Tag Archives: Middle East

Listen to the voices of a feminist revolution in Iran

News,

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini, and in solidarity with the protesters in Iran, a collective of Iranian feminist academic-activists has published yesterday an open letter. In support of the nationwide protests that followed in Iran, the authors called the goal of the uprising of the Iranian people “the end of the theocratic military” which “uses multifaceted violence against the marginalized bodies”.
The Iranian state has set a deadly crackdown on protesters and restricted Iranians’ access to the Internet. The letter has already been signed by hundreds of academics and artists around the globe.  

Source: Radio Zemaneh, Link for signature (Farsi only)

Tel Aviv: Alfa Theatre Fights Against Closure

News, update,

The independent Alfa Theatre in Tel Aviv/Israel is under pressure since many years (See ACAR post 2019). As a small fringe theatre with professional Jewish and Arab actors, working in both languages the Alfa has many times been threatened by governmental authorities as supporter of terrorists.  The Ministry of Culture has now decided to stop any financial support. The theater has already filed a lawsuit against the ministry in 2019 and managed to get the cancellation of the annual subsidy reversed. Since then, Alfa continues to fight against closure and starts now another Court appeal. Avraham Oz, director of the theatre asks for donations for the Court appeals expenses.

Letter of Avram Oz, Professor Emeritus from the University of Haifa and resident director of Alfa Theatre

Artists in Exile – Residency opportunities in UK, Turkey & Jordan

News,

Artists connecting in Transition (ACT) is a new international programme hosted by Culture in Transit (UK), Arthereistanbul (Turkey), MedeArts (Jordan) and the Fanak Fund. ACT is currently looking to select and host artists with lived experience of forced migration, exile or displacement to these countries, who are interested in applying for a residency. The three host organisations are looking to select and host two artists in each residence, open to artists in exile currently based in the partners’ respective countries: UK, Turkey and Jordan.

For eligibility and selection criteria, and to apply, please visit the relevant website of the partners: Culture in Transit, Artheristanbul, MedeArts, Fanak Fund
Deadline: Friday 8 July 2022
Residency timeline: 5 September 2022 until 27 January 2023 (part-time)
Digital launch of art works and local exhibition: February until March 2023 (dates tbc).

 

Report: Learning from the Pandemic

News, Publication, ,

A  report, edited by Pelin Çakır and introduced September 2021 by Martin Roth-Initiative (MRI) and Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Germany, explores risks and restrictions for artistic freedom and mobility beyond the Covid-19 Crisis. By learning from the recent experiences, and particularly from restrictive contexts such as Turkey, Learning from the Pandemic explores how to support artists and maintain spaces of artistic freedom despite these circumstances. The full report is now available in English.

Sources: Full report (English),  Summaries: English, Turkish 

Solidarity with Artists and Scholars from Afghanistan!

News, ,

The eroding situation in Afghanistan poses a threat to the lives of our colleagues in Afghanistan. Performing artists from Afghanistan were active in building up a society based on democracy, freedom, openness,  human and cultural rights in their country. These are not the values of the Taliban, so their lives are now at risk. ITI applies to democratic governments to take immediate action to save Afghanistan’s performing artists and culture activists, especially women and ethnic and religious minorities. Thousands are already sought, have moved into hiding and may soon take the perilous step of looking for a way over land borders to Pakistan or Usbekistan. 

Networks and organisation have startet support initiatives: Scholars at Risk with their relocation programme and an Urgent appeal to European Governments and EU Institutions, The Festival Academy with a collection of solidarity initiatives.  See also the existing programmes for single persons of Artists at Risk and the Martin Roth Initiative.  Right now joint effort is needed from governments and culture institutions to help a very big amount of people to relocate in safe places.  

 

Afghanistan: Comedian Nazar Mohammad Killed

News, Personal Case, ,

The Taliban has admitted to the killing of the famous comic Nazar Mohammad, known as Khasha Zwan, in the country’s southern region. Khasha, who earlier served in the Kandahar police, was picked up by from his home in southern Kandahar and shot dead. A a video, widely shared on social media, showed Khasha getting slapped and abused while he was held by two men in a car. Nazar Mohammad’s body, shot multiple times, was found in Kandahar end of July.

Sources: Human Rights Watch,  Independent , RTA World (Video via Twitter), Aljazeera