Preface

The National Culture and Arts Foundation (NCAF) was established in January 1996, its main source of funding coming from the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA), Executive Yuan, which provided sponsorship of NT$6 billion in accordance with the “Measures for the Establishment of the NCAF.” Additional fund-raising activities are conducted in the private sector and used to strengthen NCAF promotional work.

The NCAF was established to actively guide, assist and create an exhibition and performance environment that benefits individuals working in the area of art and culture. It offers incentives to the art and culture industry to enhance standards across Taiwan.

The NCAF has a Board of Directors that supervises the Foundation’s work and spending and a Board of Supervisors that audits finances and ensures all funding and expenses are effectively managed. Directors and supervisors are selected by the CCA from local art and cultural circles, scholars, experts, representatives of related government agencies, social luminaries, and appointed by the Premier.

NCAF work can be divided into four broad categories; “Research and development,” “Grants,” “Awards” and “Promotion.”

The NCAF focuses its own R&D work in ways that facilitate the accumulation of target results, establishing multiple channels in both the public and private sectors that facilitate the efficient utilization of resources. The allocation of grants and presentation of awards encourages long-term creative work in the fields of art and culture, and the promotion of art and culture education. From a strictly promotional point of view, the NCAF has worked hard to establish a platform that provides both artists and the public with access to the very latest information and promotes communication. All related policies and programs are executed by the NCAF Executive Director who leads the various departments on the basis of instructions and principles laid down by the Board of Directors. NCAF organizational structure is detailed below:

The NCAF’s most important mission is grant funding, encouraging, nurturing, promoting and supporting individuals and groups in the field of art and culture. To this end, the NCAF offers assistance in a wide range of areas: literature, fine art, music, drama, dance, cultural heritage (including folk art, media art, art-culture environment and development etc). In accordance with current trends, the Foundation encourages innovation in a variety of forms that constitute breakthroughs or are experimental and representative of new ideas.

The grant system established by the NCAF is designed to assist art and culture workers, by providing a channel for grant applications. The objective in to enhance the art and culture environment, allowing artists to focus on their work and art groups to achieve sustainable operations, by gradually collecting relevant information, observing operational processes, integrating business, systemization and modern management ideas. The NCAF’s grant work has already made it one of the most important sponsors of art and cultural activities in Taiwan.

In addition to “long-term grants” for which applications are regularly accepted, the NCAF also offers “project grants” as part of its annual plans. These enable individuals and groups engage in creative work, exhibitions/performances, programs of advanced study, surveys/research, translation, publish works etc. Projects are selected through an open and transparent approvals process according to clear evaluation principles. Once each grant case is approved, members of the committee are invited to track those projects in order to ensure quality of execution.

The NCAF has worked hard to build a grant system that reflects the local art and culture environment. This system is designed to ensure optimal benefits from finite resources, by crafting a work environment conducive to art and culture, thereby improving standards in the field throughout Taiwan.

1. Long-term Grants:

Applications are accepted in January and June each year.

In principle, the NCAF provides grants to ROC citizens or government-licensed groups engaged in cultural-artistic activities. This does not include any level of government, political parties, schools, affiliated units or organizations belonging to major shareholders or donators. Grants are also not available for programs that are part of a degree or higher qualification.

Grant Categories
These include literature, fine art, music, dance, drama/opera, cultural heritage (including folk art), media art, art-culture environment and development.

Grant items:
Creative Work:
This can include individual or commissioned work, documentary films, animation shorts or experimental film production. The key evaluation standard for this item is the encouragement of new ideas, breakthroughs and experimental themes.

Performances, Exhibitions:
This item offers grants for various art exhibitions, performance art works and cross-discipline creative pieces, intended to give the public greater opportunities to appreciate art and culture

Practicum and studies:
In order to improve information exchange and art professionalism, the NCAF encourages the private sector to organize specialist art and culture workshops, invite foreign teachers to work in Taiwan and local artists to undertake programs of advanced learning overseas.

Surveys, Studies, and Academic Symposium:
The private sector is encouraged to organize research programs and related conferences to discuss art and cultural issues in Taiwan, which then serves as a platform for the exchange of information and the accumulation of documentation.

International Cultural Exchange:
This involves encouraging the private sector to invite internationally renowned artists or art groups with special importance or influence to perform in Taiwan. Grants are also provided to individuals and groups to take part in overseas art exhibitions and performances.

Publication:
This encourages the printing or recording of quality publications and the establishment of integrated art and culture websites.

Translation (literature):
This involves translating the best and most representative works of literature from Taiwan and publishing them internationally.

The focus of long-term grant funding is to encourage forward-looking or breakthrough creative work; professional symposiums and research to enhance knowledge, accumulation of historical materials and experience, the expansion of international art-and-culture exchange activities etc. It is hoped that such grants will facilitate the steady development of local art groups and help improve the way in which they are managed.

2. Project Grants

The NCAF sponsors a number of projects that accord with the very latest developments in the field of art and culture in Taiwan. Flexible planning ensures that these accurately reflect the demands of local artists and this funding is specifically used to supplement the long-term grant program and thereby expand the impact of NCAF grant work.

Current sponsored projects include:

Creative Writing (Novel) Project (2004～)
The writing of a novel requires focus and writing experience over a long period of time. This project provides writers with living expenses, allowing them to work without having to worry about making a living, There is also an arrangement with the Council for Cultural Affairs under which the CCA purchases new books at retail price, coordinating related promotional work and channels, to revitalize the environment for novel writing in Taiwan.

Independent Curators in Visual Arts Production Project (2004~2006) This project encourages professional curators to cooperate more closely with artists and exhibition teams. The bringing together of theory, creativity and exhibitions, facilitates close practical cooperation and the promotion of medium and large scale exhibition projects with developmental and market potential. The NCAF provides funding for exhibition research and sponsorship over multiple years, which enhances professional curatorial work in Taiwan and thereby ensures areas of related art develop simultaneously.

Techno Art Creation Project (2004~2006)
The rapid development of modern media technology has influenced the creative medium of art and culture. Techno art work transcends the artistic materials and media of the past, such as prints, acrylic or stahlton. Today, computers, multimedia and other high tech software and hardware are much more widely used in the creation of art.

This project is designed to actively nurture and develop potential talent in the field of techno art in Taiwan, whilst also stimulating the passion of artists to produce and present quality art work. In this way, the production of techno art in Taiwan can be made richer and more vital and be an active part of broader international artistic trends. The project is also a cooperative venture between art and business communities, providing joint funding, equipment and display arenas. Awardees are given access to ample creative resources, and opportunities to display their work.

The Pursuit of Excellence in the Performing Arts (2003~)
This project marked the first attempt by the NCAF to promote cooperation between arts and business, and involved the Foundation and three sponsoring businesses, including the NFSG Foundation. The central focus of the project is to assist outstanding local performance groups and artists, overcome funding, time and creativity problems. A production program is devised for the next two years, providing sufficient time and funding to ensure all related work is properly finished. In addition to funding, the NCAF also established an advisory group to help the production team resolve problems. These ongoing proposals ensure that sponsored production work is better able to achieve expected performance standards.

Taiwanese Opera Production Project (2003~)
As both the times and media have changed, traditional Taiwanese outdoor opera is in decline. The focus of this project has been mainly Taiwanese opera and troupes that perform outdoors. Since the initiation of the project works produced by folk opera troupes have gradually improved in quality and adopted more modern management methods. Every time the projects sponsored by the NCAF have been performed audiences have proved highly receptive.

This encourages local theater troupes to work together by sharing talent in the fields of play writing, music writing and direction, so that they are better positioned to produce and perform quality temple fair theater. The objective is to improve the quality of such theater and cultivate a diverse theater environment. To that end, individuals active in the field of Taiwanese opera and performing in different venues are provided with a channel to exchanges ideas and opinions. By passing on their professional expertise to a younger generation, these experts help to infuse traditional opera with new life.

Performing Arts Feature Revival Project (2006)
This project encourages the reproduction of programs that have been critically and popularly well received. A tour of counties and cities across the island is then organized so that the best performances can be enjoyed by everyone. This project is designed to ensure performance groups demand more from themselves and have sufficient confidence in their ability to produce quality work. It also provides a review of production, actively deploys marketing channels, and seeks to develop an island-wide audience.

Performance Art Marketing Project (2005~)
Performance groups have long found it difficult to attract audiences in counties and cities outside Taipei. Ticket sales have been poor, transport costs high, marketing budgets limited and managing and developing local contacts has been problematic. As a result, few performances of note have been presented outside northern This project was open for public submissions to identify experienced promotional groups in various localities and establish a platform to bring performance groups and the public closer together, through basic promotional work for performance group programs in local areas. The aim is to collate basic data on local markets and then improve cooperation and communication between performance groups, lovers of art and culture, performance arenas etc. The long-term nurturing of an audience for performance art at local levels will also help improve ticket sales across Taiwan.

Media Art Project (2003~)
This project is designed to help top local media artists take part in domestic and international film exhibitions and competitions, promoting international exchange in the field of media art. The objective of sponsorship is to enhance the content and technical standard of media art digital recording production and thereby promote international competitiveness. The main targets of this funding are senior professional filmmakers, encouraging the production of documentaries, animation and experimental works filmed with digital recording equipment.

Learning through Art - Art and the Humanities Project (2003~2006)
In order to encourage elementary and middle school teachers to take part in research and advanced study into “Art and the Humanities” classes, the NCAF has put together a research team made up of experts, scholars and art groups. The hope is that inter-school and cross-discipline cooperation will help produce an integrated “art and humanities” teaching program, infusing new content and innovative ideas into the standard “art and humanities” program launched in 2002. Beginning in 2006, this was reorganized as “Learning through Art II - An Art Education Project,” promoting greater cooperation between art-culture experts and schools. Taking the standard 9-year art education curriculum as a foundation, the idea is to develop an approach to learning that is both vital and life-oriented, teaching children about beauty, appreciation, creativity and how best to apply one’s abilities. By learning through art, children will devote more resources to the art teaching environment.

3. Research and Development

In Taiwan more than 15 million visits are made each year to performance halls, art museums and various other venues. Such activities enrich the lives of many people and also infuse the social economy much needed vitality. As such, creating a healthy art-culture environment, supporting related industries and highlighting local culture, is an integral part of the NCAF’s Mission Statement. In pursuit of this goal it is important that the Foundation is able to observe and reflect the modern environment, utilizing effective strategies to ensure the realization of this goal.

The NCAF’s Research and Development Department takes full responsibility for all R&D related work, which then serves as a foundation for sustainable operations and strategic developments. This establishes a clear position for the Foundation, and the analysis of long-term development and organizational functions allows the optimization of cooperative mechanisms and networking. Through comprehensive data collection and research, the NCAF’s R&D Department analyzes data from relevant industries, making it easier to respond to changes in the art and culture environment and so develop more precisely targeted sponsorship projects.

In addition, the R&D Department keeps up-to-date with the latest trends at art-culture organizations and sponsorship programs around the world. Particular attention is given to the growth of cultural policy and laws, with the aim of developing more far-sighted strategies to support local art and culture. The NCAF also developed the first local cultural creative industries case study. This involved R&D into related strategies and supported the development of art and culture workers in cultural creative industry. By promoting cooperation between government departments, academia and private groups, much research has already been undertaken with impressive results, creating a rich research network and establishing a good foundation for the development of a “cultural database.”

4. National Award for Arts:

Highest honor in the world of art
The NCAF has presented the National Award for Arts since 1997 (its full name being the National Culture and Art Foundation’s National Award for Arts) as a way of encouraging outstanding artists with numerous achievements to their name, and seeking to comprehensively enhance the standard of cultural and art work in Taiwan. This award is used to recognize and encourage achievements in the fields of literature, fine art, music, drama, dance, architecture and cinema. It has already successfully developed an impressive reputation and is widely considered the highest honor currently available in local art and cultural circles.

Developing multiple channels for participation
In order to develop an obstacle-free environment and reduce the non-art restrictions faced by nominated artists, the NCAF invites participant recommendations from art and cultural circles. In addition, NCAF organizes an annual nominations committee, with a remit to actively seek out lesser known artists, so that the best art in all genres is recognized.

Accumulated achievements
Art is the aesthetic refinement of courage and determination. This award is directed at those still active in the field with multiple achievements to their name over a long period of time and is intended to provide encouragement to their continued efforts. In other words, the focus is not a single work nor is it an attempt to reward senior artists in the form of a lifetime achievement award.

Bringing people and artists closer together
The hard work and drive, together with the passion and wisdom exhibited in the pursuit of artistic excellence by winners of the National Award for Arts deserves praise from wider society and can serve as a template for success for everyone. To enhance the influence and educational importance of this award whilst also increasing public awareness of the character and artistic achievements of recipients, the NCAF organizes an “awards presentation ceremony,” publishes a “National Award for Arts catalogue” and plans a series of follow up promotional events. These include the production of a “Documentary on Award Recipients”, promotion of “Artists Resident in Schools”, sponsorship of “Biographies of Art Masters” and the establishment of a National Award for Arts website. These events are designed to transform the honor of winners into a subject of daily life and thereby bring artists and the public closer together.

Award categories: Literature, fine art, music, dance, drama, architecture, cinema Cash award and number of recipients: A maximum of 7 winners, each one receiving a trophy and a cash prize ofNT$600,000. Participation qualifications: artists with ROC citizenship (individuals only). Method of participation: 1) Recommendation; 2) Nomination by the nominations committee.

5. Art-Business Cooperation and Fund Raising

For art and culture in any country to be sustainable, it requires the support and participation of as many individuals as possible.

The NCAF has actively combined the idea of “making art and culture more relevant to life” with related fund raising activities. The idea of “making art and culture more relevant to life” is a starting point for increasing public awareness and willingness to participate in art events, improving social identification with and support for art and culture, cultivating sponsorship behavior and establishing a long-term cycle that facilitates the ultimate goal of NCAF promotion of art and culture. With this objective in mind, the Foundation actively seeks to develop a mutually beneficial interactive relationship between artists and consumers, combining resources and market conditions that are beneficial to the general development of art and culture.

The NCAF has worked strenuously to promote art and culture through resource alliances with businesses in various industries. A cooperative approach has been utilized in the establishment of various projects as opposed to the more traditional fundraising relationship, developing a more diverse range of channels and broadening the consumer market for art and culture. Today, the promotions and exchange activities facilitated by the NCAF’s art-business cooperative programs are already models for art-business cooperation across the board.

In recent years, the NCAF has developed many new grant funding approaches. Other than financially supporting creativity itself, certain projects have focused on the sponsorship of original marketing and promotional activities. Some programs have taken focused on the long-term improvement of art-culture group organization, whilst others provide opportunities for related training. Different enterprises have also used their own products and ideas as part of sponsorship activities, opening the way to unlimited cooperative possibilities.

Another example of creative funding approaches is the bank-issued “Arts Card.” When an individual uses the card, the bank donates the NCAF a sum equal to 0.2% of the value of all card purchases. Cardholders are afforded such benefits as discounts on tickets to certain art and culture events, creating a consumer market based on the mutually beneficial interaction of consumers and art-culture. This improves both promotional channels and increases sources of funding art and culture groups across Taiwan.

Because even government resources are limited, the NCAF has worked to ensure a broader source of funding and support for art and culture. The best way to achieve that objective has been to encourage an infusion of private sector resources, thereby laying the necessary groundwork for the healthy long-term development of art and culture in Taiwan.

In February 2004, the NCAF officially launched the “Friends of NCAF” program. This is designed to promote knowledge exchange and resource sharing between private sector enterprises and the art-culture community. By addressing the needs of both sides the NCAF has established a number of creative partnerships. This not only allows business to use the creative resources provided by art to enhance competitiveness, it also gives art organizations access to the experience and knowledge that comes from professional management. Another benefit is the provision of actual funding as a foundation for the improvement of organization and continued development.

6. Art and Culture Information Services

In order to increase audiences and expand the market for art and cultural activities, the NCAF seeks to optimize the application of available resources, including the professional division of personnel and the promotion of resource alliances. Through different media it is possible to systematically introduce art activities sponsored by the NCAF and provide as much access as possible to related art and culture information.

Providing a platform for the sharing of art and culture resources
With the rapid expansion of the Internet, the NCAF has worked to proactively develop its own website (http://www.ncaf.org.tw), sending regular e-news and an “NCAF Newsletter”. In addition to promoting policy and integrating art and culture resources, the sharing of up-to-date information and knowledge has turned the NCAF website into a key art-culture service center for the digital era. In addition to announcing information on various promotional activities and their results, the NCAF website also provides specialist art and culture services. To this end, the website has been developed into a platform for the integration of useful resources for professionals in the field, but at the same time also seeks to broaden public participation and understanding.

Improving management of art and culture organizations
As an extension of earlier art administration training programs, the NCAF now offers courses based on the special needs of different types of art and culture organizations. The Foundation also publishes special hand-books on the management of such organizations to help improve the organization and competitiveness of such groups.

7. Finance

When the NCAF was established, the Council for Cultural Affairs transferred funds and accumulated interest totaling NT$2,334,915,059. In accordance with the “Measures for the Establishment of the NCAF,” the long-term objective is to accumulate funding of NT$10 billion, with NT$6 billion coming from the government and NT$4 billion from private sector donations. Since 1996, the Taiwan government has provided the NCAF with an annual budget, which by 2003 had reached the target level of NT$6 billion.

In the area of private donations, the NCAF accepts standard donations but also provides a number of channels art lovers can utilize to express their support for the arts.

Account Name: National Culture and Arts Foundation
Donation account No: post office remittance 18776273

All donations made to the NCAF are considered to be donations to the government and are therefore tax deductible from annual income tax statements. As way of encouraging greater sponsorship of art and cultural activities no limit is placed on such donations.

Inquiries
TEL:　02-27541122　FAX: 02-27072709
Grant inquiries: 　02-27556161

Donations
Account Name:　National Culture and Arts Foundation Donation account No: 　post office remittance 18776273

Address:　Room 202, 2F, No 136, Section 3, Renai Road
Website: 　http://www.ncafroc.org.tw
E-Mail　ncaf@ncafroc.org.tw