Create Syria

Create Syria is a collaboration between Ettijihat Independent Culture, the British Council and International Alert to enhance the expertise of artists and cultural activists located outside of Syria and to empower them to realise their creative projects. The project aims to prevent the drop in artistic production and to provide opportunities for the new generation so that they will be able to develop expertise and links to the preceding generation. It will also strengthen the value of art as a means to combat the challenges of the prevailing Syrian situation in light of the refugee crisis and the growing frustration it brings. The project will allow artists to collaborate with their peers in the countries in which they live and combat the frustrations that refugees face, including stereotyping, thus supporting resilience of refugee communities. In light of the political, economic, and cultural changes that Syria is witnessing, the project seeks to create a long-term support network for Syrian artistic production that strengthens contemporary art practices targeting refugees and communities in crisis. It addresses local audiences in the host countries to which artists and new cultural initiatives have moved.