Applications Due: 8 June 2026, 10am HKT
International Conference and Workshops Dates: 22–30 August 2026
Location: Hong Kong

Para Site is pleased to announce the ninth edition of the Workshops for Arts Professionals. The programme will be held in conjunction with the International Conference, which returns for the first time since 2019. 

In line with this year’s International Conference, the workshops will explore the intersection of contemporary art and technology, encouraging participants to interrogate the current state of our technological reality and envision new methods for artistic production. Rather than viewing technology as a nebulous ‘black box’, the programme considers it as socially-embedded infrastructure that intersects with our physical space, digital presence, language, and the communities we inhabit. Participants will examine how technology operates on a practical level in these areas and explore how artists and communities can exercise agency to create alternative meanings and new networks. With a primary focus on the Asian context, the programme addresses questions around resource sharing, cross-disciplinary collaboration, community building, and access to technology in the region.

The Workshops for Arts Professionals 2026 welcomes curators, artists, researchers, writers, and cultural workers from around the world. Participants do not need to possess extensive computational knowledge; however, a curiosity about technological processes will be beneficial for active participation in the programme’s discussions. Over the course of a seven-day intensive programme, participants will engage in closed-door workshops, site visits, lectures, and facilitated discussions. These sessions are guided by regional and international collaborators, including leading practitioners from Hong Kong and beyond.

By encouraging collective reflection and peer-to-peer learning, the workshops prioritise inclusive, participant-driven dialogue over traditional teaching, providing an open space for knowledge exchange. The programme intends to support sustained practices and cultivate long-term professional networks across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Reflecting a long-standing commitment to nurturing local art ecologies, Para Site will offer a limited number of scholarships to support the participation of arts professionals.

Application Requirements

• A professional biography of no more than 250 words, outlining your background and primary areas of practice, research, or artistic inquiry. This should provide a brief overview of your professional trajectory and the themes you engage with in your work.
• A written response (max. 400 words each) to the following two prompts: 
  • Please describe your interest in the intersection between art and technology, elaborating on the specific areas or questions that drive your curiosity. You are welcome to discuss a past project or a future initiative that aims to foster productive conversations between these two fields.
  • Please share a specific challenge, issue, or observation within the art-and-technology ecosystem from your local context and explain why it is significant to your community or professional practice.

• A full Curriculum Vitae (max. two pages), including relevant experience, research, exhibitions, projects, or writing samples.

Application Process

• Please submit all application materials as a single PDF, beginning with a cover page that includes a table of contents and corresponding page numbers
• PDFs should be saved as [Last Name]_[First Name].pdf.
• Please send completed applications in English to application@para-site.art by 8 June 2026, 10am HKT and put ‘Workshops for Arts Professionals 2026’ in the subject line.
• Applicants will be notified of the results in late June 2026.
• Incomplete and/or late applications will not be considered.

General Information

• The workshops will be conducted in English.
• Participants are required to attend the entire duration of the programme, including the International Conference and the Workshops for Arts Professionals.
• You may use AI tools responsibly and critically in preparing the application, however, we are most interested in your authentic perspective.
• There is no tuition fee for the programme. Selected participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. Para Site will cover local transportation for all scheduled site visits.
• A limited number of scholarships for accommodation and travel costs are available and will be awarded based on application. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please include one reference letter with your submission.
• Participants are required to attend two online introductory sessions prior to the start of the programme.