Culture in Defiance 2015
Project summaries
20 projects granted by the Prince Claus Fund
Made by Louise Stokart – July 2015
1
Culture in Defiance 2015: Projects granted per country
Countries
AFRICA
Ethiopia
Western Sahara
ASIA
Afghanistan
Cambodia
Iraq
Jordan
Kashmir
Lebanon
Palestine
Sri Lanka
Tibet
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Yemen
EUROPE
Belarus
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
TOTAL
Projects granted
2
1
1
15
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
1
2
20
2
Culture in Defiance 2015: Projects granted per categories
Categories
Audio-Visual
Photography
Theatre
Development
Music
Cultural Heritage
Architecture
Media/Journalism
Literature
Nr of
Projects
Projects’ Name
5
Sevdah, the art of freedom; 48 Project; Cinema
for the Sahrawi People; Cinema Club; Past
Preserved
5
Witness to Paradise; What Syrians Want;
Bamiyan, the story of change!; Ambassadors of
Yemen; Faces of Belarus
3
First African Circus Arts Festival; Impossible
Theatre; Family Ti-Jean
2
Connector; Living Arts in Post-Conflict
Contexts
1
Shoton Festival, Tibetan Opera in Dharamsala
1
Along the silver tracks in Turkmenistan
1
Jinan: A Garden for All
1
The Outpost
1
The A to Z of conflict
3
Contents
Africa
page 5
-
Cinema for the Sahrawi People
First African Circus Arts Festival
Asia
page 7
-
48 Project
Along the silver tracks in Turkmenistan
Ambassadors of Yemen
Bamiyan, the story of change!
Cinema Club
Family Ti-Jean
Impossible Theatre
Jinan: A Garden for All
Living Arts in Post-Conflict Contexts
Past Preserved
Shoton Festival, Tibetan Opera in Dharamsala
The A to Z of Conflict
The Outpost
What Syrians Want
Witness to Paradise
Europe
-
page 30
Connector
Faces of Belarus
Sevdah, the art of freedom
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Africa
Cinema for the Sahrawi People
Who: CEAS-Sáhara
What: Human rights film Festival and Audio-visual School
Where: Dakhla refugee camp (festival) and Bojador Refugee Camp (school), Tindouf, Algeria
When: Start: October 2015 - June 2016
Amount: €24,000
Cinema for the Sahrawi People is composed of the Abidin Kaid Saleh Audiovisual School in the Sahrawi refugee
camps in Southwestern Algeria and the annual human rights film and cultural festival FiSahara 2016. The project
includes trainings for Sahrawi film students, film screenings, roundtables and workshops. Some films made by
Sahrawi students in 2015 will be screened at the 13th edition of festival FiSahara in 2016. Film screenings and
roundtables with special guests will address themes touching human rights issues and the situation of the
Sahrawi people.
Through workshops and trainings the project builds local capacity among the Sahrawi people living in the camps
and the occupied territories. The initiative uses the power of film to give the Sahrawi a voice, address their
human rights crisis, provide access to entertainment and culture and opens critical spaces of dialogue. The
project creates interaction between Sahrawis and international artists, in particular dialogue with young
Moroccan artists and activists, with the aim to incite processes of mutual understanding and collaboration.
The indigenous population of Western Sahara lives in exile or under Moroccan occupation. They have a pressing
need to preserve and showcase their culture and identity, a key factor of their survival as people. FiSahara is one
of the few cultural activities that are organised in this otherwise very remote and poor area. Therefore, Cinema
for the Sahrawi People is an innovative and unique project in this area with little access to culture and has high
developmental relevance. The project offers a unique opportunity for these banned cultural actors to actively
collaborate with other international organisations and individuals and further develop their activities. It also has
the potential to raise international awareness on the situation of the Sahrawis, 40 years after their forced
migration and occupation.
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The First African Circus Arts Festival
Who: Giorgia Giunta on behalf of Fekat Circus Club
What: African circus arts festival with artists from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal and SouthAfrica
Where: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
When: November 2015 – December 2015
Amount: €24,000
The First African Circus Arts Festival brings together seven of the most active circuses in Africa. Fifty young
artists from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal and South-Africa meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s
capital, from 27 November until 3 December 2015. The Festival program includes a two day-show and
workshop with the participating circus teams and directors. The event makes it possible for the participants to
link, share, and highlight the continent’s cultural wealth and diversity.
Fekat Circus, the Ethiopian NGO organizing the Festival, aims to promote circus as an agent of social change
and development, by providing a range of community services, working with disabled and deaf people and
employing former orphaned or street children. Fekat Circus’ 21 young permanent employees, working as circus
trainers, performing artists, doctor-clowns and animators, reach around 650 marginalized children and youths,
and over 10,000 hospitalized children every year through its varied programme. Their activities include a Circus
school, outreach training programs, artistic performances, and awareness raising campaigns, daily entertainment
and recreational activities in hospitals and governmental orphanages.
The First African Circus Arts Festival creates a space for cultural exchange and dialogue for the participating
circus teams. Although the participating circus teams are all working in very difficult circumstances, they survive
as performing artists notwithstanding the political, social and economic challenges they face in their countries.
Consequently, besides being an important occasion for young African circus artists to interact, learn from each
other and express themselves and their rich artistic and cultural heritage, the Festival will offer an alternative,
positive view on cultural exchange in Africa and convey a message of peace, unity and cultural diversity.
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Asia
48 Project
Who: Tanya Habjouqa, Rula Halawani, Khaled Jarrar, Laura Boushnak & Ali Noureldine
What: Creation of geo-location mobile application documenting stories of dispossessed families in 1948 and
mapping them back to locations in today’s Israel/Palestine
Where: Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine/Israel
When: March 2015 - March 2016
Amount: €36,400
The 48 Project is an artistic collaboration that aims at creating a visual documentation of the Palestinian diaspora
worldwide. Five Palestinian and Palestine-based photographers will bring Palestinian stories to life through
photographs, interviews, videos and archival materials. They focus primarily on diasporic communities in Gaza,
the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. The artists will be documenting stories of families who were
dispossessed in 1948 and map them back to locations inside Israel/Palestine. The work will be incorporated in a
geo-location app, so that those walking through Israel today, can experience on their mobile devices the stories
of those who once lived there. A touring exhibition will also be organised.
In an intimate and forward looking way, the project brings to the fore the voices of a Palestinian diaspora
communities across the globe. The artists will transform source materials such as interviews, photos, videos and
archival materials into thematic projects that are personal yet have a deeper meaning, generating original
content that enables the audience to (re-)imagine the broader context of the Palestinian displacement of 1948.
The app does not aim so much at reconstructing the past but rather seeks to incorporate stories, anecdotes,
narratives and lives of present day realities of Palestinians from around the world.
Palestinian diaspora communities are presented not just as refugees, but as people who have had to find many
different and complex ways to cope with their wanderings, integrate into new societies, preserve their
memories, sustain their struggle, and define a modern political identity all the while accepting the indefinite
nature of their dispossession and displacement. For the rest of the world, this narrative is largely unseen,
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drowned out and diminished by the daily political violence of the contemporary occupation. The project allows
for storytelling inside of Israel on a subject that is taboo, creating a tool that confronts Israelis with a history
they wish to forget. The intimate form of storytelling aims at provoking a wider acceptance of that history, and a
willingness to see, and hear about the lives of a new generation of Palestinians.
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Along the silver tracks in Turkmenistan
Who: Farid Tuhbatullin, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR)
What: A digital catalogue with Turkmeni silver jewellry
Where: Turkmenistan and diaspora
When: May 2015 – May 2016
Amount: €15,100
Along the silver tracks in Turkmenistan aims to highlight the available documentation of silver jewellry, an
important part of Turkmen cultural heritage, through a digital catalogue. Originally housed in the Ashgabat
National Museum of Fine Arts, these silver items have been dispersed across the country, with many of them
stolen or disappeared due to negligence. The Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights is a diaspora-based
organisation (in exile for safety and security reasons) that through this project aims at reaching people within
Turkmenistan and distributing the digital catalogue on USB sticks, with an aim to encourage sharing and copying.
Along the silver tracks in Turkmenistan will prepare an online photo-album about the rich and diverse heritage of
Turkmen silver jewelry from 18th and 19th centuries and publish it in English, Russian and Turkmen.
Turkmen silver jewelry has a long history and it is one of the most important segments of Turkmen culture.
Several tribal groups live across the regions in Turkmenistan and each have their own distinct styles and versions
of silver jewellry. The project will allow the current generations of Turkmeni people to study and get in touch
with their own cultural heritage.
The project develops new means of communicating artistic production in a country that remains one of the
world’s most repressive countries. It is virtually closed to independent scrutiny, media and religious freedoms
are subject to draconian restrictions, and human rights defenders and other activists face the constant threat of
government reprisal. It is at the moment practically impossible to support cultural activity inside the country
without the interference of the government. This intervention from the diaspora in the country will contribute
to public awareness and highlight the richness of the cultural heritage of Turkmenistan. It also seeks to provide a
nuanced picture of the country, which is mostly known for its devastating human rights situation.
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Ambassadors of Yemen
Who: Amira Al-Sharif
What: Documentary photography project around 6 young change makers
Where: Yemen
When: August 2015 - August 2016
Amount: € 13.450
“Ambassadors of Yemen” is a project that aims at instigating hope in the future of Yemen. Photographer Amira
Al-Sharif wishes to portray six “Young Change Makers”: leaders in their communities, passionate about the
social and cultural wellbeing of their communities and positive development in Yemen. Amira Al-Sharif will
organize interactive talks about the project in Socotra and Hodeida University, reaching about 50 students. She
will also explore the possibility to organise talks in public café in Sana’a, and present the photographs in a small
photography exhibition in Yemen on International Youth Day (12 August 2016). This project is envisioned as the
first part of what could grow into a long-term initiative in which the applicant interviews and photographs a total
of 30 leaders across Yemen, working in areas important for the country’s positive development.
Amira Al-Sharif was born in 1986 in Saudi Arabia and raised in Yemen. She works as a freelance photojournalist
for English newspapers and magazines in Yemen and abroad. In this project, she wants to photograph the daily
life of these individuals, and interview them about their thoughts of living in Yemen today and about their
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personal vision of Yemen in the future. She is interested in documenting individuals from all walks of life and
based in all the country’s governorates. She will focus on achievements in a number of social areas such as
education, freedom from discrimination and prosecution, access to nutritious food and drinkable water, gender
equality, social security policies, or protection of natural resources and use of reliable energy. Stories from these
young change makers will inspire the Yemeni community and give hopes and energy towards positive social
development.
In Yemen, war is continuing to destroy the country and people are left with little hope for a better future for
their country. Photographer Amira Al-Sharif, says she is inspired by the story of two young comedians whose
stand-up comedy show, which focused on spreading hope and resistance to the war and of which they said “If
you do not die from the war die from laugh”, attracted more than seven times the audience they expected.
With this in mind, Amira aims to document the daily lives, motivations and future visions of “Young Change
Makers” and share these with young audiences in the country. These stories can also inspire audiences outside
of Yemen, as they question the usual narrative about the country.
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Bamiyan, the story of change!
Who: 3rd Eye Film and Photojournalism Centre
What: Photobook, photo exhibition, photo festival and a multimedia cultural event
Where: Kabul, Afghanistan
When: February 2015 - February 2016
Amount: € 20.000
The project ‘Bamiyan the story of change!’ aims to document and showcase, through photography, the
transitions in the region over the past 10 years in relation to the cultural heritage of Bamiyan’s people. The 3 rd
Eye Film and Photojournalism Centre from Kabul will collaborate with photographers and partners to produce a
high-quality photography book and a photo exhibition. They will interview and photograph people from
Bamiyan’s community to communicate their stories and their relations with their cultural heritage.
The area of Bamiyan holds rich artistic and architectural remains, containing numerous Buddhist monastic
ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The photographs will portray the
historical traditions and heritage of communities within the province. By transmitting people’s hopes and
dreams, hardship and survival, conceptions of family and community, the project will highlight the richness of
lifestyles of Hazara people, and the pictorial history of rich heritage that may be lost in decline. The copies of the
book will be distributed among the people of Bamiyan as well as Afghan officials, international organizations
which have been involved in development in Bamiyan, universities and research organizations. The book will be a
tool for policymakers and other interested parties to think about the development in Bamiyan in dialogue with
local population. The combination of high quality pictures, documentation and storytelling will convey the
message.
Afghanistan has experienced conflict for more than three decades. While some areas in the north and centre
are relatively stable, the situation in the southern and south‐eastern provinces is still extremely precarious. After
the capitulation of the Taliban, Bamiyan has seen its neighbourhood transformed. Bamiyan was the focus of
attention of many archaeologists, international humanitarian organisations and the UN, which over-flooded the
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province. Inhabitants have had no words in the changes happening to the region. The project wants to shed light
on local population’s opinion and thought about these processes of changes and will advocate for the local
people to preserve their own heritage. The project will highlight the stories of post-conflict transitions and how
these relate to cultural heritage.
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Cinema Club
Who: Voice Foundation for Development
What: Displaying 42 films on a weekly basis at a Cinema, followed by a seminar and a book publication on the
screenings and discussions
Where: Republic of Yemen
When: July 2015 – July 2016
Amount: € 11.000
The NGO Voice Foundation for Development will implement the project “Cinema Club”, consisting of weekly
screenings of Arab and International movies for the public in a cinema house in Sana’a, followed by a seminar for
open dialogue after each screening. Selected films will touch upon humanitarian principles, anti-racism, cultural
matters, human rights, expression and equality. The project aims to revive cinema in Yemen, and to encourage
public discussions and opportunities for positive and innovative thinking. Publications about these discussions will
be distributed to a wider audience, maintaining a long-term sustainability for the ideas behind the project, with
the intention to influence decision-makers on the promotion of arts and cultural activities in Yemen.
The Voice Foundation for Development (founded in 2010) seeks to raise awareness of the importance of the
role of culture in building the civil identity of Yemen and to stimulate cultural and artistic activity. They aim to
mobilize the local community, stimulating youth in particular, hoping for them to gradually demand more cultural
activities. In this purpose, the cinema space will also serve as an artistic café, showcasing artistic, literary and
musical work. Because women were not allowed to go to the cinema in the past and because Yemen is one of
the worst countries in the world in terms of the gender disparity, women and youth will be stimulated to
actively participate in this project. For both groups a special programme is set up with films and discussions on
issues that relate to them. It will be a cultural hub that stimulates free expression in a country that has been
forced into a cultural vacuum and that is now dominated by conflict.
Given the current wave of transition and conflict in Yemen there is, now more than ever, a need for a space for
open discussion and for countering hard-line religious and radical political thinking. Cultural activities have been
limited substantively and freedom of speech in the media has been suppressed by tight government regulations.
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The 50s and 60s in Yemen saw a golden age for cinema. Yemen was the first country to have an open air cinema
in the Gulf, it showed movies that were censored in other Arab countries, and celebrated international figures
of cinema. In the years after that period however political conflict and conservatism led to the gradual shutting
down of almost all cinemas and ultimately, only three cinemas were left. Yemeni filmmaking is however gradually
regaining popularity and this project aims to make an important step to revive the Yemeni cinema culture.
Cinema Club project will allow creating a platform for open discussion in Yemeni society, openly addressing
relevant issues to the country’s situation such as gender disparity and freedom of expression.
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Family Ti-Jean
Who: Masrah Ensemble
What: A theatre project engaging Syrian and Palestinian refugees who perform alongside actors and musicians
Where: Beirut and other towns and cities in Lebanon
When: October 2015 - May 2016
Amount: € 15.000
The theatre company Masrah Ensemble produces a double-bill theatre project, Family Ti-Jean (FTJ), involving
Syrian and Palestinian refugees as participants together with professional actors and musicians. Pre-teen Syrian
and Palestinian refugees and migrant workers living in and around Beirut are targeted. They will perform in
Arabic, English, and French. The play will tour across Lebanon in theatres and open public spaces, aiming to
intermingle theatregoers but also to reach audience less interested in theatre from every spectrum and age in
society.
The plays, Family Stories (1998) by Biljana Srbljanovic and Ti-Jean and His Brothers (1958) by Derek Walcott,
together convey tangled narratives about the postcolonial experience and traumatic aftermath of warfare. By
reflecting and experimenting around these topics, the involved refugees and other immigrants get a chance to
connect with each other and keep up their morale by being involved, learning and creating. In encouraging links
between Syrian migrant workers and other migrants in an informal way, the project tries to avoid polarisation
between communities and foster understanding.
After 2011 and the civil war broke out in Syria, the impact of refugees entering Lebanon has permeated into all
areas of its society. In June 2015, UNHCR has registered over 1.1 million Syrians in Lebanon, representing the
world’s highest per capita concentration of refugees compared to its population. It is an influx that is placing
significant strain on existing resources and host communities. Apart from the Syrians refugees some 450,000
Palestinian refugees are registered in Lebanon, with many living in refugee camps. The country is experiencing
extremely difficult social conditions: the security situation in Lebanon deteriorated since 2014 and democratic
institutions faltered as the parliament failed to elect a president. In this context, the lack of communication and
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understanding between Syrian migrant workers and other migrant workers is leading to tension between
communities, risking polarisation and dehumanization. The project tries to bring a modest but positive
contribution to alleviate this situation.
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Impossible Theatre
Who: Anas Abdul Samad Ajil on behalf of Impossible theatre group
What: Theatre workshops in non-spoken language and a performance
Where: Baghdad, Iraq, northern Iraq, southern Iraq Babylon, Basra, Kirkuk, Fallujah
When: 15 July 2015
Amount: €18,000
The Impossible theatre group will set up theater workshops in 5 cities in Iraq with participants from all
spectrums of the Iraqi people (43 per city, Christians, Sabi, Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites). The technique used in the
workshops is physical theater and non-verbal expression. After the initial local workshops, a number of selected
trainees will be invited to Baghdad with the objective of creating a performance. The latter will then tour in
areas of sectarian conflict, notably the cities of Fallujah, Basra, and Kirkuk.
Trainees will be chosen from displaced people who often have lived in difficult circumstances. In the workshops,
these selected trainees from different areas of Iraq and spectrums of society will work together on a common
theatrical language. By experimenting physical theater, they will create a new shared language (non-spoken)
which speaks to each and everyone in the Iraqi society and tries to build up peaceful coexistence. The project
attempts to reach out to disadvantaged people and teach them ways to use their creativity, and new ways of
expressing themselves.
Iraq has suffered years of violent conflict since the US-British invasion of Iraq in 2003, with different groups
competing for power. Most recently in 2014, the battle for the establishment of an Islamic State in Northern
Iraq and Syria is tearing the country apart. In Baghdad, life seems to be going on as usual, according to the
people who live and work there, but the threat is obvious. The project is a brave attempt to make a difference
and build peaceful dialogue and creative empowerment in the middle of this violence and threat.
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Jinan: A Garden for All
Who: Merve Bedir
What: Communal space run by Syrian refugees
Where: Gaziantep, Turkey
When: April 2015 - February 2016
Amount: €12,500
Jinan: A Garden for All is a project developed by refugees, artists and architects. Located in Gaziantep, the project
creates a communal space that consists of a garden, kitchen and a restaurant that is run by urban Syrian
refugees. In addition, Jinan: A Garden for All will produce a newspaper in the three languages and three workshops
on Immigrant and refugee initiatives, with an aim gradual growth of the target population
The project aims to create socio-economic value for these people in addition to a sense of belonging and
encourages social participation through a garden that also contributes to their daily nourishment. Jinan: A Garden
for All engages both Syrian and Turkish participants to work on a communal space to make it productive,
reinforcing human relations and providing food for Syrian refugees in Turkey and local inhabitants of Gaziantep.
Creating a garden that contributes to the shaping of the physical and social space of a community threatened by
war, the process of growing crops and the preparation of food is an effective way to enclose human relations
and rehabilitates the environment shared by both (Turkish and Syrian).
The project uses an innovative approach to architecture in rebuilding a city’s space in a tense context. The
Syrian civil war has brought 1.6 million Syrian refugees to Turkey since 2011. This has raised several questions
on citizenship, belonging and host/guest relationships. Syrian refugees are particularly subject to xenophobic
expressions and exclusion in Turkey. By bringing together the two groups of people that have historically and
geographically been close, the project aims to develop a positive attitude and image of Syrian refugees. It also
seeks to create a space of freedom and cultural sharing for the participants.
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Living Arts in Post-Conflict Contexts
Who: Cambodian Living Arts
What: A three-day workshop for international artists and thinkers in the fields of youth resilience, cultural
renewal and development to meet together with Cambodian local artists and arts leaders
Where: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
When: February 2015 – December 2015
Amount: € 21.950
The organisation Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) will set up a workshop on the theme of youth resilience, cultural
renewal and development. Participants will include Cambodian local artists and arts leaders together with
international artists and thinkers. The workshop will take place for the first time in Phnom Penh, in November
2015. Participants will take part in three days of plenary discussions, seminars, and participatory activities. The
agenda will address the practices and impact the arts and culture have on transforming post-conflict societies
through cultivating cultural identity, preserving heritage, and expanding creative industries in contemporary
society.
The outcome of the workshop will be an international framework and network for a sustainable and progressive
approaches to transforming pre- and post-conflict societies through the arts and cultural development. By
organizing this workshop, CLA is aiming to drive international attention towards the role that the arts play in
rebuilding societies in post-conflict context by sharing its experience in Cambodia and opening the dialogue with
similar organizations and global players. The international scope of this workshop is a unique opportunity for
cultural initiators from around the world to meet, discuss and share knowledge.
Living Arts in Post-Conflict Contexts is the final event in a series called Acts of Memory, which will take place in
Phnom Penh (Cambodia) during the remembering of the 40th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh, the
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beginning of the Khmer Rouge genocide and its impact on the arts and society. The disastrous Pol Pot regime
that lead to roughly 2 million citizens perishing, with intellectuals and artists being one of the targeted group.
With its rich cultural heritage that relied almost exclusively on oral transmissions, Cambodia’s culture was
pushed to the brink of extinction. In the years since, scholars and preservationists have struggled to restore and
preserve what was lost and place Cambodia back onto the global stage as an international centre of arts and
culture. Cambodia is at a tipping point, with 60% of its population under 25 years old. These young people are
the first post-genocide generation; those who did not live through the Khmer Rouge but who will decide the
course of the country’s future. It is now that younger generations can be invited to understand the importance
of their cultural heritage, participate in the field of arts, and use their capacity to become cultural innovators.
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Past Preserved
Who: Samar Hazboun
What: Creating photographs of a reconstructed part of the homes that Syrian refugees remember
Where: Zaatari Camp, Jordan
When: April 2015 – December 2015
Amount: €15,000
Photo by Samar Hazboun
Samar Hazboun is a documentary photographer and visual artist with a project that aims to give back a tangible
memory of the lost homes of 24 displaced Syrian families residing in the Zaatari camp in the form of
photographs. Hazboun plans to work with each of the families to reconstruct a favourite corner of their former
homes and have the families recreate a typical family scene with the reconstructed corner serving as the
backdrop. Furniture will be drawn and cut by the refugees in order to engage them in the process as much as
possible. Once the scene has been set, a family portrait will be taken of them in their built up corner. This
photograph will serve as a reminder of what their house in Syria looked like. The photographs will be physically
reproduced as an exhibition series and compiled into a digital photo-story distributed online.
Engaging the refugees in the process of building the studio scene might allow them to deal with emotions and
feelings they have set aside since leaving home. As the civil war in Syria enters the fifth year, the residents of the
Zaatari Camp have dwindling hope of returning to the homes they were forced to abandon. Riots, harsh living
conditions, overpopulation, fires, and supply concerns are now the daily lives of Zaatari residents. The creative
process in the reconstruction exercise may be a way to reduce tension and to open up positive remembering.
The material outcome has the potential to serve as symbols of hope for other refugees in the Zaatari Camp and
a part of familial heritage for future generations. Indeed, the photographic material will be available to be passed
on from refugees who were forced to flee Syria onto younger generations who might not have had the chance
to see Syria or return to it.
The Past Preserved project is a means of expressing to the world the hardship and loss residents of the Zaatari
Camp have endured, and to communicate what they lost. It is also a reminder that there is hope of “home” in
the future. The photos will serve as a reminder to what Syrian homes looked like before the country's
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devastating civil war started. The products serve in a documentary and educational function for the general
public, as this situation is one that has captured the attention of the world.
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Shoton Festival, Tibetan Opera in Dharamshala
Who: Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
What: The 20th Shoton Opera Festival in exile which celebrates the tradition of Tibetan opera
Where: Dharamsala, India
When: March 2015 – April 2015
Amount: €17,000
The Shoton Festival celebrates the centuries old tradition of Tibetan opera (Lhamo). For the 20th edition of the
Shoton Festival, 350 Tibetan artists from India and Nepal will perform and continue to keep musical theatre and
Tibetan culture alive. The opera brings moving stories about human life, struggle, love and compassion. Tibetan
Institute of Performing Arts started the Shoton Festival to promote, preserve and especially improve the culture
of folk opera in as many Tibetan settlements in India and Nepal as possible.
Revived after the Chinese occupation’s ban on opera, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts encouraged
handfuls of surviving artists in exile to come forward and teach the new Tibetan generation this ancient
theatrical art that was disappearing. The tradition of performing Ache Lhamo, whose nearest semblance in
western notion would be Opera, was started in the 14th Century in southern Tibet. Opera plays a very
important part in the life of Tibetan people; for centuries, the performances have provided not just
entertainment but have also educated people on various social, religious and political issues, providing inspiration
for generations of Tibetans. The festival brings together experienced opera artists and amateurs to collaborate,
with an intention to stimulate opera within all generations who in the process learn from each other. In this way
the opera tradition is kept alive and at the same time the opera even influences contemporary Tibetan music.
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts have aimed to preserve traditional performing arts in exile under difficult
circumstances, including the fact of being in exile and the extreme forms of censorship or change brought about
by Chinese rule. The festival, which is attended by thousands of people, has a positive impact on this community
of which many are living in exile and need their traditions and culture to bring them together and make them
stronger.
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The A to Z of Conflict
Who: Raking Leaves
What: A collaborative book project around the notion of conflict
Where: Sri Lanka
When: July 2015 – June 2016
Amount: € 15.550
The A to Z of Conflict is an international collaborative book project, involving nine Sri Lankan artists of varying
ethnic identities and religious backgrounds, who work together to reflect on the subject of conflict as it relates
to the three major languages spoken in Sri Lanka - Sinhala, English and Tamil. This contemporary art project
takes the form of a children’s alphabet book involving works created with dry pastel, pen and ink, documentary
and conceptual photography, miniature painting, the graphic novel and collage. In the artistic alphabet book, each
letter from each of the three alphabets is accompanied by a word and an image. The book will be presented at
several international events.
Dedicated to curatorial publishing, the organisation Raking Leaves was founded in 2008 in Sri Lanka. Through
the project The A to Z of Conflict, it offers an opportunity to re-examine the history of the country’s political,
social and cultural conflicts through the diverse cultural expressions of the 3 languages that form the core of Sri
Lankan identity. By providing an alternative platform for presenting critically minded artwork in a country where
instability and uncertainty continues to exist, the implementing organisation and participating artists contribute
to free dialogue and positive change. The book-form in which this project is presented is innovative and has
some advantages in comparison to a regular exhibition: it is portable, travels easier and the costs are relatively
lower than those of an exhibition in a more traditional form. The A to Z of Conflict has the potential to reach a
large number of people, and to contribute to a new perspective and approach of presenting contemporary art.
This project surfaces at a critical point of reflection in Sri Lanka’s history: 5 years after the end of its civil war.
Within the context of Sri Lankan politics and culture, language has been a driving force behind the intercultural
conflicts that embroiled the country in war. With its innovative approach, the project may inspire other Sri
Lankan artists and curators to focus their work on all three languages. The project may contribute to a change
in viewpoint on the subject of conflict and language in Sri Lanka and elsewhere and also highlight the potential of
contemporary art to contribute to this and other socio-political discussions.
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The Outpost
Who: The Outpost
What: A special edition of The Outpost focusing on the themes “Home” and “Arab Identity”
Where: Beirut, Lebanon
When: December 2015
Amount: €24,327
Last two editions of The Outpost magazine: “The Possibility of Rewriting Our Story”(left) and “The Possibilty of Warming Our Hearts” (right)
The Outpost, a magazine documenting the socio-cultural situation in the Arab World, will publish a special issue
with a focus on the themes “Home” and “Arab Identity”. This special issue will serve as a platform to explore
the ideas that artists, academics and the readers of the magazine have regarding questions like: “Where is
home?” and “What is Arabness?”. The conceptual and editorial backbone of the issue is constituted through the
creation of two main activities. The first activity is an “Offline-Intervention” that consists of sending a
questionnaire to a group of Arab artists, academics and other active players in the cultural sector to get them to
think about and submit their own artistic, intellectual or creative interpretations around these two themes.
These artists and academics would be reached through the network of collaborators of The Outpost. The
second activity is an “Online-Interaction” where the readers can share their thoughts and discuss the content of
the magazine. This campaign will be launched via the existing website of The Outpost.
The project wants to open a space for artistic and cultural expression by exploring and exposing different ways
of envisioning “home” for the Arabs. This topic is of social relevance mainly because refugees, displacement,
exile and fight for the land are urgent socio-political realities in Middle East today. The expected impact of the
project is to increase cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary exchange between the participating artists, academics
and readers; contribute to a discussion on how culture can play a crucial role in redefining the region, how to
think what it means to be Arab, what is the future of the region and the importance of “home” in the definition
of Arab identity.
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Regions that make up the Arab World are increasingly marked by extremism, polarization and violence. Bringing
together Arab artists and cultural practitioners is crucial to advance critical dialogue. This initiative reflects on
the entrepreneurial drive of new generations of Arabs willing to speak and take social responsibly for the
progress of their region.
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What Syrians Want
Who: Omar Imam
What: Photography project based on research and interviews with Syrians from different affiliations (e.g., proregime & rebels, jihadi & peaceful...etc.) about their vision of themselves, the others, and the future of Syria.
Where: Beirut and West Bekaa, Lebanon, and Istanbul, Turkey
When: April 2015 - February 2016
Amount: €20,900
Photos by Omar Iman
Omar Imam, photographer and initiator of the project What Syrians Want aims at giving voice to marginalized
groups by using photography and film to document absurdities in the Syrian conflict. His imaginative photographs
are accompanied by reflective captions that show a sarcastic perspective to social injustice, gender inequality and
armed conflict in Syria. A photobook will include the photographs and interviews from the participants in order
to challenge old established stereotypes, partial discourses and the mass media speech. Two exhibitions will be
created in Turkey and Lebanon and a website will serve as a platform for the public to interact with the pictures,
while newsprint will be distributed in conflict areas in Syria and on the borders.
The project “What Syrians Want” aims to mediate and facilitate a dialogue between opposing parties in the
Syrian civil war: pro-regime groups and rebels, illegal immigrants and anti-illegal immigration police, Shabiha
militia in support of the Ba'ath Party government and Free Syrian Army members, Peaceful activists and Jihadists,
and refugees and citizen. “What Syrians Want” aims to show the position of those actively involved in Syria's
conflict. Imam uses his photographic work to show shared ideas about Syria's political and social future. Engaging
the population of Syria and the diaspora in Lebanon and Turkey, he asks them to imagine their post-conflict
future.
With the difficulties of moving around the Syrian territories and the dangers of approaching members from
armed groups, this project proposes an innovative approach that is not easy to undertake. Omar Imam is
proposing a critical angle with a surrealist aesthetic, sometimes humorous, that offers to the viewer a refreshing
perspective of the conflict, perspective that confronts the dissemination of war photographs in the media that
just "show" instead of "reflect". The project will provide a space for discourse by juxtaposing and reflecting on
stereotypical images of the conflict in Syria.
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Witness to Paradise
Who: Sanjay Kak, Octave Communications pvt ltd
What: A book of the photographic work and the biographies of10 photographers in Kashmir
Where: Srinagar, Kashmir and New Delhi, India
When: March 2015 – March 2016
Amount: €17,800
“Witness to Paradise” is a project that aims to create a book from the work of a group of 10 photo-journalists
in Kashmir. This book wants to serve as a valuable testimony to the volatile and troubled history of the region.
The book will consist of extensive interviews that will be included as a biographical section, followed by a
carefully chosen set of images taken from the photographers’ portfolios.
Through twenty-five years of endemic conflict Kashmir has seen the rise of a distinct practice in photography.
This photobook offers a platform to materially consolidate, disseminate and make available for further research,
the work of 10 photojournalists. It works as an archive of cultural production and artistic material that has not
been considered beyond its journalist side. The project will be adding a new mode of seeing and talking about
Kashmir, a region usually solely seen through political eyes or in its religious character. The idea of bringing back
to the public scene photographs that were first published in the media, and appreciating their aesthetic value as
patrimony of Kashmir has the potential to trigger new interpretations about a culture that has been brutally
polarized.
The territory of Jammu and Kashmir, administered by India, is one of the most severe zones of conflict and
repression in the world today, and yet is in many ways under reported. The photojournalists will act as
facilitator for dialogue in this region, by creating a photography book presenting the conflict and its effects on
daily life from multiple local perspectives.
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Europe
Faces of Belarus
Who: Dmitry Savelau
What: An exhibition space for Belarusian artists and a virtual interactive space for visitors
Where: Exhibition in Warsaw, Poland.
When: April 2015 - March 2016
Amount: €21,300
Faces of Belarus gives a voice to local Belarusian artists and photographers to share stories from around and
within Belorussia. Five Belarusian photographers and video artists will be commissioned to create a series of
photographs and visual installations about the personal relation to the past, present and future, as well as the
concept of “change” in contemporary Belarusian society. The Belarusian’s artists work will then be promoted
within Belarus and beyond through an online platform and a series of exhibitions potentially organized in Poland.
The project Faces of Belarus aims to explore the ongoing social difficulties in Belarus and the impact on
Belarusian society of the 20 year-old regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko. By documenting stories from Belarusians
and sharing them through an interactive website, the project aims at setting up an advocacy platform to create
awareness and encourage alternative thinking about social issues. The project aims at mobilising Belarusians on
issues as freedom of expression and encouraging active citizenship. The series of exhibitions in Warsaw will
allow to reach out an international audience, but primarily aims at reaching the important Belarusian community
living there. By showcasing their work, the artists will foster the link between activists in Belarus and the
diaspora in Poland and strengthen the Belarusian artistic community.
Belarus has one of the world´s most repressive regimes. Many political activists and human rights workers have
been detained and indefinitely held in prison. As it is not possible to hold the event in Belarus for security
reasons, holding the event in Warsaw will allow creating spaces of dialogue within Belarusian community. In the
context of the authoritarian regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko, there is an urgent need for independent media
and discussion.
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Connector – Connecting and Empowering Young Balkan Artists
Who: art∡ngle - Balkans | Culture | Development
What: Creation of tangible instruments for support of young artists
Where: Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
When: April 2015 – September 2016
Amount: €24,600
Connector seeks to develop tools for non-formal education and mentorship programme for young artists in
Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After consultation and research with relevant stakeholders in both
countries, the organization Art∡ngle will set up a mentorship programme consisting in three workshops focused
on the co-creation of artistic projects and engaging audiences towards their work. With an important part
dedicated to usage of digital technology, social media and online platform, the project brings a non-traditional
approach to artistic education. Through delivery of professional development programme and collaborative
projects to 80 young artists, Connector will strengthen their professional capacities and establish a solid
network of peers. The project also includes a conceptualisation of a new Fund for Young Artists.
After the consultation process with relevant stakeholders to identify the needs of young artists, the project will
increase communication and collaboration between artists, identify and bridge gaps in the existing education
system, and seek to elevate the importance of art in shaping society. Connector aims to identify change-makers
among young artists who could continue the initiated processes after the formal project ends. Young artists will
gain tools that will on one side support their career, and on the other their engagement in socially relevant
initiatives at a community level. Communities and countries will benefit from increased artistic offer and
motivated groups that are capable of driving the changes at local level.
Connector aims at creating means of support and education for emerging artists, in hope of overcoming the
challenges faced by emerging artists in the Balkans. Arts and culture have been marginalized in policy agendas
and many young artists in the region are unprepared for professional life. Connector will be an opportunity for
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increased collaboration between artistic communities that would have otherwise not been possible, often due to
political barriers. Kosovo is not recognized by Bosnia and Herzegovina and this impedes extensive mobility and
cultural exchange. Through artistic collaboration, this project opens alternative channels of communication and
improves the mobility of ideas and creativity between the two countries. A new way of communication that is
not restricted by geography would likely enhance and encourage artistic expression and social discourse.
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Sevdah, the art of freedom
Who: FOTON, Association for advancement of audio-visual arts
What: Multi-media exhibition project on the traditional music genre of Sevdah
Where: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
When: April – December 2015
Amount: €23,000
The project Sevdah – the art of freedom will consist of an exhibition that portrays the “freedom-seeking”
character of the traditional art of Sevdah, a traditional genre of folk music from Bosnia and Herzegovina. A
multidisciplinary group of contemporary Sevdah artists are collaborating to build on prior research and create a
multi-media exhibition together. Historical documents are presented alongside new artistic works, accompanied
by three round table discussions and three lectures to enhance the social dialogue between artists, opinionmakers and students. These events will act as a promotion of Sevdah and hopefully lead to publications about it.
While Sevdah has been increasingly exploited by politics and academia to canonise a conservative and
nationalistic narrative, the project aims at revealing the inclusive character of Sevdah as a vehicle for dialogue
and social change. The group of artists, including one of the most popular contemporary artists in the genre,
Damir Imamović, want to re-inject authenticity into the Sevdah subculture. Based on passionate research,
Imamović's Sevdah demonstrates the absence of gender and social hierarchical stereotypes, thereby opening up
the genre to feminist, activist and LGBT readings. Through this, he has created a liberating approach that
includes all Bosnian-Herzegovinian people and enhances the emancipation of women, Roma, non-Muslims, the
LGBTQ community and Bosnian, ex-Yugoslavian and Balkan diasporas around the world. The exhibition aims at
attracting a wide audience for educational purposes, to stimulate a new consciousness and to provoke a social
dialogue on the meaning of Sevdah for the Bosnian identity.
In the post-conflict society of Bosnia-Herzegovina, exposing the unheard stories of Sevdah will bring social
conversation and new ideas of challenging and liberating practices. By including different perspectives on social
change into this popular music genre, Sevdah – the art of freedom will explore the tradition in a valuable and
meaningful way for the Bosnian society.
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