Culture and Arts Programme

During the reporting period (1 April31 December 2017), the Culture and Arts Programme (CAP) implemented a major part of its Annual Plan, which it had developed with a view to achieving targeted results. In this context, the CAP started the implementation of the Visual Arts: A Flourishing Field (VAFF) project. Moving forward with the Culture, Art and Social Engagement (CASE) project, the CAP offered grants to implement activities in new areas. The Programme continued to offer new grants through “Selat: Links through the Arts” and provided support to a variety of culture and art events and productions. The CAP also continued to organise interventions, offer grants, and present awards in its various lines of activity. 

This is a brief overview of the CAP achievements during the reporting period 

 

During the reporting period, the CAP began to implement the VAFF project with funding from the Consulate General of Sweden represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Offering a new experience on several levels, the project concept was developed jointly with a large number of visual art institutions and artists in Palestine. To meet their support needs, the VAFF project offers grants that cover operational and programme expenses of target institutions to ensure continued and sustained operations as well as to improve institutional and administrative structures. Grants contribute to supporting the art scene with high quality art productions and engage wider audiences in the field of art. 

Project proposals varied in their substance. While some mainly targeted young artists and the promotion of opportunities for learning and production, other proposals were meant to design and develop educational and training programmes, develop the working environment, or create new experiences. Among other things, some applicant institutions showed interest in archives. With a view to promoting their chances of sustainability, all projects sought to benefit from these grants in order to develop their institutional, administrative, financial and artistic capacities. Until the time of reporting, five grants in the amount of SEK 8 million (equivalent of $912,000) were approved. 

During the reporting period, the second round of the Culture, Art and Community Participation project was launched. With co-funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project is implemented jointly by the CAP and Educational Research and Development Programme. It is implemented over a renewable period of three years. 

The Culture, Art and Community Participation project aims at empowering local communities to participate more actively in identifying and resolving their own problems through art and cultural interventions. These draw attention to, and inspire a community dialogue about, these problems. 

In the context of this project, the CAP presented three new grants to implement three different projects. These were selected from among 50 projects that had applied for the grants. The CAP engaged in a long process of developing beneficiaries’ projects, whose activities were launched in respective areas: in Hebron by Yes Theatre, in Anata by the Bedouin Silver Tent Association (Jerusalem), and in Gaza by the Hakawi Society for Culture and Arts (Gaza). 

During the reporting period, eight new grants were offered in the context of "Selat: Links through the Arts". A visit was made to explore the prospects for designing and implementing a capacity building programme in performing arts among the Palestinian youth in particular. This activity would be similar to the experience of the Summer School for Performing Arts. 

 

The CAP organised a new round of the Young Writer of the Year Award  (YWYA) and ceremonies to launch publications on the previous round of the YWYA. In partnership with the Goethe Institute, French Consulate General, and FilmLab: Palestine, the CAP organised a new edition of the Ramallah Doc project. A group of Palestinian male and female filmmakers presented their film projects to producers and authorised editors from different countries around the world. A number of producers and editors showed a particular interest in some film projects. 

Additionally, the CAP offered 16 new scholarships to students in the fields of music, performing arts, and cultural management. These included six scholarships in music and another six in cultural management. The other four scholarships were awarded to theatre and dance students to pursue their higher education at institutes and universities around the world. With support from the CAP, in 2017, eight students completed their studies and received BA and MA degrees. Most of these students have worked in their respective areas of expertise, produced their own art projects, and/or participated in a variety of art projects. 

Jointly with its partners, the CAP organised a focused workshop on the development of trailers and another on pitching techniques. Also in collaboration with its partners, the Programme continued to provide a wide range of artist residencies to visual and performing artists. A total of 217 young and dedicated artists, including 66 females, have engaged in new projects, which are currently under follow-up and implementation.