Programs

South America

Colombia:

In 2005, A.R.T. began working in Colombia.  Currently, Colombia is undergoing one of the largest humanitarian catastrophes in the Western Hemisphere and has the world's second largest internal refugee population. Armed conflict has created displacement throughout Colombia where over four and a half million of its forty-five million inhabitants have become refugees.

A.R.T. is proud to be be working in partnership with Fundacion Education Nuevo Retiro, FENUR, since 2005 in Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia.

Zona Norte, Caratagena

Zona Norte, in Cartagena, Colombia has grown considerably in recent years in response to the growing tourism industry.  It is home to a large Afro-Colombian population of internally displaced and marginalized Colombians and migratory Venezuelans, making it incredibly rich and diverse, yet many of the cultural practices and history of these populations have been lost.

A.R.T., is working to help strengthen, perpetuate, and archive the individual and community identity, culture, and heritage of communities in Tierra Baja and Punta Canoa, Cartagena, Colombia.  Together with the community and local partners, Fundación Educacional Nuevo Retiro, FENUR, Institución Educativa Tierra Baja, Educativa Arroyo de Piedra, Punta Canoa, Universidad Technologica de Bolivar, and the local community town council, A.R.T. has initiated an intergenerational arts program, which engages children, youth, and adults in the local visual, performing, and creative arts.   The school's teachers are leading classes focused on storytelling to strengthen the community’s knowledge of their culture and identity, which will help improve the well-being of the community's mental health.

Manzanilla

We are happy to be working with our partner, Fundacion Serena del Mar, and the coastal community of Manzanillo. In June, the elders of the community recorded their thoughts on the sea, its importance in their lives as well as stories, folklore, and their history with the sea. These stories were then shown to the adults and youth in the community outside by the beach, which was followed by their creation of a beautiful mural painted about these stories.

During the months of September and October, the youth of the community will be telling what is important to them about their culture, what makes them proud to be who they are, and what they value from their culture. These stories, performances, art, etc., will be either written or filmed and in October they will be shared with the community; the elders, adults, and youth.

A.R.T. has focused its programs with refugee communities on enabling the elders to transmit their cultural traditions to the younger generations. For our program in Cartagena, we also saw the importance of empowering the youth by enabling them to share their culture with their community.

Punta Canoa

In 2020 A.R.T. initiated its first program in Punta Canoa, a small Afro-descendant fishing village located about 25 kilometers outside of Cartagena. Interested in preserving the rich and vibrant history of the pueblo, A.R.T. collaborated with community members to better understand cultural traditions and practices within the region. Unfortunately due to COVID-19, the work in the village was paused, but A.R.T. is now working with Fundación Serena del Mar to provide virtual programming. Despite the premature cessation of field work, A.R.T.’s work in Punta Canoa thus far was highlighted as a “Good Practice” on the UN’s Global Refugee Compact website.

Bogotá

For its first program in Colombia, A.R.T. worked with the internally displaced in barrio Tintalito, localidad de Kennedy, Bogotá, Colombia; a refugee community with over 180,000 community members.  In partnership with the Universidad de los Andes, Red de la Solidaridad (Colombia¹s governmental organization responsible for providing food, clothing, medical assistance and other programs for the Country’s displaced population) and Fundación Educacional Nuevo Retiro, A.R.T. implemented a traditional arts program in August 2005.  The University guided students from the Anthropology, Psychology, Literature and Fine Arts departments to help A.R.T. to institute and then administer and evaluate the program; the students earned academic credit for this work.  The program became self-sufficient in June 2008. 

Carmen de Viboral, Antioquia

In April 2007, A.R.T. expanded into Carmen de Viboral, in Antioquia province, a rural community outside Medellin, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, IOM. The following year, A.R.T.’s partners included the local Casa de la Cultura and the Mayor’s Office of El Carmen de Viboral.  The program helps to revive the native ancient art of the creation, production and decoration of ceramics.  In an area with one of Colombia’s highest rates of child soldiers, this after-school program keeps children off the streets and helps keep them from joining or being pressed into service by guerillas, paramilitary or drug lords. A.R.T.’s program in El Carmen serves over 250 children. In 2012, the program became self-sufficient.

El Porvenir, Antioquia

In August 2011, in partnership with the Casa de la Cultura, the mayors office and Fundacion Corona, A.R.T. implemented a new program in the displaced and rural community of El Porvenir. The program, working with 75 children ages 6-18 and 40 adults who are part of this area’s displaced communities, focuses on the techniques of ceramic handicrafts, and is similar to our program in El Carmen de Viboral. This community, also located in Antioqua and near to El Carmen de Viboral, has no electricity or paved roads.  The program became self-sustained in 2012.

Middle East & Africa

West Bank, Palestine

In 2022, A.R.T. implemented programs for Palestinian refugees in partnership with the Ibdaa Cultural Center in the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank.

At the beginning of August, in partnership with the Ibdaa Cultural Center, A.R.T. held a summer camp in the Dheisheh refugee camp, West Bank, Palestine. Both elders and youth participated in workshops, ranging from music, dance, embroidery, yoga, and other cultural activities. The camp was met with overwhelming enthusiasm by all the participants, and they asked that we hold similar programs in the fall as well as a camp during the winter holidays.

In the fall, A.R.T. began programs with the same community engaging the elders and the youth in cultural activities, including, embroidery, storytelling, and psychosocial support as well. A.R.T.’s current program involves 20 women and more than 100 students, girls and boys. The themes include Palestinian Heritage Day, dances, food, songs, tatreez (Palestinian embroidery), training in Arabic calligraphy, storytelling, and many other topics.

Rishon LeZion, Israel

During December, 2018, A.R.T. began an intergenerational arts program to benefit Ethiopian, Moroccan, Yemeni and Russian Jewish refugees/immigrants who have resettled in Israel in partnership with Bakehila. Together with Bakehila, A.R.T. has organized regularly scheduled sessions during which community experts will lead workshops for children and youth in their art forms.   

Amman, Jordan

The horrific war in Syria has displaced over 4.7 million Syrians from their country.  Currently, there are over 650,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan.  In 2016, A.R.T. implemented a program in Amman, Jordan working with these refugees.  We are partnering with Bareeq Education and Development, a local NGO.  The program is housed in Bareeq's community center in Amman, Jordan serving over 150 refugee children.

Cairo, Egypt 

During the fall of 2014, A.R.T. implemented an intergenerational arts program for African refugees in Cairo, Egypt in partnership with St. Andrew's Refugee Services, StARS. This program serves refugees from Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. Adult members of the refugee community are teaching various traditional art forms to the children with classes in beading, percussion and workshops in pottery and textile printing. The program became self-sustained in 2016.

Asia

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

A.R.T. has begun working with Arian Learning Center, ALC, a school and learning center that serves Afghan refugees in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. ALC is holding workshops focusing on the community’s cultural traditions.

A.R.T. is also creating training workshops for the women in the community who make beautiful handicrafts. Many of these refugees will be relocated to Canada; we will be helping them to create products that they can market and sell once they reach Canada. Details to come…….

Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand

“Since the classes started, it has given me energy. The young people are excited about learning. They are eager to participate in these classes.”—Tamo, a Karenni elder and an instructor of Eyro traditional song in A.R.T.'s pilot project at Ban Kwai Refugee Camp, in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand.

In 2003, in partnership with the IRC, A.R.T.’s pilot program selected and trained adults in two Burmese refugee camps in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand, to teach traditional Burmese dances, songs, folklore and music.  A.R.T.’s staff and the elder refugees worked side by side with over 600 youth teaching them to make and play traditional Burmese musical instruments. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from the refugee community, the IRC integrated these activities into its existing programs, and provided the costumes and materials for the musical instruments. A.R.T. returned to the camps in January and February 2004 to expand its program which continues to operate today.  The program is now run exclusively by the refugees and has become self-sustainable.