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Bamboo Curtain Studio was founded by a Hong Kong ceramic artist/ curator Margaret Shiu in 1997, Even though Shiu is not originally from Taiwan, but has been calling Taiwan home for almost 4 decades, today's Bamboo Curtain Studio, once a chicken farm has transformed into an artists' studio, you are still able to see those old sheds now became for exhibition or theatre use.
By the time I entered, there's a shed used to be the coop on the left, and a office/ social room on the right hand side, and behind the the office, that was a beautiful garden with many primary school chairs and desks lying around in front of Sun Son Theatre, in a good way I mean, it seems like a random drama troupe to me, and a two-story building with kitchen and rooms for visiting artists. Moreover, "12 Bamboos" (an gallery space as they usually call it) is a huge space suits for large scale art works or performance, and at the other side of BCS, they created an ecological pond with some environment art works due to their involvement.
But if you think this is only an artist village, that's just way too hasty jumping to the conclusion, yes, for now, they have four local artists and one drama group using studio spaces, meanwhile, they provide three artists to participate in residential programme each year, Shiu believes that artists should not only create arts, but also make some differences, especially to our society, this is what they been doing since 2011, Plum Tree Creek is a nearby stream partially covered by concrete on top at its downstream, right before the mouth to Tamsui River, since the neighbourhood Zhuwei has quickly developed and changed, metro trains crossing between Bamboo Curtain Studio and town centre, along with thousands people moving into their new homes here, more and more new cement houses standing up over one night, Plum Tree Creek became seriously polluted and more than a ditch.
Thus enhancing environmental awareness through the arts turns into an important thing, so by the help of neighbourhood heads, projects like Breakfast at the Plum Tree Creek, theatrical programmes, water dance, and some cultural events collaborating with local primary schools, and of course they curated three different exhibitions of varied forms taking place in several spaces around the creek, and apart from local issues, current affairs are what BCS concern about as well, as it were, during the debate of building a new nuke in suburban Taipei or not, some talks and events were hosted here, and not to mention that arts and environment theme based festivals/ fairs are happening every now and then.
Even Bamboo Curtain Studio is not open to the public most of the time, but art lovers still can be part of their workshops, open studio sessions or events they hold from time to time, and since creativity related industry became prominent in Taiwan, BCS dedicates to help out local artists on exchanging or artists-in-residence programmes abroad, also, I would be happy to see artists visiting over and above now, trading ideas, getting inspired and all that.
Bamboo Curtain Studio
Address: No.39, Lane 88, Section 2, Zhongzheng East Rd., Tamsui District, New Taipei City 251, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
http://bambooculture.com/en
