New foundation created to promote artists and culture

The Council for Cultural Affairs yesterday established a foundation to help it promote its Creativity and Culture Industry Development Project by acting as a platform to facilitate cooperation between artists and entrepreneurs.

Theodore Huang (黃茂雄), chairman of Teco Electric and Machinery Co, the nation's second-largest home-appliance maker has been named the foundation's president.

The foundation is sponsored by several entrepreneurs, including Fubon Financial vice chairman Daniel Tsai (蔡明忠), Chang Hwa Commercial Bank chairman Chang Po-shin (張伯欣) and Lee Chen-chia (李成家), chairman of the Taiwan Federation of Industry.

Huang told a news conference at the Hua Shan Arts District in Taipei that the foundation will offer opportunities for artists and cultural workers to add value to their creations and help their works to become salable products.

"We hope our foundation can carry out the idea that ``good creativity is good business' and enhance the understanding and interaction between artists and entrepreneurs," Huang said.

He said he hopes both sides can enjoy the profits and benefits created by artistic products.

The Creativity and Culture Industry Development Project has been a major focus of CCA Chairwoman Tchen Yu-chiou (陳郁秀) over the past three years.

The project aims to help transform traditional artifacts and performing arts into products that can be sold worldwide by combining creativity, technology and marketing strategies as well as heightening the nation's international image and culture.

Tchen said the council has already had success in promoting the ceramics and clothing industries and a project to develop talented artists.

"I hope the foundation will not only attract more entrepreneurs to sponsor artists but also help cultural industries to bloom and thus promote Taiwan's image," she said.

"We also hope to create a climate that will encourage people to spend more money on art and culture, helping to stimulate the development of the creativity and culture industry," she said.