Art Jameel and British Council announce winners of Rivers: Platform for Culture and Climate

Ramallah - Ma'an - Art Jameel and the British Council today announced the winners of the Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform, which was launched via an open call in October 2023. The programme includes three tiers of grants to support artists, groups and cultural organisations based in the Arab world. The open call attracted proposals from 25 countries, with grants awarded to 19 beneficiaries from 13 countries. Winning projects range from artists working with bird nests in Iraq and pear plants in Lebanon, to major carbon removal initiatives, such as community gardens in Palestine and Morocco and solar lighting in Syria. The grants, worth £311,540 (US$394,528), are divided into three tiers: Tier 1: Seven artists, creative practitioners, collectives or collaboratives in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Iraq and Kuwait, with climate-related projects that raise community awareness. The projects selected cover a wide range of issues including architectural design, environmental degradation, industrial polluti on, climate change, shipwrecks and the future of food. The second level includes seven organizations involved in efforts to reduce carbon emissions and waste through decarbonization strategies and investments in renewable energy infrastructure across North Africa and the Middle East. The third tier includes support for five collaborative projects between artists or cultural organisations from the UK and the MENA region, which aim to develop large-scale artistic responses to the global climate crisis. The projects selected include comprehensive public programme proposals, commissions, publications, film screenings and workshops. The proposed projects were evaluated by jury panels of experienced international practitioners, specialists in climate issues, and those particularly interested in the innovative and creative ways in which the culture sector deals with sustainability issues, and the potential of these projects to engage the public, transform cities and environments, preserve and enhance traditions, and present new ideas and original solutions. The launch of the Anhar programme follows an intensive dialogue between a network of regional arts and environmental practitioners, ahead of the UAE's hosting of COP28. The programme supports new work and community projects by individual practitioners, as well as grassroots cultural organisations that are implementing practical solutions to reduce carbon emissions and waste. Anhar embodies Art Jameel and the British Council's joint commitment to promoting sustainability and environmental awareness by supporting diverse cultural activities that address the interests of the community. 'Anhar: Culture and Climate Platform embodies the British Council's belief and commitment to strengthening the role of the arts in addressing global challenges, most notably climate change. It is a collaborative effort with Art Jameel, demonstrating our commitment to engaging with key regional stakeholders. Through this programme, we aim to shine a light on the climate crisis and sup port arts organisations, collectives and individual artists to engage with communities, like-minded peers and civil society organisations in the region and the UK to address this issue and express different voices and local contexts. Our programmes also aim to encourage and support long-term and mutually beneficial links and collaborations between artists and arts organisations in the region and between the region and the UK. I congratulate the winners and look forward to the outcomes of the projects, enriching experiences, artistic expression, community outreach and further collaboration,' said Amani Abouzeid, Regional Arts Manager at the British Council. 'In collaboration with the British Council and a network of environmentally conscious colleagues, we asked ourselves a key question: what is the role of the arts in addressing the climate crisis? What can we do, specifically from and in our region? The programme harnesses the power of imagination, commitment and ingenuity in the Arab world to support proje cts ranging from innovative artworks to educational initiatives and public events, with practical solutions for long-term decarbonisation,' said Antonia Carver, Director of Art Jameel. 'We congratulate the award winners and look forward to nurturing and following the development of these amazing projects over the next year and beyond.' Source: Maan News Agency