Brief description



    What is the Heritage of Damascus?

    The cultural program of the 'Heart of Damascus' Association consists in organizing a series of meetings based on the Mediterranean culture shared between Damascus, Istanbul, Barcelona and Montpellier. Encounters and exchanges will take place in the coming years between Syrian, Turkish, Spanish and French poets and painters, initially in both Damascus and Montpellier leading to a series of Exhibitions, together with publication of all project works which will be translated into Arabic, Turkish, Spanish French and English. The objective of this project is to create an intercultural dialogue between Mediterranean countries,and to increase awareness of the common heritage of Damascus.

    General ideas

    Content: Collaboration of work between, for example, a painter from Damascus with a poet from Istanbul, Barcelona or Montpellier; or between a poet from Damascus with a painter from the named cities, leading to the constitution of artistic couples.

    Objective:
    - Artistic share and exchange of painting and poetry across the Mediterranean world.
    - Production of bilateral works which will be shown to the general public in Damascus and Montpellier.
    - Creation of a memoir of this unique exchange, by preserving the contributions of all participants in the form of a book, film, illustrated note-books, etc.

    Main steps

    During the first months:

    - Creating contact between participating artists and poets
    - Creation of a dedicated website to present the project and details of participants
    - Preparation of events by the organizing committee
    - Possible visit of Committee members from Istanbul, Barcelona and Montpellier to Damascus to meet with their Syrian counterparts

    During the first year:

    - First exchanges and pooling via an Internet forum
    - Establishment of E-Twinning (Joint development of a creative project related to Mediterranean Convergences between schools in different countries via the European project E-Twinning) over 2 school years.
    - Residence / meeting of artists and poets Syrian, Turkish, Catalan in Montpellier (10 days)
    - Residence / meeting of artists and poets Languedoc, Turkish, Catalan in Damascus (10 days)
    - Work at home - all participants will keep in touch by internet and by phone(first 3 months)
    - Edition of the book / catalog of books and travel - Editing short film that traces the project preparation and travel
    - Exhibition in Istanbul, with presentation of artists while Istanbul is European Capital of Culture.

    During the second year:

    - Establishment of E-Twinning Program (2nd year)
    - Walaa's workshop : Plastic creations made by children in four cities, the workshop is conducted by an artist and student of Fine Arts. Intercultural dialogue: each child make a drawing or write a word in his mother tongue or the language of one of the participating countries (Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, French) on the theme "Heritage of Damascus" which will be sent to another child (of participant countries) to complete by a word, a drawing.
    - Bernar's workshop: workshop in the four cities for the creation of illustrated books on the theme "Heritage of Damascus" and these workshops are intended for pupils and students.
    - Khouloud's project: Collective work "Damascus, the cradle of humanity". This is to provide great support for 1 month in a place accessible to the public in each participating city for each expressed through painting or writing on the subject (mailbox).
    - Exhibition in Barcelona
    - Exhibition in Montpellier
    - Exhibition in Damascus with a presentation of artists.
    Presentation of all the work (short, collective, work for children, illustrated books, etc.). Various theme evenings open to the public during the exhibition. Meet the artists and writers; awareness campaign "culture heritage and dialogue" with the public throughout the exhibition. Creative workshops for young people with the artists. Closing Evening - Displaying Future