Twenty New Grants Awarded in the Laboratory of Arts Programme 2021

Ettijahat – Independent Culture is pleased to announce the names of the projects which will be supported as part of the 2021 Laboratory of Arts Programme. In this edition, Ettijahat is supporting twenty projects across five artistic and literary categories, culminating in four feature films; four visual projects including video arts, animation, printing and photography; and four literary projects, including a collection of stories and three novels, to be published in collaboration with Mamdouh Adwan Publishing House. The programme will also support three performances and a play script, three music albums, and a training manual on the Buzuq.

Six of the projects will be implemented in Syria, seven in the Arab world (Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Tunisia), while the remaining seven will be rolled out by artists residing in Germany, France and Austria.

Supported Artists:

Cinema and Animation: Amal Shehab, Raed Zeno, Samer Salameh Abu Qatmeh and Qusay Baz.

Visual Arts: Alaa Hmedy, Rita Adib, Fadi Alassaf and Yassen Shikh Alsagha.

Creative Writing: Rawaa Sunbol, Emad Mustafa, Fatima Alhaji and Yeser Berro

Performing Arts: Rimi Sarmini, Kifah Zaini, Lara Eilo and Muhammad Bitar

Music: Basma Jabr, Rami Aljoundi, Amer Ali and Maria Hasan.

Jury Members:

Cinema and Animation: Amer Shomali (Palestine), Mohammad Shawky Hassan (Egypt) and Hala al Abdullah (Syria).

Visual Arts: Rana Nemr (Egypt), Reem Yassouf (Syria) and Yasser al Safi (Syria).

Creative Writing: Khaled Khalifa (Syria), Raed Wahesh (Syria) and Adania Shibli (Palestine).

Performing Arts: Ahmed al Attar (Egypt), Khaled Bin Gharib (Morocco) and Liwaa Yazji (Syria).

Music: Toufic Farroukh (Lebanon), Dima Orsho (Syria) and Kareem Rustom (Syria).

The project selection process was carried out in two stages. In the second stage, the five jury panels met in August 2021 and selected the projects which will be supported as part of this year’s edition of the programme. In this regard, the jury focused on the following key points:

Cinema and Animation: The jury noted a strong disparity between projects in terms of quality, experience and the size of the movies soliciting support. The jury found it difficult to judge small low-budget movies versus other projects with budgets amounting to half a million dollars. With time, artists started expressing themselves more, weighing in their own perspectives and viewpoints against the ideological burden which overwhelmed artistic production in the early years of the Syrian revolution.

Applicants also tackled the image and the aesthetics of their movies without making any mention of sound, an essential factor in cinema. The jury therefore urged aspiring film-makers to take into account sound as a pillar of their projects. The jury panel also commended applicants who managed to tackle movie projects from an artistic point of view, rather than fall into the “victimization” trap, which any artist experiencing difficult and tumultuous times can be drawn to.

Visual Arts: The jury welcomed the artists’ wonderful efforts to collaborate, forge partnerships and capitalize on each other’s experiences, which helps promote the sharing of expertise and artistic collaboration. The jury had the pleasure to review projects that offered unique and promising ideas, along with serious attempts at innovation. Many projects were considered experimental and employed contemporary art media, even if some seemed a little out of place. Eventually, the jury had to make a difficult decision of choosing between competing projects, where quality and innovation were the decisive factors in the selection process.

The projects followed the lives of artists in Syria and abroad. They showcased extreme sophistication in implementation, along with diversity in the artistic tools and media used, as well as intellectual significance.

Creative Writing: The majority of applications revolved around the events in Syria, particularly war and migration. Authors understandably had the tendency to tell their own stories, given the difficult circumstances they have encountered as human beings. It is difficult to draw a line between literature and storytelling. As such, the jury noted that several projects offered a description of events, without providing an approach that can explain why things turned out as such.

Several projects focused on the daily life of migrants as victims, portraying their displacement as a transition from happiness to misery, contrary to old narratives which have been recently challenged and which showcase migration as a gateway to better circumstances. The jury’s task was by no means easy, given the diversity and richness of the projects in language, style and ideas, sending hope in promising emerging writing talents.

Performing Arts: The jury took into consideration current challenges and difficulties in theatre and performing arts in general, which also took their toll on the assessed projects. Despite these hurdles, the jury was surprised to see such unique ideas and artistic proposals. Projects ranging between writing, dancing and theatre were difficult to evaluate as they involved different approaches and judging criteria. The jury did eventually manage to select the projects which have the most potential in terms of art quality, implementation, innovation and vision. Several project proposals surpassed the boundaries of traditional theatre and offered alternative spaces, perhaps as a swift response to the current circumstances which have taken the arts sector by storm. The jury also welcomed collective initiatives and the partnerships that artists have forged, including authors, directors and actors, among others.

Music: The jury applauded the richness and diversity of assessed projects. It also observed the impact of artists’ place of work and residence on the ideas, type of music, presentation and expression. The jury had trouble choosing from projects which ranged between performance, playing and composition. The jury focused on projects that it believed were cornerstones for unique and promising works. It was also surprising to see that several projects featured the heritage genre or were aimed at archiving and documentation, while others had varying degrees of experimentation and quality. While the jury commends experimentation and cumulation in the evolution of any music genres, it also believes that a scientific and academic background is key in sparing artists the trap of randomness and chaos which can characterize experimental work. The jury calls on young aspiring musicians to build their music career on solid scientific ground and urges them to carry on and accumulate experience as it remains the single most important factor in the success of any music project.

Supported projects are scheduled to be implemented as of mid-September 2021 until the end of September 2022. Ettijahat – Independent Culture announced an open call for applications for artistic and literary projects for two months, where 107 eligible projects competed for support out of a total of 133 applications received.

For more information on the supported projects, please click here.

The Laboratory of Arts Programme will be launched with the generous support of the Ford Foundation, the Goethe Institute, Allianz Foundation and the Dutch Lottery Foundation DOEN, in cooperation with Mamdouh Adwan Publishing House.

The Laboratory of Arts is a programme to support artists and independent cultural entities in their artistic practices, helping them thrive in their current working conditions and circumstances. The programme also seeks to promote different types of artistic and creative expression and to support artists’ ability to produce in the hope of fostering dynamic dialogue and harnessing appreciation for creativity in their work environments. Ever since its launch in 2014, the programme has awarded 114 artistic grants. For more information or for any additional inquiries, please contact us via email on the following address: applications@ettiajaht.org