The British Council today announced recipients of the Masarat Grants, to strengthen artistic practice through supporting production, training and/or showcasing activities. We are delighted to announce that four Palestinian organisations and creative teams; Art to Heart- Nablus, Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art- Jerusalem, Fragments Theatre Association- Jenin and Taghreeda Arts Team- Gaza, are among the 21 awarded projects in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Yemen.
The Masarat programme provides grants between 4,000 and 10,000 GBP to support local emerging artists in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Yemen. This grant programme is designed to support creative production and the professional development of emerging artists, creatives and cultural practitioners in the region.
Through Masarat, the British Council aims to strengthen artistic practice in the participating countries. Selected grantees will have the opportunities to build their professional networks and make new connections with the UK and the Arab world. At the British Council we believe in the transformative power of the arts and culture in responding to global challenges. We are positive these connections will allow new art to be made; new skills to be shared; and new networks to be created.
Martin Daltry, Country Director Palestine, said: "At the British Council we believe in the transformative power of the arts and culture to respond to key challenges facing countries and communities. We are also very aware of the immense and multiple difficulties facing artists and the cultural sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territories at this time. Our Masarat programme aims to help Palestinian arts organisations and artists reflect and respond creatively, engaging audiences across the West Bank and Gaza and generating new connections between the UK and Palestine.”
The grantees, a total of 21 projects, reflect a diverse range of organisations and cultural practitioners. Each project was carefully considered and through our selection we sought to support a diverse selection of artists representing a range of art forms across the six countries.
In Palestine, Al Ma’mal organisation in Jerusalem will invite artists, filmmakers, and visual arts professionals, from all over Palestine to participate in the New Creatives exhibition. Art to Heart organisation in Nablus will engage with disabled and non-disabled artists through different interventions including art residencies, intensive training workshops, and an online and face to face art exhibition. While, Taghreeda Arts Team in Gaza will organise a virtual festival to showcase artistic talent and express, discuss and address social issues through online seminars, networking events, performances and discussions. Finally, Fragments Theatre in Jenin will initiate the ‘My Tale’ project, training 10 artists from Jenin in storytelling techniques to build professional storytellers.