Without Compass Or Map

In Without Compass Or Map, nineteen men and women, all professionals in the field ofculture and the arts, from seven countries across Asia, attempt to engage withfour diverse cultural organizations by studying them in their own environments,to better understand their histories, their achievements, and their survivalstrategies. 'An exemplary form of cultural exchange' was the aim, an attempt atpeer interaction without the usual built-in power imbalance between 'researcher'and 'informant'. The 'case studies' are of: Zuni Icosahedron, a creative artsgroup in Hong Kong, working in the areas of experimental performance andmultimedia presentations, arts collaborations, cultural exchange, arts educationand cultural policy; Institute Dayakologi a community-based group in Pontianak,Indonesia, concerned with revitalizing the cultural identity of the indigenouspeoples of Kalimantan through participatory research, educational programmes,publications and advocacy; Kyomachiya Saisei Kenkyukai, a research associationfor the regeneration of traditional wooden townhouses (machiya) in Kyoto, Japan;and The Seagull Foundation for the Arts, Calcutta, India, focused on promoting,documenting and disseminating contemporary arts and media. This highly unusualbook will be of interest to anyone concerned with the theory and practice ofcultural exchange, especially within and across Asia.