“To be international, you have to first be local… When you take a tree that is rooted in the ground, and transfer it from one place to another, the tree will no longer bear fruit. And if it does, the fruit will not be as good as it was in its original place. This is a rule of nature. I think if I had left my country, I would be the same as the tree.”
–Abbas Kiarostami
We are excited to announce the topic that our first class of residency: Authenticity.
What makes something truly authentic? What is the role that it plays in our lives and vocations? How do we remain true to our vision while exploring and perhaps incorporating other influences? Can we honor our own roots while creating something with wide appeal? How do we ensure that our work remains authentic as we grow as creators? Our first class of residents will examine these questions and the place and importance of authenticity in our lives and work, what strengthens or detracts from it, and what it means across different contexts, professions, and cultures, and more.
Our Class I Residents will reflect on this question in May of 2019 at Château de Grillemont, France.
Residents
- Fayaz S. Alibhai (Ph.D.), Islamic Studies Scholar, Kenya / UK
- Iason Athanasiadis, Journalist, Greece
- Estephania Bonnett-Alonso, Film Producer, Colombia / Spain
- Greg Ellis, Musician, USA
- Gelareh Kiazand, Cinematographer, Iran / Canada
- Tara Pandeya, Dancer & Choreographer, Tajikistan / USA
- Yasmeen Turayhi, Social Product Marketer, Iraq / USA