JAK–Solitude Exchange Program 2005-2010

The exchange program between the Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart (Germany) and the “Attila József” Circle (JAK), Budapest (Hungary) has been going on since September 2005. Within the frames of the program, two writers from both sides are invited to the partner for a 3-month residency. Since 2007, a multilateral exchange program has also been initiated by the Akademie Solitude, where at the moment four art organisations and the Akademie Solitude invite artists from each other for also 3-month residencies. This program is called “Opening the Closed Shops”. Since the latter started, the other Hungarian partner in the program is the ACAX, Agency for Contemporary Art Exchange (www.acax.hu) who work with the visual artists arriving to Budapest from the other partners.

About JAK, the “Attila József” Circle, Literary Association of Young Hungarian Writers: JAK became an independent literary organisation in 1989 when it ceased to be the youth section of the Hungarian Writers’ Association. At present JAK is the second largest active literary association in Hungary with approximately 300 members. It brings together young professionals from several fields of literature such as writers, critics, literary translators, literary historians and organisers of literary events. According to its statutes, its mission is to represent the interests of and provide professional assistance for authors from the younger generation in Hungarian literature. JAK is also the chief organiser of professional events for young writers and is active in promoting literature, especially new works written by young authors.

Address: H-1062 Budapest, Bajza u. 18.

Tel./Fax: +36 1 352 7103

Web: www.jozsefattilakor.hu (mostly in Hungarian, apologies)

E-mail: jak@jozsefattilakor.hu

JAK–Solitude program leader:

Zsófia Lóránd (zsofia.lorand@gmail.com, 00 36 30 9827 088)

The main professional events and projects of JAK:

JAK Summer Course (JAK’s traditional annual literary camp in Szigliget, at Lake Balaton with readings, lectures, concerts, parties, swims in Balaton and casual talks in the local pub)

The venue:

http://hungarystartshere.com/gen?genid=8417

http://www.freeweb.hu/szigligetnet/ah1nm.jpg

Images from the previous camps:

http://www.jozsefattilakor.hu/index.php?lng=hun&contentID=jaktabor/tal01/foto06/index.html

JAK-Books (contemporary Hungarian book series)

JAK World Literature Series (contemporary foreign literature in Hungarian translation by young translators)

JAK Study Days (a two-day scholarly conference about actual questions in contemporary literature)

Literary Translator’s Workshop (10 days at a location around Budapest, for translators of Hungarian literature into any foreign language)

About it in Hungarian:

http://www.jozsefattilakor.hu/index.php?lng=hun&contentID=11

Photos:

http://www.jozsefattilakor.hu/index.php?lng=hun&contentID=muforditotabor/tal02/foto07/index.html

Some of the translations in various languages:

http://www.jozsefattilakor.hu/index.php?lng=hun&contentID=muforditotabor/tal02/ford07.html

About the Akademie Schloss Solitude:

http://www.akademie-solitude.de

Within the international sphere of artistic grants and residency programs, the Akademie Schloss Solitude is unique; an institution with a truly new spirit. In the daily practice of this »Esprit Solitude«, fresh solutions are found – always artistic and as unbureaucratic as possible: the selection process, the opportunity to finance projects from one's own budget, the self-evident international atmosphere. Hundreds of artists have taken part in the Akademie's program since its opening, creating a close-knit, global network of Solitude alumni that expands from year to year.

The program is inherent in the name »Akademie Schloss Solitude«: It combines the idea of an academy for scientific and artistic exchange with that of a retreat – which Schloss Solitude has always been. The Akademie, founded at Solitude in 1990, operates in the intermediary space between private and public; where art is reflected upon and produced but where it also finds a connection to the public. The Akademie places particular value on offering its guests another »quality« of time – one that is better than the artists would experience in their daily lives. A residence in a place like Solitude should therefore be understood as an investment in the future; an investment that, for both the participating artists and the institutions, may bear fruit much later.

Fellows from Solitude in Budapest:

Margareth Obexer (2005)

Tilman Rammsedt (2006)

Anja Utler (2006)

Hans-Werner Klohe (2006)

Sumi Jang (2006)

Esi Edugyan (2007)

Sarnath Banerjee (2007)

Ulrike Syha (2008)

Kaiwan Mehta (2008)

Katarzyna Sowula (2009)

Jonathan Garfinkel (2009)

Fellows from JAK in Solitude:

Zsuzsa Selyem (2005)

János Térey (2006)

Bálint Harcos (2006)

Gábor Lanczkor (2007)

István László Géher (2007, postponed for 2008)

Tamás Kaszás (2008, visual artist, in cooperation with the ACAX)

Krisztina Tóth (2008, postponed for 2009)

Zsolt Nagy Koppány (2009)

Dénes Krusovszky (2009)

Zoltán Csehy (2010, postponed for 2011)