About SUP

A Connected Culture System

SUP connects artistic practice, education, and public engagement through a long-term, artist-led approach.

Working across the UK, India, and Taiwan, SUP develops programmes, partnerships, and platforms that support artists while connecting disciplines, institutions, and communities across contexts.

Art as a method for connection, exchange, and impact.

At the core of SUP is the belief that art is not only an outcome, but a method — a way of thinking, connecting, and engaging with the world.

SUP operates not as a single programme, but as a system through which artistic practice can extend beyond the studio into education, public contexts, and social engagement.

The SUP System

SUP operates through three interconnected structures:

Create
Artistic production, research, and collaboration

Translate
Extending artistic practice into international education and public contexts

Experiment
ongoing experimentation and programme development

Together, these form a continuous system where artistic practice moves across contexts.

How We Work

SUP develops programmes that operate across artistic practice, education, and public engagement.

Rather than functioning as standalone projects, each programme is structured as part of a wider system, where creation, translation, and ongoing development take place in parallel.

This enables artistic practice to move between contexts, generating continuity, exchange, and long-term cultural value.

What We Do

⮕ International artist residency programmes
⮕ Cross-cultural exchange and institutional partnerships
⮕ Education-led programmes, workshops and talks
⮕ Exhibitions and public engagement

Positioning

What We Are

⮕ Artist-led
⮕ Process-driven
⮕ Internationally connected
⮕ Practice-based

What We Are Not

⮕ A service provider
⮕ A short-term project organiser
⮕ A purely educational institution

Our Direction

SUP is committed to building a long-term, practice-led platform that bridges artistic creation and social engagement.

We prioritise depth over scale, focusing on sustained collaboration, long-term partnerships, and continuous development.

Our Development

Founded in 2011, SUP began as an international residency-based initiative supporting artistic development, collaboration, and exchange.

Over time, this model revealed a broader potential, with artistic practice moving beyond production into education, public engagement, and social contexts.

In response, SUP evolved from a residency programme into a connected system.

Today, it operates across three interconnected layers:

⮕ Artistic creation

⮕ Educational and public translation

⮕ Ongoing experimentation and platform development

This evolution reflects a shift from delivering programmes to building a structure through which artistic practice can move across contexts and generate long-term cultural value.

Our team

SUP operates through a small, focused team working across artistic direction, programme development, and platform building.

With experience spanning the UK, India, and Taiwan, the team brings together artistic, educational, and organisational expertise to develop programmes, partnerships, and long-term cultural initiatives.

  • Damian Rayne

    FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

    Damian Rayne founded SUP in 2011 and leads its overall direction, shaping its artistic vision, strategic development, and international partnerships.

    His work focuses on building long-term structures that support artistic practice, collaboration, and cross-cultural exchange. Through initiatives including SUP, The Muse Gallery, and XYZ Gallery, he has developed platforms that connect artists, institutions, and communities across contexts.

  • Sangita Mistry

    PROGRAMME ADVISOR & ARTIST LIAISON

    Sangita Mistry has been involved with SUP since its early development and plays a key role in supporting artists and programme delivery across international contexts.

    With a background in art psychotherapy, photography, and education, she works closely with artists and partner institutions to facilitate meaningful exchange and ensure programmes are responsive to local cultural contexts, particularly across the UK and India.

  • Samantha Y Huang

    CO-DIRECTOR TAIWAN

    Samantha Y Huang leads the development of SUP Taiwan, focusing on strategy, partnerships, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

    Her work centres on translating artistic practice into local contexts through SUA (Something Useful Association Taiwan), connecting institutions, organisations, and communities across Taiwan.

    Working across SUP and SUP LAB, she contributes to the development of an integrated system that links artistic creation, public engagement, and ongoing experimentation.

  • Amit Rai Sharma

    CO-DIRECTOR TAIWAN

    Amit Rai Sharma brings over 20 years of experience in artist-led project development and community-based practice in the UK.

    At SUP Taiwan, he focuses on programme design and delivery, developing residency structures that support experimentation, dialogue, and exchange.

    His work ensures that programmes are both artist-focused and structurally grounded, contributing to the development of SUP LAB and the wider system.