New Artists, New Voices

Music Schools

It started as a 5-months pilot in August 2015, then became one of our core programs since March 2016. It is a specialized, methodical and regular, 18-months music study program that includes around 700 hours of teaching per year for each student. The school runs in Beqaa in Lebanon and it started in Amman, Jordan since April 2017.

Film School

The Action for Hope Film School was launched in March 2017, building on the video training workshops Action for Hope has been organizing in Lebanon since 2013, within cultural relief convoys and also as standalone activities.

Storytelling

Action for Hope’s storytelling program began in 2017, building on literacy and creative writing workshops held since 2015 with Syrian women displaced in Bekaa, Lebanon. In 2016–2017, 12 women from refugee communities took part in a creative writing training that led to the publication of the short story collection “A Balcony of Roses.” At the same time, the group also trained in storytelling and acting and later presented the performance “Rouge,” which toured Lebanon in 2018.

Theater Training and Production

Action for Hope’s theater group was formed following a cultural relief convoy to Al-Marj camp in 2013. The group participated in several theater workshops with various trainers to develop acting, performance, and improvisation skills. These workshops led to multiple theater performances presented across Lebanon.

FA’AEL

Fa’ael is a program of work which aims to build the capacity of cultural managers and activists working in difficult conditions and targeting communities in crisis, with a focus on the Arab region.This program has two main components: a training workshop for cultural managers working in communities in crisis across the Arab region, and an in- depth mentorship program for 3-5 of these projects , with additional in-kind support and technical assistance.

ART LIVES

Action for Hope, Ettijahat – Independent Culture / اتجاهات – ثقافة مستقلة and Mophradat launched the Art Lives Initiative, which is an exceptional project to support artistic practitioners residing in the Arab Region. This initiative comes as a quick and flexible response to protect artists and cultural practitioners in the Arab Region whose livelihoods and health have been affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

2019 – 2020:

This project seeks to revive and bring to public attention the diversity of musical practice of Mosul, its surroundings, and of Iraq more generally, most of which originated or are present in the Nineva governorate.

This part of Iraq is home to many religious, cultural and ethnic minorities such as Turkmans, Kurds, Chaldeans, Shabak, Catholic Christians and many more. Each of these minorities have their specific songs and music forms, and even musical instruments which they are associated with. These diverse musical practices are historically connected but are also different from one another. Highlighting and celebrating this richness would contribute to creating social cohesion, as well as to recreating the vitality of the arts scene in Mosul and in Iraq in general.

On the Tracks of Music

“On the Tracks of Music” is a documentation and capacity-building project aimed at preserving the folk music of 11 marginalized communities in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. The project involved field research, musician training, musical performances, video production, and a traveling exhibition. It supported 135 musicians and instrument makers in learning, reviving, and promoting traditional music and instruments, with a focus on self-production and marketing skills.

Awal Bayt

Awal Bayt” (“The First Verse”) is a training and support program for young poets aged 14–24 in the Arab region. The program offers a 30-session online course covering Arabic poetry history, stylistics, and musicality. It supports participants in publishing their work and provides technical and artistic mentorship. At the end of the program, participants can apply for a grant to produce and publish their poetry.

Step Up

“Step Up” is a three-year initiative that supports cultural practitioners in Palestine (Gaza, Jenin, Bethlehem), Lebanon (Bekaa, Saida, Tripoli), and Jordan (Zarqa, Irbid, Al-Hashmi Al-Shamali). It offers training, mentorship, funding, collaboration opportunities, and production support to individuals and organizations in the arts and culture sectors.

Rababa

“Rababa” is a one-year project to revive and promote folk musical heritage in Jordan and Iraq, focusing on seven iconic traditional instruments. The project trains participants from marginalized communities in instrument-making and performance, raises awareness through community sessions, and culminates in a public exhibition, live concerts, and online music videos. It aims to foster cultural identity, skills development, and income generation.