Why should you work internationally?
When you think of working internationally, perhaps you think of performing or presenting work abroad. But you can also internationalise by entering into co-productions, collaborations or partnerships with foreign artists or organisations. Or how about a foreign residency? Or follow or give a workshop, master class, lecture, etc. abroad?
Why should you work internationally?
Working internationally requires an investment, not only in financial resources, but also in time and patience. Whether these investments are useful depends very much on where you’re at in your career, the sector or discipline in which you are artistically active and what you want to achieve.
An international career brings social, artistic and economic benefits. But there are also frictions and pitfalls to take into account. For example, how do you ensure a sustainable approach that does not exhaust you mentally? How do you limit your ecological footprint or ensure that you don’t appropriate the inspiration you gain from other cultures?
In addition, working internationally is not self-evident for everyone. Artists with a family, people with limited financial resources or those with disabilities, for example, experience more barriers than others.
We collected an overview of family-friendly residencies that you can request via advies@kunsten.be.
We’ve also put together an accessibility rider for artists and art workers with disabilities that you can complete and submit to organisations, residencies or other places. An access rider is a document that describes your disability and communicates your accessibility needs, ensuring that you have the same access as someone without a disability.
You’ll find an overview of possible pros and cons of working internationally here.
So don’t rush into internationalisation. Take the time and space to think about it carefully. We’ll give you some tips in any case!
How do you start working internationally?
Building an international network, career or tour abroad takes time and requires a big investment. Don’t set your expectations too high, so that you don’t get disappointed or discouraged during this process. After all, it takes some patience – and also some luck – to develop a successful international career.
You can start out with a focus on a specific place. The attention and resources per discipline or niche can be very different between regions. It is important to take time to fully understand the local context, to be aware of the complexity of places and not to take everything for granted.
Are you looking for useful contacts or information in specific countries? Then you can browse through the files compiled by Flanders Arts Institute with lots of info on local cultural policies, subsidies, platforms and collaborations from different countries.
Some steps you can already take yourself to start internationally:
- Start from who you already know (locally) or who supports your career here. Ask about their international relationships and networks.
- Due to the large cultural and international presence in major Flemish cities and Brussels, it is even possible to work internationally without moving physically. Contact foreign artists, makers, curators, programmers, … who are active in our country. Digitally, too, there are more and more opportunities to start international contacts and collaborations.
- Participate in international fairs or festivals where you can network with international art professionals.
- Take part in international competitions. Submitting to an award or call can be a big investment in terms of time for which you are not paid: therefore, always weigh up whether it is worth that time. For example, there may be interesting international judges involved in the judging who may notice you this way.
- Keep an eye out for (inter)national play and exhibition opportunities, residencies or prizes through Flanders Arts Institute, On the Move, Transartists, Artconnect, …
