LONGSTAY Program

2022-23 PUZZLING POLY+SEMY

1. Introduction

PARADISE AIR has held the LONGSTAY Program under various themes and with different application requirements. The 10th edition of the program is no different in that submission is open to all people of all nationalities working in the arts field.

Through the theme, “PUZZLING POLY+SEMY” we want to work alongside the resident artist with a more expansive and deeper understanding, and an even farther reaching imagination in this year’s LONGSTAY Program 2022-2023.

The outcome of the residency can take tangible or intangible form. Applications are widely accepted not only from artists but also from curators, researchers and other practitioners in related fields. We also welcome applications not only from outside of Japan, but also those currently residing in Japan. Please apply with your ideas by January 6th.

2. Theme & (a very personal) Interpretation

PUZZLING POLY+SEMY

A word, a name, a work contains multiple coexisting meanings, to each encounter a different interpretation that overflows the capacity to hold. Yet this was designed,

—every puzzle piece I place out of my own volition, I believe that’s true,
my reaction to flirtation—

Worlds are falling apart again, eyes following one sun, detours breaking glass falling out of order, grasping hints from the past and throwing shards of light now.

Hi, I’m Haruka. I write plays in Japanese and English and I recently joined PARADISE AIR as a coordinator this past July.

I love meaning. Being alive in a polysemous cacophony, meaning is something to hold onto. Sometimes I wonder if that makes me corny, but it’s wild out there. It’s good to have tightly packed kernels of truth for grounding. They’re worth searching for.

Some people search for no-meaning. Which seems necessary. Yin Yang. ☯️

—Because we come from the wilderness, I look outside the puzzles in my face, and see divergence. Reality is diverse. Yet I’m puzzling English words together, whose puzzle pieces am I playing with?

Whose puzzles am I playing?

Which puzzles are mass produced and which puzzles have not entered the market?

Which puzzles have been already created and which puzzles have not been made?

Which puzzle will challenge the perception of every past puzzle?

Scrambling puzzles as an unintended player, collecting puzzle pieces from unexpected sources, —whenever I experience something, what my attention is drawn to, what it catches, what clips into my conscience (consciously or unconsciously) are the puzzle pieces with which I form my understanding.

Words can be puzzling, ridiculous, meaningless even, but when I can create a puzzle of polysemy, or at least a box of puzzle pieces for somebody to play and make what they want out of it, that feels good and meaningful to me.

3. Schedule

Opencall Schedule
2022	Dec. 3 (Sat)	Opencall commences
2023	Jan. 6 (Fri)	Opencall ends
	Jan. – Feb.	Selection period
	Feb. 14 (Tue)	Selected finalists contacted individually Finalists will be asked to submit a video letter explaining their plans, which will later be posted on the PARADISE AIR website once selection is completed.
	Feb. 28 (Tue)	(Finalists) Deadline for submitting video letter
	Mar. 24 (Fri)	Announcement of selected artists and notification sent

Residency Schedule
2023	Sept.	Prepare for travel
	Oct. – Dec.	Residence in Matsudo A residency of at least 70 days and up to 90 days is possible during this period. We are waiting for you with the room open!
	Mid Oct.	Opening Talk Event
	Mid Dec.	Round Table Talk Event
	Other	Possible to change depending on the research plan of each artist or artist group

4. Openings

Few artists (or artist groups)
※Artist groups or units can also apply. If selected, one room will be reserved for each artist group or unit.

5. Applicant Conditions

Applicants must meet the following conditions:

Enjoy engaging in dialogue with the town
Currently living and working in the wider arts field, contributing to the contemporary creation of art
(“Contributing to the contemporary creation of art” is not only limited to artists pursuing research and creative activities, but also includes the research, lectures, or symposiums created by people working in relation to art)
Be willing and able to engage in genuine cultural exchange with other residence artists and local residents during the term of residency
Be in good physical and mental health
Be able to positively manage the program in accordance with the situation regarding diseases, travel and immigration
Have flexibility regarding program scheduling, rules, and administration
Be able to conduct everyday conversation in Japanese and/or English

6. Program Support Package

【For Selected Finalists】

Production costs of video letter: ¥30,000 per group (payable only via Paypal, including handling fees)

【For Residence Artist】

Accommodation (PARADISE AIR)
Transportation for one round trip from the artist’s place of residence to Matsudo (while transportation for artists living in Japan is not limited to one round trip, a maximum limit applies for total transportation costs)
¥200,000 for production costs per group
Per diem: ¥3000 x number of days of residence, per group (cash)
Costs associated with equipment and transportation of artwork
Arrangement of venues for the presentation of work and coordination of events
Local support for daily life and production of work
Arrangement of transportation to Matsudo and supply information on current regulations for entering the country
Costs associated with publicity

7. Stipulations

Copyright and ownership of any work created during the program will remain that of the artist.
PARADISE AIR retains the right to photograph and film all events, performances, workshops, and exhibitions conducted by the artist for the duration of the program.
We request full cooperation during all media coverage, as well as for coverage made by our staff and sponsors.
We kindly ask that applicants plan to participate in the program with their own health insurance. PARADISE AIR is not able to serve as an insurer or guarantor.
While we generally accommodate artists and/or groups who come to Matsudo alone, we welcome applications from those who hope to bring along their partner and/or children. Please indicate clearly in the application if you wish to do so.
For applicants who need to leave PARADISE AIR during their residency period, kindly let us know those dates and plans in the application.

8. Application Details

【STEP 1】

Please fill in the following form to register in the selection process (in Japanese or English). An email will be sent to you automatically from Google confirming your successful registration. Please be sure to verify receipt of this email. URL＝https://forms.gle/KBoWKgr7VWuHEC93A

【STEP 2】

Please download the “Application Format” folder from the link below, and place the scanned data of A. Application Form, B. Portfolio or documents showing your work, and C. Passport in the respective files (in Japanese or English). URL＝https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vzul9761tpnntwe/AABGbcgptP9_AxUGPVqkOGGDa?dl=0

Details of Application documents (data limit: 20MB maximum)

Application Form
– Please complete the form in full following the prescribed format (in Japanese or English).
Portfolio or documents showing your work
– Submit your portfolio (up to 3 works) as a PDF file. It will be viewed in A4 size (210×297 mm).
– For video and/or music works, please upload the data to Youtube, Vimeo, Soundcloud or other such media platforms, including the URL link in the text file. *You cannot submit the original data via email.
– When sending video works via a file sharing service on the internet, please make sure to set the password as PARADISE for your password security as well.
Passport
– Please upload a scanned copy of your passport with your name and photo clearly visible.
– In the case of artist groups or units, please include scanned copies for each member.

【STEP 3】

Please upload the folder containing all materials from Step 2 to the following link:
URL＝https://www.dropbox.com/request/MDh4GqNB2zzc0H1ACl2y
*Updated at 19:00(GMT+9), 2023/01/06
We found the upload link for STEP3 turned off for several hours in the afternoon on January 6th. It has been reopened. Therefore, we decided to extend the upload deadline by 24 hours for applicants who couldn’t submit their data. Sorry for the inconvenience.*

Name the folder “your_artist_name” (ex. Test_PARADISE).
Please verify that the file size does not exceed the data limit of 20MB.
Application deadline: January 6th (Fri) 24:00 (JST)

Please keep in mind the following when uploading your folder.
When several files are uploaded separately, we are unable to register your application documents with accuracy. Please make sure to upload all of your documents in one folder. Thank you for your cooperation during this rigorous selection process.

—
After the upload is completed, you will receive the following email from Dropbox. Please be sure to verify receipt of this email.

The application process is now complete. Thank you for your hard work!

* After the application deadline, PARADISE AIR will send a confirmation email to applicants who registered in STEP 1 and have incomplete applications. If you do not receive a confirmation email by January 20th, your application has been successfully received.
* For documents that have been uploaded several times, only “the latest uploaded folder” will be seen as screening material.

9. Selection / Notification

A committee of staff, local residents and external juries will conduct a selection based on the submitted materials.
Those who pass the first screening will be contacted individually by February 14th.
For the final selection, we will also ask you to submit a video letter (max. 2 minutes) introducing yourself and your proposal.
○　Deadline for submitting video letters: February 28th
○　Videos can be made using a smartphone. Emphasis is given to the content of proposals
rather than video quality
○　All video letters will be made public on the PARADISE AIR website following the result of
selections
○　Support for the production costs of the video letters will be provided to all finalists
Finalists will be notified individually of the selection results in mid-March.
Selection results will be made public on the PARADISE AIR website on March 24th.

10. Contact

If you would like to make an inquiry, feel free to contact us at the email address below. Please note that we are unable to respond to any inquiries regarding the selection process.

PARADISE AIR
Email: long@paradiseair.info
Website: http://www.paradiseair.info
Address: Hamatomo bld., 15-4 Honcho, Matsudo City, Chiba, JAPAN 271-0091
Organized by PAIR
Supported by Matsudo City and the Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan, Fiscal Year 2022
Special supported by Hamatomo Corporation Co., Ltd.

We look forward to reading your applications!