HERE, NOW TOGETHER – SOCIAL ARTS in Iraq

Coordinated by the NGO Walking Arts – Art, Culture & Heritage and the volunteer organisation Associazione Ya Basta Caminantes with the contribution of FAI – Fondation Assistance Internationale

Two-year long project started in January 2020

General Objective

Promoting youth leadership through the valorisation of artistic languages. Freedoms and rights are alive, they can be extended, transformed and re-invented thanks to a variety of artistic languages especially if young people are allowed to create new independent experiences.
Specific Objectives

A) Strengthening and extending the NGO Walking Arts’ framework and its associative network by involving a higher number of artists, girls and boys.

B) Developing professional competences in a variety of artistic fields with the aim of creating innovative employment possibilities.

C) Valorising young Iraqi artists at the international level through visibility and debate-oriented occasions with artists from all over the world.

Activities

* Strengthening of the NGO Walking Arts

Allowing the NGO to stabilise its operativity, to create connections among the different associates and expand participation to start bigger activities in the future.

More specifically:

– activations of an office in Dohuk, another one in Italy and creation of other local focal points.

– management of multimedia communication through the website www.walkingarts.org, social networks (FB, Instagram and YouTube) and through the production of informative materials.

– training for the NGO personnel

– organisation of a Walking Camp, a festival with debates among the associates, moments of sharing concerning future projects with other young artists and young people in a completely free environment, meeting with local and international hosts and public events.

* Professionalisation in the use of artistic languages

Training on the use of different forms of arts as a way to develop new employment and entrepreneurial activities.

Specifically:

– training on musicotherapy and on educational technology for the disabilities through:

– strengthening of professional skills in event-organising

– training on music production

– training on the use and techniques of comics.

* Valorisation at the international level

Extending the visibility of the Iraqi artistic scenario both abroad and at the national level with the organisation of international events.

More in the detail:

– production of a new CD Walking Sounds #2

– realisation of Walking Sounds Tour #3, third tournée of Mshakht musicians in Italy

– different comic-books publications

– organisation of the first International Comics Festival in Iraq in Sulaymaniyah at the Tobacco Factory.

The project acts in synergy with two other projects: “ARTE PER IL SOCIALE” with the contribution of the cosmetics company Lush Italia and “ARTE PER IL SOCIALE” with the contribution of CCFD – Terre Solidaire.