John Adams once said, “I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.”
Like John Adams, most people traditionally view artistic pursuits as a pursuit solely of the privileged. It is rarely seen as a pursuit of the marginalized, the underrepresented or the vulnerable. And oftentimes, this perception is true. When one lacks basic necessities, the needs of the body take precedence over the needs of the creative mind. A hungry mouth tells few stories.
Recently, however, individuals and enterprises have begun to bring art, in all its various forms, to groups who either have no access to it or who have surprising need of it. These organizations are bringing film, stories, art all over the world, from the veterans of California to the children of Syria and the slums of Africa.
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| David’s shredded and repurposed uniform depicts him with “his buddy,” a young Iraqi boy. Photo courtesy of David Keefe - See more at: http://truthatlas.com |
The Combat Paper Project is an initiative based in San Francisco, California. Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress use various forms of paper-based storytelling to claim their own stories and identities. In a symbolic journey, participants deconstruct their military uniforms into pulp, which is later turned into paper. This blank sheet of paper is used a medium for them to paint, draw, design or write their vision of their own post-combat future. The Combat Paper Project has traveled to Canada, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Kosovo.
Safa Faki lives in Athmeh, Syria, a town of 4,000 people which became home to 30,000 due to refugees of war. As a trained artist Safa saw the children in the camps and thought only of the power of art. She started visiting the camp and offering drawing lessons, both to relieve the children’s boredom and to help them process the trauma they were enduring. She then uses their artwork in exhibitions to non-violently raise awareness over the war and its effect on the generation of children who must grow up in the midst of it.
The Kibera Film School in Kenya, Africa is the only comprehensive production training center in the slums of East Africa. Founded by Nathan Collett, it comes from the belief that people should be able their own stories, regardless of their circumstance. With a grant from the Oscars, the Film School empowers talented storytellers from the slums to craft and share their own movies with the world.
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