BLOODLINES INTERWOVEN
Kaoru Watanabe
日本語は下！
Baryshnikov Arts is pleased to announce that it has received a grant for $2 Million from the Mellon Foundation to support the first iterations of the new Bloodlines Interwoven Festival,with acclaimed composer and musician Kaoru Watanabe as Artistic Director. Taking place for one week each summer beginning in 2024, with a confirmed second run in 2025, the grant will support the work of Kaoru Watanabe and dozens of diasporic performers, scholars, and artists.
The Bloodlines Interwoven Festival has been conceived as a durational dialogue of diaspora musicians and other artists, and a sharing of all that makes up culture—language, food, religions, customs, and philosophies. Presenting a broad range of traditions as they speak to one another—and a full plate of approaches in music and other artistic disciplines, Bloodlines will seek out and embrace original and unique perspectives and concepts.
Bloodlines will be a true cross-cultural exploration via art, focusing on the multi-generational life journeys it took for each artist and attendee to get there. For more information, read the full press release here.
Baryshnikov Arts Founder and Artistic Director, Mikhail Baryshnikov said “This is the fiftieth year since my arrival in the West. It's here I found the freedom to pursue my artistic journey and Baryshnikov Arts was founded to help other artists enjoy that same freedom. I am moved and humbled by the Mellon Foundation's generous support of our mission. It will ensure the commitment of Baryshnikov Arts to artists as critical interpreters of our past, present and future.”
Bloodlines Artistic Director Kaoru Watanabe said, “Artists confront, embrace, and propel forward the rituals, traditions, songs, and dances passed on through generations and carried in our bodies. I’ve dedicated myself to blending my heritage and musical experiences into a unique aesthetic for decades. The trust and support from the Mellon Foundation and Baryshnikov Arts are testament to a journey that, while personal, resonates with a broader artistic community. This opportunity will allow me and my fellow artists to delve even deeper into our stories unapologetically, explore profound new ways of seeing the world through the eyes of others, and share these discoveries with a broader audience.”
“We are so grateful to the Mellon Foundation for this vital $2 Million grant. It makes it possible for Baryshnikov Arts to continue its dedication to the cultivation and support of new perspectives as we focus on developing our organization beyond the scope of its current structures. With the help of this important grant, Baryshnikov Arts will further its mission of supporting artists in order to help create a transformative sense of belonging and community,” said Sonja Kostich, President and Executive Director, Baryshnikov Arts.
2024年、これまで温めて続けてきた音楽フェスティバルの企画に、メロン財団からバリシニコフ・アーツを通じて200万ドルの助成金が下りることになりました。この助成金は、2024年と2025年の初夏1週間にわたってNYのTivoliで開催する新しい音楽フェスティバル”Bloodlines Interwoven Festival”の制作と開催を支援するために使われ、僕は芸術監督を務めさせていただくことになりました。
Bloodlines Interwovenという名称は、音楽フェスティバルのコンセプトを美しく表していると思っています。文字通りには、「相互に絡み合った血の繋がり」という意味ですが、より広い意味では、異なる文化や歴史的背景を持つ人々が互いに結びつき、その交流を通じて新しい芸術や表現が生まれることを象徴しています。
このフェスティバルでは、ニューヨークで活躍するディアスポラのミュージシャンやアーティストが集まり、それぞれの文化や伝統を共有し、対話を深めることで、多様な背景を持つ人々の相互作用から新たな芸術的創造が生まれることを目指しています。言語、食文化、宗教、慣習、哲学など、様々な文化的要素が組み合わさり、それぞれのアーティストが自身のルーツや経験を音楽に反映させることで、世代を超えて伝えられるリチュアル、伝統、歌、踊りなどが新たな形で表現されることでしょう。
メロン財団とバリシニコフ・アーツからの信頼と支援は、個人的な喜びであると同時に、このフェスティバルが、より広いアーティストコミュニティをふるわせるプロセスであることの証です。心から感謝しています。僕とアーティスト達が紡ぎ出す新たな発見を、皆さんと共有できることを楽しみにしています。