Lab X

An international artist and producer exchange programme, hosted by Artsadmin and Creative Migration. The artists selected for the first iteration of Lab X are Nawarat “Nammon” Welployngam, James Gallego Olivo and Tharinee “Palm” Ratanasatien.

What is Lab X? 

Lab X is a pilot artistic residency and cultural exchange between Thailand and the UK, supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture programme. It sits within Artsadmin’s artist support programme Lab, a micro-residency designed to provide artists with time, space, and money to develop their practice, without expectation of delivery.

Artsadmin and Creative Migration have co-designed this nine-month artist development program to confront the profound challenges faced by artists and producers working internationally.

Artsadmin hosted Thai-based artist and activist Nawarat ‘Nammon’ Welployngam and Community-Based Artist-Activist and Art Director Tharinee Palm Ratanasatien for two weeks in November 2024, whilst Creative Migration’s flagship hub in Thailand, Bangkok 1899 hosted London-based movement practitioner and dancer James Gallego Olivo for two weeks in September 2024.

Lab X prioritises cross-collaboration between artists, disciplines, and contexts. Each artist will be provided with:

• £1000 fee

• 2 weeks of studio space

• Research and development budget

The program is an opportunity for artists and producers across locality to engage in mentorship, artistic dialogues and cross-sector support. 

Selection Process  

Lab X is a pilot program and is being looked after by a small team. For this iteration of the programme, each organisation nominated and co-selected the artists for the exchange through a closed call.  Each organization nominated a local artist for the exchange, who were co-selected through a criterion that considers readiness, appropriateness, innovation and inclusion. The selection process offered producers the opportunity to build a more sensitive methodology in deciding which artist to champion while prioritizing their communities and their needs.

Care

The initiative assisted a producer in accompanying each artist. This distinctive chance offers on-the-ground logistical and structural assistance, serving as a guardian for the residency, coupled with nurturing guidance and mentorship.

Artist dialogues

The chosen artists engaged in guided virtual sessions designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, providing insights into the social and environmental contexts they are poised to explore. Each collaborating partner cultivated connections in their respective regions, aligning with their practice and research domains.

Producer talks

Consolidating their learning journey, both producers will bring our networks together through hosting an online public event to disseminate their learnings through the process of international cultural exchange. This will exist online as an evergreen resource for those seeking to build similar projects.

Mentorship

Each organization was responsible for guiding the artists through the fellowship, offering advice to navigate new contexts, and broker new relationships for the artists. This mentoring structure is an example of cross-sector peer support.

About Artsadmin

Artsadmin creates the conditions for art to explore the spaces in-between. Their work and projects explore the areas between social and environmental justice, the hyper-local and the international.

https://www.artsadmin.co.uk

LAB X is supported by the British Council Thailand.