Laboratory of Arts Programme : A Special Edition to Support Artistic Production in Syria

Supported Projects:

Cinema and Animation

Alayham Ali and Amr Alshashou – After Three Years of Green (working title)

A self-reflective documentary exploring life in Damascus, a city worn down by war and neglect, through the contrasting experiences of the film’s two directors and protagonists: Amr and Alayham. One holds on to place and family, while the other prepares to leave. Between the desire to stay and the pursuit of escape, the city and its people transform, until the unexpected fall of the regime changes the course of the entire story.

Lina Sinjab – Barzakh

A feature-length documentary capturing an urgent conversation between filmmaker Lina Sinjab and her friend, renowned Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa, who chose to remain in war-torn Damascus while most of his friends were forced to leave. Sinjab documents his insistence on staying in his city, a city she herself had to abandon, before fate took a tragic turn.

Rama Abdi – House Number Seven

A documentary following the lives of three young Syrian women living together in an old house in Bab Touma, Damascus, where daily life becomes an act of resistance. Torn between the dream of emigration and the longing for belonging, they search for a new meaning of home and life in a city that has lost its children. Through their shared struggle, they turn collective suffering into strength and a hope for a different future.

Visual Arts

Hossam Sirgahyah – Minimisation or External Observer

An interactive visual art project in public spaces across Damascus, consisting of seven small-scale artworks displayed in various public locations, some visible, others hidden and requiring discovery, or seen through a directed viewer. The project questions the role of the media and cultural institutions in amplifying certain issues while marginalising others and seeks to return art to the street as a shared, open space for all.

Kishk Collective – Crossing

A collective photography exhibition that sheds light on the Syrian experience of crossing and transition in a complex time. The exhibition brings together diverse works ranging from photojournalism, documentary photography, and experimental art, weaving together a multi-layered visual narrative. The images are not mere documents–they are windows into moments of change, challenge, and human connection, revealing living memories and stories yet to be told.

Omar Aldeadar – Scent

A visual project using fashion design as a vessel for the stories of people and the land, inspired by the symbols of Syrian nature and the authenticity of traditional crafts. From jasmine to damask rose, from copper to embroidery, the project revives heritage with a contemporary twist, weaving a bridge between past and present. Through this performance, identity is presented as wearable, iconic art pieces.

Creative Writing

Maram Flehan – Beyond Meaning

A literary project that re-examines language and concepts that have lost their meaning after years of war and exile. Through hybrid texts blending letters, monologues, and testimonies, words such as home, homeland, and love are reclaimed and redefined through lived experience. A deeply personal work that seeks to invent an alternative language capable of expressing what has fallen out of dictionaries.

Saeb Kaddourah – Basmati Is Just a Type of Rice

A social-realist novel that delves into the psychological fragility of a generation whose consciousness was shaped amid war, displacement, and collective collapse. Through the story of an ordinary man, the novel delves into the worlds of social anxiety, mistrust, and emotional numbness, revealing psychological crises often misunderstood in a culture that sees suffering as personal weakness rather than a reflection of a deeper collective wound.

Waad Qassim – Mama

A novel portraying the psychological, political, and social transformations experienced by Palestinian refugees in the Yarmouk Camp in Damascus over three generations. Through the story of one family, the novel unravels the struggle of belonging and identity, and the transformation of a collective dream into an existential burden, shedding light on a weary community living its defeat within the long walls of exile.

Performing Arts

Danah Alsayed – Where Do We Stand Now? (working title)

A contemporary movement performance exploring the human need for belonging: its urgencies, motivations, and the losses and the sacrifices it entails. Through body and movement, the performance reflects on consciousness and identity, posing questions about belonging in a time of fragmentation and the search for self.

Mada Suleman – Puppets Weaving Light

A mobile puppet theatre project for children, introducing a diverse performance style that merges traditional and modern puppetry techniques, interwoven with folk songs and stories inspired by children’s experiences. It creates a safe space for expression and recovery, breaking cultural isolation through an aesthetic experience that revives intangible heritage and restores hope.

Majd Fedda – The Picture (working title)

A theatrical performance based on two plays by Polish writer Sławomir Mrożek. The project examines the lingering effects of entrenched authorities on individuals, even after such powers fall or change, their psychological imprint remains. The performance explores how humans remain conditioned by domination, blurring the lines between victim and oppressor, until every individual becomes, in one way or another, a reflection of tyranny.

Music

Amjad Hayek – Contemporary Folk Music

A musical album that aims to revive folk music in a contemporary style by blending traditional rhythms with modern production techniques. The project seeks to reimagine local melodies and lyrics to resonate with the taste of a younger generation without losing their authenticity. It also strives to reconnect audiences with their cultural roots through music that preserves the spirit of place and gives heritage new life in the present.

Suhir Saleh – A Song for the Summer and Winter

An artistic project combining image, music, and memory by transforming personal photographs of real people into stories told through songs and musical narratives. Every picture has a story, and every story has a voice. The album will be released as a digital series resembling an old family photo album, yet contemporary in spirit, alive with music and nostalgia.

Ziad Ammoneh – The Last Journey

A musical album inspired by the experience of departure and longing, blending the Damascene oud with Western music in a sonic dialogue between East and West. The work features compositions and songs that reflect on belonging and loss, inviting listeners to explore the relationship between homeland and exile through a contemplative and human musical journey.

Jury Committees

Cinema and Animation: Nidal Aldibs, Ossama Mohammed, Soudade Kaadan

Visual Arts: Azzah Abou Ribeieh, Nassouh Zaghlouleh, Wadah Salama

Creative Writing: Fadi Azzam, Golan Haji, Rosa Yaseen Hasan

Performing Arts: Hanan Chkir, Mariam Ali, Mudar Alhaggi

Music: Mohamad Osman, Samer Saim Eldhr (Hello Psychaleppo), Waed Bou Hassoun

Jury Statements

The evaluation process was carried out in two phases. The first phase was an individual assessment conducted by committee members from September 12th to October 3rd. The scores were compiled to determine the final assessment, after which the jury convened to select the supported projects during the second phase of the evaluation process. The committees met between October 13 and 17 to select  the artists and collectives to receive the grants.

Below are the main observations and reflections highlighted by the committees during their deliberations:

Cinema and Animation

The jury commended the richness and diversity of the submitted projects and their keen awareness of the transformations shaping Syrian society today. Most of the works presented artistic approaches that combined aesthetics and critical vision, ensuring that the political or social dimension did not overshadow the cinematic value of the works.

The submitted projects reflect a new generation striving to merge fiction and documentary forms, redefining the relationship between reality and imagination, and reasserting cinema’s role as a medium for reflection and questioning. While some variation in artistic maturity was noted among the projects, the committee found that many others were equally deserving of support. However, due to the funding constraints support to only three projects, the committee ultimately selected the most distinctive, solid, and compelling works listed above.

The committee strongly recommends continuing to explore all possible means of supporting projects that did not receive funding this year, recognising the strong potential of the young generation of Syrian filmmakers and their role in revitalising Syrian cinema.

Visual Arts

The submitted projects demonstrated an increased awareness of the local context where artists are working inside Syria. Many focused on the possibilities of sustaining artistic practice and the limits of freedom of expression amid current realities. The projects employed varied approaches to personal expression and to reflecting on Syria’s  contemporary realities from multiple human and social perspectives.

The jury observed a strong presence of photography and oil painting, alongside a notable decline in sculpture and engraving, which require production and technical resources that are difficult to access. It also noted a growing inclination toward collaborative and collective projects, efforts to rebuild bonds among artists and re-engage with communities after years of isolation. The artists’ visions of Syria’s present and future dominated most proposals, reflecting a clear desire to question reality and explore the role of the arts in shaping it. Several projects stood out for their boldness and their ability to develop conceptually and visually sophisticated ideas.

The committee recommends expanding exhibition opportunities for artists and encouraging initiatives that enhance networking and collaboration among them, given the direct impact such efforts have on the vitality and sustainability of the Syrian visual art scene.

Creative Writing

The projects submitted in the Creative Writing category revealed a clear shift in the voice of the new generation of Syrian writers, who are turning toward writing about one’s self, one’s personal and bodily experiences, as an entry point to understanding lived reality and examining the impact of violence and destruction in everyday life. These works reflected an authentic pursuit of personal freedom and an effort to express the new sensitivities shaping contemporary Syrian writing.

Several projects moved away from traditional rhetoric and ornate language in favour of a more spontaneous, experience-based style. Many also leaned toward experimentation across genres and forms, from narrative fiction to hybrid writing and literary journalism, demonstrating intellectual vitality and a desire to break free from conventional moulds.

The committee noted an increasing presence of themes such as individual identity, the body, and social transformation, often infused with irony and deconstruction as tools to challenge the solemnity that has long characterised Syrian literature. Despite the richness and boldness of these themes, the jury found that some projects still need further development in language and narrative structure to ensure this generation’s ability to craft its own distinctive voice and reframe the Syrian story from a new perspective.

Performing Arts 

The jury noted a remarkable awareness among artists of the role of performing arts as a means of expressing and interrogating the Syrian reality. Current events served as a primary source of inspiration for many projects, which addressed themes of violence, isolation, poverty, and moral collapse: direct reflections of the harsh conditions of Syrian society today.

Some proposals stood out for their intellectual boldness and their fresh, unconventional approach to the Syrian theatre scene. Conversely, the jury identified a gap between theoretical frameworks and practical implementation in several projects, where practical implementation mechanisms or visual and performative concepts were not always clearly defined. This indicates the need to strengthen practical experience and develop both the production and creative aspects of their work.

The committee also observed varying levels of self-censorship among the artists, reflecting the influence of current realities on artistic freedom of expression. The jury encourages the development of partnerships and joint productions among artists inside and outside Syria, to foster exchange and broaden collaboration networks. It also highlights the importance of supporting first-time applicants in theatre production, as a way to nurture a new generation of Syrian theatre practitioners.

Music Category

The jury observed a remarkable diversity of artistic approaches and musical styles in the submitted projects, along with the strong presence of a new generation of young artists eager to translate their experiences and emotions into a contemporary musical language. Many proposals carried an experimental and exploratory quality, reflecting this generation’s desire to develop their tools and test new forms of expression within available means.

Many artists drew inspiration from Syrian and Arab folk heritage, reimagining it through dialogue with contemporary Western styles. The jury also noted the young age of many applicants and their desire to confront and express their realities artistically, despite the difficult production conditions and the profound impact of the current context on young people’s creative experiences.

The committee appreciates the applicants’ clear enthusiasm and encourages them to record samples of their projects before applying for support, even initial experimental steps, as this helps clarify the musical vision and makes evaluation easier. The jury invites those who were not selected this year to continue refining their projects and pursuing their artistic paths, as their works show clear potential and depth.