Organizer Information
Soulangh Cultural Park is a cultural venue in Jiali District, Tainan, Taiwan, operated by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City Government under the advisory of Taiwan's Ministry of Culture, with the Tainan Culture Foundation as executive organizer. The park occupies the site of the former Soulangh (also known as Jiali) Sugar Refinery, established in 1905–1906 by Meiji Sugar Manufacturing Co., Ltd. as the company's first modern sugar refinery in Taiwan. The factory closed in the 1990s, and the site was redeveloped into a cultural park through a preparatory office founded in 2003, officially opening in 2005 around fourteen surviving factory warehouses. The park's name derives from Soulangh, one of the four major historic settlements of the Siraya people, a Taiwanese indigenous tribe, and the site today includes exhibitions on Tainan folk art and Siraya culture. In 2013, the park launched the Soulangh International Art Village, offering artist residencies to promote artistic exchange between Tainan and the international community.
Title & Description
AIR in Tainan — Artists-in-Residence Program 2027, Soulangh Cultural Park
This is an open call for the 2027 Soulangh Artists-in-Residence Program, offering artists a dedicated creative space at Soulangh Cultural Park in Tainan. Through workshops, performances, and exhibitions, the program aims to expand the art audience in Tainan by facilitating interaction between resident artists and local residents, and to foster creative exchange between domestic and international artists. Applicants must submit a residency project plan responding to the 2027 theme.
Theme
"Sugar" or "salt," with "local cultures" also permitted as a theme. Soulangh Cultural Park was formerly a sugar refinery, and the surrounding Jiali area sits at the geographical center of Tainan's historic Saline Land region and was an important settlement area for the Siraya indigenous people. Artists are encouraged to explore sugar as a central heritage theme, though salt and local cultures — including the area's Taoist temples and centipede parades — may also be explored to represent the region's landscape, culture, and history.
Categories
- Residency
- All Discipline
- Site-specific
- Culture
- Craft
Eligibility
- Open to artists of all artistic disciplines
- Applicants must have basic communication skills in English or Chinese
- Applicants must be able to perform independent field research and independently plan and manage their residency project
- Applicants must disclose at the time of application if they have already participated in another domestic or international residency in the current year
Program Benefits & Awards
- Living expense grant of up to NT$800 per day, for up to 90 days (maximum NT$72,000 total); exact amount determined by the review committee and inclusive of foreigner income tax (6–20%) and Second-Generation National Health Insurance fees
- Exhibition production fee of up to NT$200 per day, for up to 90 days (maximum NT$18,000 total); also determined by the review committee and inclusive of the same tax and insurance deductions
- Grants paid in installments per contract, subject to government reimbursement/accounting approval timelines
- Free accommodation in a private suite (room and utilities included; personal items such as towels and toothbrushes not provided)
- A bicycle provided for the duration of the residency
- Dedicated exhibition space, including lighting rails, wooden partitions, air conditioning, and related equipment
- Free access to multimedia equipment (projectors, monitors, speakers, lights), a shared artist studio, and hardware tools, depending on on-site availability
- Essential support from Soulangh staff during the residency
- A separate production budget of up to NT$150,000 (VAT included) for exhibition/workshop materials, procured directly by the park through its procurement process rather than disbursed to the artist
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 August 2026
- Review Period: September 2026
- Results Announcement: November 2026
- Residency Period: March 1, 2027 – October 30, 2027 (tentative); applicants select three preferred date ranges in the application system, with exact opening date and exhibition period discussed after selection
Location
Soulangh Cultural Park, No. 130, Liu'an, Jiali District, Tainan City, Taiwan
Additional Details
- Selection is conducted by a review committee of experts and scholars appointed by the Cultural Affairs Bureau; review meetings are closed to the public and individual feedback on selection results will not be provided
- Selected artists must hold one achievement exhibition and at least one parent-child workshop or open studio day at Soulangh before the end of their residency, and must complete a residency report and questionnaire
- Artists must reside for at least two-thirds of the contracted residency period or be disqualified
- Accommodation is for the artist only — not for companions, family members, assistants, or pets
- If a project requires assistants, this must be disclosed in the project plan (reasons, number, job description); assistant costs are covered within the existing grant amount, with no additional funding
- Copyright and ownership of works created remain with the artist, but Soulangh Cultural Park retains the right to exhibit, present, and publish the works for educational and promotional purposes; artists are liable for any losses arising from copyright infringement in their work
- Works requiring assembly or disassembly must be accompanied by an artist-provided assembly guide
- Artists must participate in AIR exchange activities arranged by the organizers, except in notified special circumstances
- Artists are advised to prepare at least one month's living expenses in advance (approximately NT$15,000–20,000) due to government reimbursement timelines
- The Tainan City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau reserves the right to amend the guidelines and retains final interpretation