Despite the relentless advance of the global economy, the cliche of the starving artist or student has not completely lost its currency. Younger artists seeking to establish themselves, or scholars wishing to devote more time to their studies, are generally in for a belt-tightening experience.

Fortunately, however, a number of governmental and private organizations exist whose functions include the promotion and support of artists in their endeavor to enrich the human spirit. Some operate programs that aim not only to subsidize creativity, but also to enrich international exchange. Two such bodies linking Japan and the West are The Japan-Canada Fund and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.

Operating under the auspices of The Canada Council, The Japan-Canada Fund began with an endowment made in 1988 by the Japanese government. Intended "to further strengthen the relations between Canada and Japan," the fund was topped up in 1996 to bring the coffers to about 250 million yen. The program focuses on attracting Japanese artists to perform in Canada and has already assisted more than 200 recipient individuals and organizations.

Keiko Harada is a composer who benefited from a grant made by The Japan-Canada Fund. After hearing about the fund during a concert series in 1999, Harada approached three local music organizations, and their collaboration resulted in concerts held in the summer of 2001 in Ottawa, Toronto and Parry Sound.

Harada undertook the series at the urging of members of The Japan Foundation. "They told me that since the passing away of Toru Takemitsu [the renowned avant-garde composer], there has not been a continuous intercommunication of contemporary music between Japan and Canada," she explained. "I feel that Canadian people do not have a lot of preconceptions . . . just that they do not have the opportunity to hear new music. If it is a good concert, they will be interested; it's very simple."

Butoh dance performer Yumiko Yoshioka was also a beneficiary of The Japan-Canada Fund. Working with longtime collaborator German Joachim Manger under the name TEn PEN CHii art labor, she staged performances in Montreal last April. The funding she received enabled her to promote the show, as well as cover travel expenses and accommodation. Describing Canadian audiences as being "very open to experimental art," she added "it was a pleasure to perform for them." Since then, her experience has made her highly sought after, both as a performer and an instructor of butoh dance.

The conditions of The Japan-Canada Fund, however, stipulate that artists cannot apply directly, but only through proposals made on their behalf by a sponsoring organization in Canada. Applicants are accepted only if their program includes public performances or exhibitions held in conjunction with existing, nonprofit local arts groups. Moreover, the fund seeks to show Japan's modern face to the world, rather than promoting traditional aspects of its culture, such as ikebana and kabuki, which are generally well-supported by the Japanese government.

On the other side of the funding coin is the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Also formed in 1988, by Japan's Daiwa Securities Group Inc., this private body has a broader scope than its Canadian counterpart. Seeking to "promote understanding between the United Kingdom and Japan," the Daiwa Foundation distributes grants not only to artists, but also to individuals and organizations whose work contributes to its stated aim, as well as offering awards such as the triennial Daiwa Adrian Prizes that recognize outstanding scientific collaboration between British and Japanese research teams.

The foundation works on a bilateral basis: British and Japanese nationals are equally welcome to apply, for projects in either country. With its broad mandate, the foundation has sponsored a range of individuals including composers, architects and painters, as well as backing such huge cultural events as the yearlong U.K. '98 and Japan 2001 festivals staged here and in Britain, respectively.

One beneficiary of Daiwa's assistance is sculptor Hideo Furuta, who participated in Japan 2001. His contribution was a series of granite sculptures, entitled "Juxtapositions," which remains on display in Regents Park across from the foundation's headquarters, Japan House. Furuta's work met with wide acclaim from British critics, and his installation for the New Art Centre Sculpture Park in Salisbury, southwest England, was judged "Best Exhibition Nationwide" by critic Amber Cowan of The Times of London.

Young British artists often arrive in Japan as participants in the 20-month Daiwa Scholarship program that brings promising young professionals to Tokyo for intensive language training and work experience. The 2000-2002 intake featured a bumper crop of artists: architect Lankendre Chandresinghe, glass-blower Helen Bottomley and artist Guy Mayman. Mayman has already displayed work in a group show entitled "Table Manners" at the Mizuma Art Gallery in Aoyama, while Bottomley participated in curating the "Versus" exhibition in Shibuya's Parco department store.

The hub of the Daiwa Foundation's activities is the stately Japan House. A combination of art gallery, library and Japanophile drop-in center, Japan House also plays host to a year-long lecture series by noted scholars in a variety of disciplines. Open to the public and, of course, to all manner of scholars and artists, a visit there is an ideal starting point for those interested in enhancing their knowledge of things Japanese.

With the opportunities offered by organizations such as The Japan-Canada Fund and the Daiwa Foundation, exchange-minded artists and scholars can benefit in several ways: They can broaden their horizons, enrich their understanding of another culture -- and, perhaps, loosen their financial belts a little.