Following the Facing Change conference in Amman, Cultural Protection Fund team members Steph and Raechel had the opportunity to visit some of the fund’s projects in Jerusalem and the West Bank. With the local British Council team, they joined an inspiring and packed programme of project visits, meetings and cultural experiences.
The team visited CPF grantees RIWAQ and saw the incredible difference they had made in the villages of Qalandiya, Beit Hanina and Kufr Aqab; turning crumbling heritage sites into vibrant spaces where local artists, cultural practitioners and the community can come together to engage with their heritage. We had exclusive behind the scenes access to some of the facilities in the Palestinian Museum, including the paper conservation studio which was the first of its kind in the West Bank, set up using a CPF grant in 2018. In the Old City of Jerusalem we met with CPF partner, Taawon, who have a remarkable track record in restoring heritage and engaging communities.
Full reflections on the visit will be shared in the New Year. In the meantime, Steph and Raechel would like to say an enormous thanks to all that made the trip such an enlightening and informative one. Thank you especially to Rosa Perez, British Council Arts Programme Manager for putting together the programme and Shahida McDougall Country Director for helping to make it happen. Additionally, thank you to all the CPF partners the team met who welcomed them so warmly and were generous with their time and knowledge:
Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation – Issam Juha and Luma Qumsia
Dar Jacir – Emily Jacir and Aline Khoury
Khalidi Library – David Dahdal, Raja Khalidi, Khalil Khalidi and Khader
Palestinian Museum - Baha Jubeh
Premiere Urgence International - Florence Budry, René Elter and Niccolo Giancarli
RIWAQ – Shatha Safi, Hiba Omari, Saja Mansour, Dana Abbas, Murad Mansour and all of RIWAQ's team and their partners
Sakiya - Tareq Khalaf
Taawon – Amal Abuelhawa
Turquoise Mountain – Eve Gregory
