Photo from the Jury Meeting
The A. M. Qattan Foundation’s Culture and Arts Programme is pleased to announce the shortlisted organisations for the first round of the ‘Visual Arts: A Flourishing Field’ (VAFF) Project Grants, funded by the Consulate General of Sweden represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
Thirty-nine arts and culture organisations, including art collectives and academic institutions active in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, submitted applications in April 2017. The applications were assessed through different evaluation phases, beginning with the formulation of an independent jury composed of artists Suleiman Mansour and Ibrahim Al-Mozayen, writer and critic Adania Shibli, artist and curator Ala Younis, curator and gallerist Samar Martha, and the cultural management consultant Huda Odeh. The jurors reviewed the eligible applications and then discussed their assessments collectively. The jury also conducted explanatory interviews with the representatives of several of the applicant organisations. Thirteen organisations were selected for the initial shortlist. Selection was based on the applicants’ ability to contribute to the achievement of all, or some, of the VAFF’s stated outcomes, such as: enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the organisations, improving the quality of their programmes, and their ability to reach wider audiences.
In the second evaluation phase, the jury assessed the additional information submitted by the organisations. The jury reviewed the results of an administrative and financial capacity assessment conducted by two audit firms contracted by the Foundation. In addition, an independent consultant discussed with the jury their recommendations on the organisations’ sustainability, plans, and their budgeting and programming processes.
This second phase resulted in three organisations from the initial shortlist being excluded. The final shortlist for the VAFF project grants now includes ten organisations, and includes the following organisations and projects:
1. Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem, for their “Promoting Art & Culture in Palestine” programme.
2. Arab Center/Activist, and Eltiqa Group, Gaza, for their “Art Shelter” project.
3. Birzeit University for its “Visual Art Engagement, Development and Capacity Building for BZU and Faculty of Art and Music” project.
4. The General Union of Cultural Centers, Gaza, for its “Contemporary Linkages” project.
5. The Institute for Palestine Studies, Ramallah, and the Dar Jacir Collective, Bethlehem, for the “Dar Yousif Nasri Jacir Art and Research Center”.
6. The Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center, Ramallah, for “Infrastructure as a Cultural Project”.
7. Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation, Al Bireh, for the “R2 (Riwaq Squared)” project.
8. Sakiya Art/Science/Agriculture, Ein Qiniya, for the “Under the Tree II - Agriculture, Private Property and the Production of Knowledge” project.
9. Tamer Institute for Community Education, Ramallah, for their “History of Palestinian Art for Children” project.
10. The Young Artists Forum, Ramallah, for its “Visual Arts School” programme.
VAFF is a $4 million subgranting project to be implemented over a period of 6 years (2017–2022). It aims to enhance the capacities and sustainability of visual arts organisations, develop their artistic and educational programmes, learning and research opportunities, and enable art organisations to extend support to artists and art professionals to produce innovative works and community-based art projects. VAFF was developed through a participatory approach that involved several visual arts institutions and artists in Palestine in order to better identify and address the needs of the visual arts scene through the project.
This Project is funded by the Consulate General of Sweden represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
