Kai Syng Tan

Experience

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  Self

  Jan 1992 - now

  Interdisciplinary Artist

  Kai's work have toured 450 shows in the film and art worlds including dOCUMENTA, 8th ASEAN Para Games Ceremonies,Biennale of Sydney and transmediale at around 55 cities, including MOMA, ZKM, ICA and Dom Muzyki. Recognition includes the San Francisco International Film Festival Golden Gate Award, Japan Foundation artist-in-residency Award, the Young Artist's Award from the Singapore President. Her works are collected by the Museum of London, Wellcome Trust, Fukuoka Art Museum and Leeds College of Art. As her own manager, she has also successfully secured funding throughout her artistic career. They include: 3 full scholarships (from University College London, Shell-National Arts Council of Singapore, Japan Chambers of Commerce and Industry), about 10 travel and project grants from the National Arts Council of Singapore, Graduate School of UCL and the Slade School of Fine Art.She has published her essays and images in several publications and catalogues (including University of Minnesota Press, Cultural Critique number 80; Cinema South Festival 2008 catalogue). She has been featured in the press (The Straits Time, Lianhe ZaoBao and Today in Singapore, Bijutsu Tetcho in Japan), TV news and documentaries (in the Arts Channel in Singapore, as well as ‘live’ on Fuji television in Tokyo and a TV Channel in Beppu, Japan; Times Higher Education Supplement in the UK). Show less

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  University of Helsinki

  Dec 1998 - now

  Lecturer, HE Advisor, Examiner

  Arts degrees & HE historically elitist, leading to UNESCO’s call for new social contract for HE as public good. Since 1994, advance EDI-led teaching. Curate innovative student-centred interventions on creative intelligence, in & beyond arts HE that I term ‘tentacular pedagogy’. Instigate novel synergies linking scholarship, industry needs & marginalised communities. Ethos of widening participation, internationalisation, inclusive & socially-engaged ethos draw on upbringing in ‘hothouse’ regime, own SpLD diagnoses, working-class school dropout parents. >200 HEIs: -Since 2018: KCL: Affective Disorder MSc. Education in Arts and Cultural Settings MA. St Georges Uni London & Birkbeck, Global Health Humanities MSc-2022: LUCA School of Arts, Belgium-2021: PG Research, Kingston Uni -2020, 2019: Reading Uni, Plymouth College of Art-2018: Paris School of Arts & Culture, France. BSc Nursing, Guy’s Hospital KCL. MA Art & Science, Central Saint Martins. KCL Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine-2017: MFA, Goldsmiths Uni -2014-7: External Assessor. Art Education BA, Singapore Inst of Management Uni: Art & New Media Technologies, Study of Visual Images, World Art & Social Spaces. Vice Provost praises: ‘exemplary thoroughness’ & ‘admirable professionalism’ -2015: Uni of Helsinki-2014: Tutor, Open College of Arts. Drawing Skills, Western Art History, Visual Studies-2013: AFHEA Tutor, School of Life & Medical Studies UCL. Critical & Historical Studies, Royal College of Art-2010: Visiting Assessor & Lecturer, London College of Comm. School of Art, Design & Media, Nanyang Technological Uni-2008: Digital Consultant, School of Arts Singapore. Silliman University, Philippines -2006: Edith Cowen Uni; Australian National Uni; Uni of New South Wales, Australia-2004: Tama Art Uni, Tokyo Film College, Japan-1998-2001: Lecturer. School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore. Film History, Theory & Aesthetics, 16mm film, Storyboarding for Set Design Show less

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  Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE)

  Dec 1998 - Dec 2012

  Expert Advisor

  Sought-after by Singapore government ministries/agencies, arts & cultural bodies. Catalyse, connect, disrupt, instigate, advise, conceptualise, curate, mentor, coach, co-create and deliver positive, ongoing, sustained transformation on personal, disciplinary, institutional and/or sectorial levels, in attitude, knowledge, culture. Examples include: -2007–12: Expert Panel Member. Approved funding bids <£75,000 for innovative startups. Infocomm Media Development Authority (Singapore government statutory board that develops & regulates converging infocomm & media sectors in holistic way, creating dynamic sector for growth, through an emphasis on talent, research, innovation and enterprise)-2009: Keynote Speaker. Art & Music Education Conference, Ministry of Education, Singapore-2008: Mentor. To young film curators from secondary schools, Asian Film Archive, Singapore-2008: Judge. Fly By Night, an annual filmmaking competition, Singapore-2005: Judge. Scholarship Selection Panel, Japanese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Singapore-2002-5: Mentor to younger students. Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan-2000-5: Focus Group Member. -Ministry of Education (on art curriculum for primary & secondary schools)-Ministry of Communications & Information (on architectural design of the new School of the Arts)-National Arts Council (on new New Media Arts Fund), Singapore-2000: Judge, Photography Competition, Alliance Francaise de Singapour-1998-9: Active in introducing video art to wider community as Activities Chair, Thomson Video Club Management Committee, Singapore. Also Chairperson of organising committee of Singapore’s First Junior Video Awards (nation-wide video competition for people under 16). Organise & run workshops. Success of Awards & media coverage led to invitation as Committee Member in Ministry of Education’s own video awards 1999 Show less

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  Various

  Jan 2000 - now

  Curator

  2012, she is an invited Curator and Advisory Board Member of the First Delhi International Film Festival in India2008: Invited curator for Cinema South Festival near Gaza Strip. She presented a programme of South East Asian films featuring the works of auteurs Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Garin NugrohoSince 2000: Initiated and managed several interdisciplinary artistic projects. An example was a multimedia event with Takao Kawaguchi (of avant-garde dance-theatre group Dumb Type) at the independent arts centre, Tokyo Wonder Site in Japan (2004). She also successfully proposed, curated, directed and performed in an all-night interdisciplinary event at the Singapore Art Museum. Apart from working closely with the museum curator (June Yap, now at Guggenheim), museum technicians, external contractors and artists (video artist Masayuki Kawai, composers Christophe Charles and Philip Tan), she designed the publicity materials, and wrote an essay for the catalogue. 2013: Volunteer (6-month period), Department of History’s Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Museum of London. Assists in organisation of archives, utilising archiving systems such as Mimsy2009: Document artworks by historical painter for a catalogue. National Art Gallery of Singapore. 2010: Kai assisted artists Thomson & Craighead for their commission at the Museum of London. Show less

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  Biennale of Sydney

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2006

  Artist

  I was artist representing Singapore at the Biennale of Sydney. Dr Charles Merewether was Curator. Apart from a new installation (ISLANDHOPPING Sydney Leg 2006) that I exhibited at Gallery 4A (alongside Taiwan maestro Chen Jie Ren), I gave talks (such as at Museum of Sydney, with artists Kei Takemura, Ken Lum and Alia Syed), presented at a Symposium (at COFA), and underwent an artsit-in-reisdency-cum-tour that summer (2006) during which I ran Masterclasses in Canberra (at the Australian National University) and Perth (Edith Cowan University). A fond memory was an exquisite sushi treated by Sir Antony Gormley. Show less

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  LASALLE College of the Arts

  Jun 2005 - Apr 2009

  Lecturer, Video Art BA Programme Leader

  -Headhunted for role. Lead all operational aspects of teaching, learning, course delivery for Video Art BA. Revamp BA to QAA benchmarks. Administer, coordinate, design modules & assessment activities. Design formative, summative assessments. Lead on timetabling. Employ & manage lecturers. Deliver key modules. Attract international professionals as students -Faculty & Uni levels: Work with external examiners & auditors. Contribute to planning of policies, examinations. Coordinate, devise, formalise, implement new assessment process for Video Art BA, Animation Art BA, Interactive Art BA. Monitor & support student progress. Provide pastoral care. Seconded to teach BA & MA, Faculty of Fine Arts, & Puttnam School of Film. Represent Uni in Japan to setup ties with Waseda Uni. Initiate collaborations with Fashion Department, Theatreworks, SIGHT Media Festival in Tokyo for Deaf-Results: BA re-validated by UK’s Open University 2008. New assessment process at Faculty level: time-saving, add value for students as they received feedback from experts from different disciplines -Faculty Dean (2009): `She instigated & implemented major changes for academic & artistic direction of Video Art BA, resulting in a new & improved course design that matches international quality standards. Kai established herself as an excellent leader and respected team worker’-Vassili Sibirius (now entrepreneur in Norway): 'Without you I would not have been the person I am today' (2011); Nyi Lyn Seck (now VR company director, Myanmar): 'I've met only one Singaporean when I was there, it was she who always listen student's voice and very eager to give everything whatever she knew. I was very lucky for meeting with such a kind teacher (2005)'-Frédéric Sarkozy: Went on to Art & Digital Media MA from San Jose State Uni, now Creative Director of startup in Paris -Michael Tebinka (Queen Palm International Film Festival Silver Award winner, Netflix cinematographer): ‘You’ve taught me how to think' Show less

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  School of the Arts Singapore

  Nov 2008 - Jun 2009

  Digital Arts Consultant; Adjunct Lecturer

  As Digital Arts consultant, Kai provided advice on setting up facilities for digital arts.As Adjunct Lecturer in Digital Arts, Kai taught 15-year-old students on the Baccalaureate programme. She succeeded in opening the eyes (and minds) of the gadget-savvy young learners to the artistic and historical contexts of digital arts. This helped give their art projects an added layer of meaning.

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  UK Parliament

  Jan 2012 - now

  Expert Advisor/ Strategist / Disruptor ; Creative/Cultural/Change Consultant

  Globally-sought by (mental) health & academic bodies, arts, cultural & creative orgs. Catalyse, connect, disrupt, instigate, curate, mentor, coach, co-create & deliver positive, ongoing, sustained change on personal, inst. and/or sectorial levels: -2022: Reader: Homerton College, Uni of Cambridge. Success-2022: Provocateur: Alongside White Pube for Contemporary Visual Arts Network on its Fair & Equitable research report-2021: Contributor: UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit session. Led to change in practice (training) & policy in engaging with disabled & neurodivergent academics -2021: Researcher & Mentor, Social Artists for EDI (£100K AHRC, PI Amanda Ravetz).-2021: Mentor: Ali Wilson’s Every Brain (£14,867, Arts Council England)-2021: Mentor: Ashok Mistry (£10,000 ACE) with George Vasey & Mike Layward/Dash Arts-2021: External Assessor: Peer’s Prof promotion, Medical School, Uni of Exeter. Success-2020: Reviewer: Synthese philosophy journal (Springer)-2020: Reviewer: Streetnotes (Uni of California interdisciplinary journal)-2020: EDI Advisor: For music Board (RNCM & BBC Philharmonic Orchestra senior staff)-2017-9: Advisor. PsychArt. Supported by Royal College of Psychiatrists, collides arts, creativity & mental health, & irritating psychiatrist-patient binary. Co-curated 2018 conference feat. Stephen Fry-2016-9: Commissions Panel Member: Unlimited (disability arts), alongside staff from ACE, Br Council, Southbank Centre. Approved bids <£120,000 each for disabled artists-2017-8: Advisor: Health Inequalities Research Network Innovation (HERON, funded by Maudsley Charity, Wellcome Trust) on ways to improve fitness participation for people with psychosis. Re-branded as Up & Running, with gift vouchers -2017: Reviewer: Sport in Society (Taylor & Francis) -Since 2014: Mentor: Singaporean composer's leadership PhD; film Senior Lecturer's FHEA; theatre maker's funding bid. Success-2012: Advisor: Delhi International Film Fest, India Show less

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  Sport Singapore

  Dec 2013 - Dec 2013

  Visual Director, 27th Southeast Asian Games (Myanmar)

  See a TV coverage of the performance here:<​http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_kUUYxxaQ> You can read about the show here: <​https://www.singaporesports.sg/news/extraordinary-singaporeans-performing-at-27th-sea-games-closing-ceremony.aspx>More<​http://kaisyngtan.com/portfolio/2013-sea-games/><​http://vimeo.com/88625899>The Creative Director of the handover performance was the critically-acclaimed, award-winning Singaporean Philip Tan whom Kai has worked with throughout her career. This performance featured the astounding work of, amongst others, choreographer Pua Jin Wen and dancers from SOKA, as well as Singapore's leading athletes in dance moves inspired by sports. The explosive 8-minute performance took place on December 22, 2013, in Myanmar (Burma). Kai and Philip created video images for 7 large LED screens (about 6 storeys-high) for the multimedia show. Kai also penned the lyrics of the finale song. A diplomat praised that the show has 'set the bar high' for other shows to come. Philip and Kai continue to develop the theme of sports + arts + body + mind in their current work, the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 8th ASEAN Para Games held in Singapore in December 2015. Show less

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  Philbeat

  Jan 2014 - now

  Communications Director, Visual Director

  Philbeat is founded and directed by acclaimed Creative Director Philip Tan. It specialises in creative content co-created with non-professionals in large scale national and international multimedia performances that are dynamic, energetic and original. Recent successful examples include: Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the ASEAN Para Games 2015 held in Singapore (commissioned by Sport Singapore and overseen by Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth), and a closing item at the South East Asian Games Closing Ceremony 2013 held in Myanmar. Show less

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  RUN! RUN! RUN! Biennale

  Jan 2014 - now

  Founder, Director

  <​http://kaisyngtan.com/portfolio/festival/>RUN RUN RUN! An International Festival of Running 1.0 #r3fest was a runaway success. Kai initiated the event, and also functioned as its Producer and Curator. The Co-Curator was Dr Alan Latham, Senior Lecturer, UCL Department of Geography. About 50 senior academics (Dr Derek McCormack [Oxford], Professor Anson MacKay [UCL] , researchers (Dr Kris Grint [UCL Bentham Project], Gavin Weedon [UBC], Gemma Price [UCL Bioanthropology] artists (Tristan Meecham from Melbourne, Slade senior lecturer Jo Volley, Dr Veronique Chance [Anglia Ruskin]), performers (Amelia Johnstone and Peter Hathaway [Cardiff], Live Marianne Noven [Aberystwyth]) filmmakers (Ivo Gormley), social enterprises (Streetscape, Goodgym) and members of the public congregated at the Slade Research Centre UCL on 26 June. It was an endorphins-filled day of talks, debates, rapping (Penny Andrews, Sheffield), toe-curling (Dr Hayden Lorimer, Glasgow), exhibiting, screening, and, of course, running. Running has mileage. The event was merely a beginning. We are running a Running Cultures Research Group on JISCMAIL, and there are possibilities of exhibitions and publications. There were reviews, including a story in the Guardian by Dr Alex Lockwood (Sunderland). The event was supported by UCL JFIGS, Slade School of Fine Art, UCL Geography, and AHRC. Show less

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  RUN! RUN! RUN! International Body for Research

  Jun 2014 - now

  Founder, Director

  <kaisyngtan.com/portfolio/manifesto> The RUN! RUN! RUN! International Body for Research* investigates and promotes the ways in which running can be activated as a creative app that may enable us to re-imagine the way we engage with the world. This ethos itself is montaged by way of scampering through and picking and mixing a dizzying and delicious assortment of practices and theories including digital aesthetics, the ancient Chinese philosophy and practice of Daoism (Taoism), neuroscience, etymology and philosophy. The research institute is founded by Dr Kai Syng Tan (Leeds College of Art), and is co-run by Kai and Dr Alan Latham (UCL Geography). It runs a wide range of cross-disciplinary, practice-related research activities. Situated within and beyond the artistic and academic worlds, these exercises are public- and world-facing, serious, rigorous and disruptive – as they are mad, light-footed, light-hearted, frivolous and plain useless. The first was the RUN! RUN! RUN! International Festival of Running 1.0 (Summer 2014, Slade Research Centre) which was a runaway success that was covered in the Guardian. Show less

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  UCL

  Sept 2014 - Aug 2018

  Research Fellow (Leeds Arts University), Visiting Fellow (University College London)

  For a year from the end of March 2017, I am Visiting Fellow (non-stipendary) to UCL's Institute of Advanced Studies. My host is Dr Alan Latham, Department of Geography. Alan and I were Co-Curators of the first RUN! RUN! RUN! International Festival of Running (now renamed RUN! RUN! RUN! Biennale) and Co-Curators of the RUN! RUN! RUN! International Body for Research. So there is quite a bit of running, though not all of it is physical, which is one of the key points about our collaborative effort: which is to extend what we understand about the mass fitness practice (Latham 2016) of running by thinking about its poetic processes and metaphorical possibilities, and its potential as a critical and Creative toolkit. A joint article that uses running to conceptualise an interdisciplinary mode of collaboration (such as ours) is published in the Spring 2017 edition of Cultural Geographies (Sage). Show less

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  Sport Singapore

  Oct 2014 - Jan 2016

  8th ASEAN Para Games Opening & Closing Ceremonies Visual Director, Corporate Comms Director

  The ASEAN Para Games — the ‘Paralympics’ for South East Asia — will welcome 1500 disabled athletes from 11 nations. The multimillion-dollar, multi-media Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be attended by Heads of States, enjoyed by 8000 people at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and others at Marina Bay Sands, and potentially broadcast to 600 million in the region. The Creative Director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies are Philip Tan, a critically-acclaimed, award-winning Singaporean who has led several large-scale productions in Singapore. As Visual Director and Corporate Communications Director of the show, Kai works closely with Philip on the shows' philosophy and aesthetics. Fusing sports and art, the work is a celebration of the mental and physical strengths of people of different (dis)abilities. The APG celebrations are part of the SG50, a series of high-profile, large-scale events to mark the 50th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Singapore. Show less

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  UK Research and Innovation

  Aug 2015 - now

  UKRI & AHRC Peer Review College Member (pro bono)

  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. It aims to maximise the contribution of each of its component parts, working individually and collectively. It works with its many partners to benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas. The UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) will grow the strong supply of talented individuals needed to ensure that UK research and innovation continues to be world class. Assessment of the FLF will take place using a two stage process. Proposals will first be assessed via peer review, with shortlisted candidates then invited to interview by a panel comprising a broad range of academic, public sector and industry experts. The process will be supported by a Peer Review College and a Panel Review College (PRC) that will play a vital part in identifying the best UK and international early career researchers and innovators; and the best proposals for use of the special Fellowships support we are offering. Kai is a UKRI PRC member for its FLF scheme from 2018. This draws on and extends her skills and knowledge as a PRC member for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (October 2015- November 2018). She aims to contribute particularly in the areas of: the practice, history, theory of fine art, visual art, live art, new media art, cinema, film and visual culture; art pedagogy; disability and identity politics; interdisciplinarity and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is keen to draw greater connections between creative arts practice and research, as well as between the creative arts industry with the academy. https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/future-leaders-fellowships/future-leaders-peer-review-college-and-panel-college/ Show less

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  Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)

  Oct 2015 - now

  Peer Review College Member

  Peer Reviewer of proposals focusing on interdisciplinary, practice-related research in the areas of fine art, media art, film, contemporary art, visual art, video art. Until December 2022. Invited to extend after initial 3 -year period.

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  King's College London

  Sept 2017 - Sept 2020

  I was the first artist-in-residence of the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre. I directed, curated, created art-science project #MagicCarpet. Funded by Arts Council England via Unlimited (£46,127) and King's Artist award (£5000). Led team including arts professionals, BSL interpreters. Key output: tapestry, weaved at the same factory that artist Grayson Perry weaved his. Led:-Exhibition+chat, Southbank Centre for 700 people -Workshop at NESTA’s People Powered Future Health for 500 health policy people-Chaired and performed at sessions at European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders Conference for 500 researchers-and curated innovative event with Art Assassins (aged 15-20) at South London Gallery that ‘created a family for people with ADHD’ (The Psychologist)-3week show at Arts In Mind Festival for neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists-Workshop for 8 year olds with ADHD from Lyndhurst School Extensive media engagement, including films (6, such as for ESRC and a European-funded film on ADHD), and radio and press such as Resonance FM, Big Issue. AHRC review for a proposal of next phase states: ‘outstanding’, ‘exciting and innovative’; ‘very interesting and creative research outputs’, 'already leading the way’; ‘impressive track record’; ‘clearly has a good deal of energy’; ‘has strong institutional support’TEAM: Arts Production Manager: Alessandra Cianetti / Sound and Music Director: Philip Tan (Philbeat) / Film Director: Michael Larsson (Ohsoweird) / Social Media and Publicity Curator: David Kelly-Mancaux (Erkembode) / Partners: Submit To Love Studios (Headway East London), UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN). #MagicCarpet is a 2017 Unlimited commission. Unlimited celebrates ambitious work by disabled artists. Unlimited is delivered by Shape Arts and Artsadmin Show less https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-kai-syng-tanAt the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (SGDP), Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN). Mentor: Prof. Philip Asherson. Initiated, lead, manage art-science practice-led research projects: 1) #MagicCarpet (09/2017-12/2018): Cultivating creative+critical spaces for dialogues on neurodiversity, mental health. Collaborators: UCL Prof. of Biology Helen Chatterjee MBE, ADHD charity head Andrea Bilbow OBE. Organised, curated 30 exhibitions, seminars, workshops (participants aged 2-85). 100% of feedback for event: ‘project has challenged my research’. Won National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement Award 2) Art+Science Creative Collisions (Winter 2018-Spring 2019): Nurturing interdisciplinary collaborations and dialogue between the arts and sciences, and encouraging (creative) practice & innovative public engagement approaches within research, through working with PhD students to co-lead workshops 3) ‘Making Mind Wandering Visible’: illustrated book on brain, mind, mental health. Co-author: Prof. Asherson.Also: - 10/19: teach a module at MA Education in Arts & Cultural Settings, School of Education, Communication & Society -Co-supervisor of new proposed art-science PhD (2020). Part of European Training Network EmINeNT! (Extremes in Neurodevelopment: Network for Training) by Barbara Franke and Janita Bralten, Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands-Co-strategiser & designer of outputs for article in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews and £1397685 NIHR project in HM prison-Tutor to MSc students, SGDP-Diversity and Inclusion Mentor, KCL-Professional services staff Mentor, IoPPN -Mind & Body Champion, King's Health Partners-Neurodiversity Peer Support Group, IoPPN-Disability Inclusion Working Group Member, KCL-Mental Health First Aider-Peer Review group member, IoPPN Show less

  • Artist In Residence

    Sept 2017 - Sept 2020

  • Visiting Research Fellow

    Sept 2017 - Sept 2020
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  Lancaster University

  Nov 2017 - Aug 2018

  Visiting Research Fellow

  Inspired by the CeMoRe Research Day (2012) and Mobilities, Literature, Culture conference (2017) both of which I had participated in and benefitted from, and drawing on my background in exhibiting (Biennale of Sydney, Guangzhou Triennale), running innovative interdisciplinary programmes (the RUN! RUN! RUN! Biennale was covered in the Guardian 2014 and BBC Radio 3 Free Thinking 2017), the CeMoRe Fellowship enables me to not only share and extend my current research on mind wandering (since 2017, with Professor Philip Asherson at King's College London) and running (since 2009, from my PhD at UCL), but to collaborate with CeMoRe Director Dr Jen Southern to conceptualise the Art and Mobilities Colloquium, with the aim of opening up critical and creative spaces for ‘productive antagonisms’ (Latham and Tan 2016) between art and mobilities, showing new generations of artists how mobilities studies can open new pathways for their practice, and demonstrating to mobilities scholars the ways in which the arts can add a spring to their work. See http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cemore/research/fellowships/ for more information about Kai's Fellowship, and meet other 2017-2018 Fellows. The Centre for Mobilities Research (Cemore) is a hub at Lancaster University for interdisciplinary mobilities research and an international network of mobilities researchers. The following text is its website http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cemore/about-cemore/'We pioneered the mobilities paradigm and mobile methods to study social change and innovation at multiple scales, from the everyday to the geopolitical, planetary, and interplanetary. Our work examines contested ideas of ‘the good life’, promoting equality, solidarity, justice, social mobility, sustainability, responsible and ethically circumspect research and innovation.' Show less

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  NTU Centre for Contemporary Art

  Dec 2018 - Mar 2019

  Artist In Residence

  4-month fully-funded Artist-in-Residency award. Centre for Contemporary Art, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Nominated by pioneer Feminist artist Amanda Heng. Participated in Art After Dark event with performance using EEG devices on what happiness could mean in the contexts of the tumultuous world today and the paradisal island of Singapore, with Philip Tan and Singapore artists, as well as colleagues from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Computer Science and Engineering. Show less

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  Hear Me Out Music

  Aug 2019 - now

  Board Trustee (pro bono)

  Hear Me Out (formerly Music In Detention) is a charity set up in 2005 that works with immigration detainees, bringing them together with professional musicians and local communities to share, create and enjoy music, enabling often-ignored voices to be heard in new ways. Each year it involves around 2,500 detainees and 200 community participants, in over 200 workshops and produce <8 CDs of new music. Its work includes Bedford / Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), Dover/Dover IRC, Gosport/Haslar IRC, Hillingdon/Colnbrook IRC, Hillingdon/Harmondsworth IRC, Oxford/Campsfield House IRC and Portland/The Verne IRC. My responsibilities as Hear Me Out Trustee include: -Having overall responsibility for Hear Me Out’s work and resources. Making sure Hear Me Out is effective and true to its purpose, looking after its interests and set its goals and plans, working together as a group with other board members. -As a member of Hear Me Out’s Board, I am a charity Trustee and a company Director. Legal duties include: ensuring that Hear Me Out is carrying out the purposes for which it is set up, and that it complies with its governing document and the law, act in Hear Me Out’s best interests. - Working with other board members to set Hear Me Out’s strategic aims and plans, review progress against these, ensure that immigration detainees are always at the centre of Hear Me Out’s work.- Attending most Board meetings, read papers sent in advance and contribute to discussions, participating in at least one other Board sub-committee or working group, representing Hear Me Out positively and accurately to people outside the organisation. Show less

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  The Manchester Metropolitan University

  Sept 2019 - Jun 2023

  Senior Lecturer + Programme Leader + EDI lead (various)

  Joined as expert in socially-engaged, (co-)creative reframing of ‘leadership’. Advance International, Education, and Research & Knowledge Exchange agendas via innovation centring EDI & creativity. Creative Arts Leadership MA Prog Leadership: Design, strategise, budget, create business case for interdisciplinary, internationalised MA. Synthesise data & own research with >100 experts like Darren Henley (CEO ACE), Chin Hwee Tan (Asia Pacific CEO of US$147b Trafigura). Teach BA Fine Art Studio practice, Contextual Studies, Curating MA/MFA, Performance MA. 4 PhD supervision: BBC proms composer Daniel Kidane; anti-pollution (part of £2m LUDEC); disability art with Venture Arts; drawing & anxietyFac, Uni contributions: Invited member of Provost's Advisory Group for Road to 2030 strategy. EDI lead of cultural programmes with academic, cultural & community partners in NW for Black History Month: 4-day Pan African Congress festival (reaching 18.2 million people) + 59-person Race Equality Activities Planning. Advance MMU's Race Equality Charter bid. Research Centre for Study of Race Advisory Board Member. Dept & Fac EDI CoLead. Instigate Faculty's first LGBTQIA+ History Month Festival. University Teaching Academy workshops. Mentor peers' disability rights & HEA. Research Mentor to transgender lecturer. Panel member of recruitmentOutcomes: MA approved. First to co-deliver with triple-crowned Business School. Invited to teach Office for Students Pilot Prog. Design 6week 'Creative Leadership' for NHS staff. 'Creativity' in Road to 2030, Uni's E&D Dept now re-named 'EDI'. National Teaching Fellowship nomination. Research outputs rated 3*, 4* submitted to REF 2021, helping MMU clinch UK 2nd place Art & Design. Costed in AHRC grant on social art (£100,609). Internal grants won: £16k. Graduates: Cyprus residency, career switch to nursing, Slade MA. Disabled Role Model. Stellar HE, Aurora leadership progs. HoD: 'I'm greatly impressed with Kai's proactive & collegiate approach' Show less

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  Neurodiversity In/& Creative Research Network

  Feb 2020 - now

  Founder + Co-Lead (pro bono)

  https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13993233/https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=NEURODIVERSITY https://kaisyngtan.com/artful/neurodiversitycreativeresearch/DO SIGN UP: The Neurodiversity In/And Creative Research Network is a new international hub. I co-founded & co-lead the Network with Dr Ranjita Dhital (Royal Society for Public Health committee member, Lecturer in Pharmacy, Leverhulme Fellow Reading University) in February 2020. This brings together practitioners and researchers from diverse sectors worldwide, who share their critical inquiries and local efforts. Joined by 120 people in its first month, we're from technology, neuroscience, psychiatry, theatre, health, dance, media art, equality and diversity, and work in museums, higher education, and more. We’re from London, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Glasgow and Portsmouth. Many are neurodiverse, many are allies. Members include Judy Singer, the Australian sociologist who invented the term neurodiversity, and the team from Genius Within. INCLUSIVE: The Network explores the messy and magical definitions of and entanglements between 'neurodiversity', 'creativity' and 'research', unstable, multifaceted as each term already is. It builds a culture of discursiveness, sharing and critical friendship. We seek to make neurodiversity in research and the contributions of neurodivergent researchers more visible, and research culture more inclusive. We welcome people from any discipline/sector, with/without an affiliation. With the pandemic we are discovering innovations and new connections. We hold regular keynotes, masterclasses and provocations led by members. WHAT'S 'NEURODIVERSITY'? While increasingly appropriated (not least by WEF and Nesta), ‘neurodiversity’ remains a contested framework. It can be understood as atypical cognitive approaches such as dyslexia, ADHD and more. Show less

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  The Royal College of Psychiatrists

  Jul 2021 - now

  Editorial Board Member (first artist on board, pro bono)

  BULLETIN:-Open access, peer-reviewed journal (since 1977) -Related to British Journal of Psychiatry (since 1853)-Both published monthly by Cambridge University Press for The Royal College of Psychiatrists-Delivered to all members of College ie most UK psychiatrists as essential reading & practical value to psychiatrists and anyone involved in management & provision of mental healthcare-2020 metrics: Full-Text Downloads: 938,753 Altmetric mentions: 21,537. 2020 CiteScore: 2.8. Citations 2016-2020: 620GAPS: -Editorial Board: Comprises practitioners & researchers in Psychiatry. 13 Editors, 22 Board members, 2 staff, in UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand & Canada -Chief Editor till 2022: Dr Norman Poole, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, St George's Hospital-Board has no specialists in arts and culture, nor service users, despite burgeoning arts-health movement, declining recruitment in discipline, continued stigma in people with mental healthROLE-First artist to join Editorial Board-Help shape content, incl for new Cultural Reflections section-Commission & identify reviewers & contributors-Help create equitable policy and action to include & collaborate with neurodivergent colleagues + those who may not otherwise engage with psychiatry -Open up spaces to irritate the often reductive binaries of psychiatrist-patient, deficit v social models of disability, illness/healthEARLY IMPACTS -Recommend annual topic of discussion on neurodiversity, voted top 3 topic by Board-Thought leadership: Urge collaboration with arts & culture, caution against ‘disability porn’: Invited Commentary: Tan, KS 2021, ‘Art and psychiatry in the 21st century: here’s to more messy – and magical – entanglements’. BJPsych Bulletin, pp. 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2021.93-Enrich Bulletin's goal of prioritising research, opinion and informed reflection on state of psychiatry, management of psychiatric services, education & training in psychiatry Show less

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  Fermynwoods Contemporary Art

  Aug 2021 - Mar 2022

  Trustee (invited, pro bono)

  This week (August 2021), I am delighted to take on two additional voluntary roles: 1) trustee of Fermynwoods Contemporary Art 2) NHS Steward Volunteer at Covid vaccination centresFermynwoods Contemporary Art http://fermynwoods.org/ (Director: James Steventon)Accolades include: - Best Contemporary Art Gallery in Northamptonshire - 2020 Midlands Enterprise Awards- Art Charity of the Year for Central England - 2020 Central England Prestige Awards- 2020 Achates Philanthropy Prize Bursary Winner.My past projects with Fermynwoods include: - 2021: Running Artfully Network launch + award. Information: http://fermynwoods.org/running-artfully-network-launch-event/ Review: http://fermynwoods.org/running-across-urgent-terrains/ -2020: Breathing in Art mask series http://fermynwoods.org/breathing-in-art-kai-syng-tan/ - 2015: Free Exchange https://soundcloud.com/fermynwoods/art-running Show less

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  University of Southampton

  Jul 2023 - now

  Associate Professor in Arts & Cultural Leadership

  University of Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group. The University is ranked top 1% of universities worldwide. WSA was ranked 7th in subject area 'Art' in the Guardian University League Table 2019. My responsibilities are:1) Conduct research in line with the School/Department research strategy and in keeping with an established research agenda in arts and cultural leadership2) Teach arts and cultural leadership at postgraduate level and as specific expertise allows at undergraduate level, and to3) Undertake leadership, management and engagement activities.https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/62mw8m/doctor-kai-syng-tan#biography Show less

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  Council for Higher Education in Art and Design

  Apr 2024 - now

  Member Board of Trustees

  CHEAD: Representative body for the art, design, creative media, and related disciplines in higher education (HE) sectorMEMBERSHIP: 64 UK art and design HE institutions (HEIs)MISSION: Provide effective leadership and support for HE art, design, creative media and related disciplines, to inspire the next generation of creative professionals and world citizens + help shape the creative economyFUNCTIONS: Carries out research. Scans the policy horizon. Briefs its members. Facilitates debate and networking opportunities. Help shape HE art and design policy. Facilitates specialist internal networks supporting art and design research leaders, Subject Associations, and HE gallery leaders. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES: Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity. Leadership. Learning and Teaching. Research. AdvocacyPARTNERS: Assoc. of Degree Courses in Fashion & Textile. Design Assoc. of Photography in HE. Graphic Design Educators Network. Design History Society. Design Research Society. Interiors Educators. National Assoc. for Fine Art Education (NAFAE). National Assoc. for HE in the Moving Image FRIENDS: The HEAD Trust. APDIG. GuildHE. UKADIA. NESTA. Design Council. Crafts Council. FACE. Northern Forum. VAUK. NSEAD. Creative Skillset. HEA. HESA. CIF. Cultural Learning Alliance. AHRC. Sector Skills Councils. APPG for Art, Craft and Design in Education. Policy Connect. APPG on Design Innovation. The Sorrell Foundation TRUSTEE BOARD: Direct CHEAD affairs. Implement policy. Oversee finances. Appoint staff. Invite representatives/assessors from other orgs. Co-opt Trustees. Decide membership. Determine subscription ratesMY GOALS: AGENDA-SETTING: Connect EDI, Policy, and Practice to help address underutilisation of Art and Design Research and endemic EDI issues in sector. CAPACITY-BUILDING: Develop Leadership Scheme to show how Art and Design can become catalyst of social change. FUTURE-SCANNING: Map future of HE Art and Design as an interdisciplinary & international asset Show less