ASEM Cultural Festival 2019 | Asia and Europe: Cultures Connect

The ASEM Cultural Festival 2019, as the official side-event of the 14th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting, revives a tradition of cultural programming alongside high-level meetings of Asian and European leaders. The Asia-Europe Foundation - ASEF, as the only permanent institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), supports the organisation of the Festival alongside ASEM Summit Meetings of Heads of State and Governments, as well as ASEM Foreign Ministers.

The Festival titled ‘Asia and Europe: Cultures Connect’ will be held in Madrid, Spain from 11-15 December. It will bring together over 40 artists from more than 10 Asian and European countries to showcase the artistic and cultural diversity from both regions. 6 events comprised of music and dance performances, artistic workshops, a virtual reality exhibition and a special exhibit on ‘ASEAN Cultural Year 2019’ will be showcased in different venues across the city. A curtain raiser featuring a music concert Nguyên Lê Saiyuki & Friends will be held on 6 December in Brussels, Belgium leading up to the main Festival in Madrid.

Throughout the 5-day event, a jampacked programme composed of diverse performances will be unveiled. To open the Festival, 7 musicians will stage a concert of world music and jazz titled Nguyên Lê Saiyuki & Friends. A virtual reality exhibition comprising installations inviting audience interaction with vibrant animations of classic artworks will also be opened to the public on the first day.

Kizuna, a string concert featuring Japanese and Spanish influences, will be performed on day 2. The third day will feature a workshop with artist Fuyuki Enokido and an act titled Rasa y Duende: Lorca, Flamenco y la India, which will explore the rich history of Spanish flamenco singing and dancing through a dialogue between various Indian performance traditions. For day 4, 14 artists will perform Poong Ryu, a Korean music and dance show, following a dance workshop from Between Tiny Cities.

Finally, on the last day, Rudraksham, a concert by a classical Indian Carnatic and Hindustani music group with percussion and string instruments will take place after a workshop with their musicians. The Festival will close with a hip-hop dance performance Between Tiny Cities រវាងទីក្រុងតូច featuring dancers from Australia and Cambodia. Over the course of the Festival, a special exhibit about the cultural diversity from the countries of ASEAN will be displayed as well.

EVENTS CALENDAR

	Wednesday, 11 December 2019 *Nguyên Lê Saiyuki & Friends* Círculo de Bellas Artes Madrid Madrid, Spain

	11 - 13 December 2019 Exploring Asia and Europe through a Virtual Lens Casa Asia Madrid Madrid, Spain

	Thursday, 12 December 2019 *Kizuna* Centro Cultural Conde Duque Madrid, Spain

	Friday, 13 December 2019 *Rasa y Duende: Lorca, Flamenco y la India* Centro Nicolás Salmerón Madrid, Spain

	Saturday, 14 December 2019 *Poong Ryu* CentroCentro Madrid, Spain

	Sunday, 15 December 2019 *Rudraksham* CentroCentro Madrid, Spain

	Sunday, 15 December 2019 *Between Tiny Cities រវាងទីក្រុងតូច* Círculo de Bellas Artes Madrid Madrid, Spain