Travel must be completed no later than June 30, 2014.
