Paint murals with 300 Syrian Refugee children

During June and July 2018 Artolution led 4 projects in Lebanon that involved large-scale murals, theatrical performance, dance performance, costume design and the creation of percussive sculptures made from trash and found objects. The projects took place at a community center in Akkar near the border of Syria, two schools in Tripoli and in a educational center in the Ouzai slum community of Beirut. Over 200 children and teenagers participated. In Lebanon, Artolution developed the opportunity to improve the livelihoods of local artists through the development of sustainable programs.

In August and September, Artolution implemented an intensive 2-week project at a boys school in Zarqa, Jordan that engaged 60 students. The project featured a theatrical performance, a large-scale mural, and a mobile percussive sculpture. The objective was to foster social inclusion, reduce stigma, and provide psychosocial support to refugee and local youth. Zarqa is another community where local and refugee youth are separated by the times which they attend school.

Artolution engaged with local Jordanian and Syrian refugee artists to build positive relationships between refugees and local communities. Through the creation of murals, performance, and the recycled sculpture known as the “Foundstrument Soundstrument”, local youth, local, and international artists explored a variety of educational and social topics through storytelling. Storytelling enabled the youth to shape their own narratives and identities, and explore their life experiences and the social change they hope for in their communities. One critical topic that came out of the discussions was the bullying that plagued the relationships between the two groups of youth. The artists brought the boys together to promote social cohesion and explore this issue through the visual and performative art-making.

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• Giving Tuesday: November 27, 2018

We are just days away from returning to the Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. We are returning to bring color to a difficult landscape in communities traumatized by war, and harsh conditions living in refugee camps. We will also be working with Syrian refugee youth in the Zarqa community outside of Amman.

Last summer, we visited Azraq, Za’Atari refugee camps to bring hope and healing to the refugee communities. The children built a Foundstrument Soundstrument and installed it in the care center to encourage both smiles and musical expression for all who visit the site. Two abandoned cars in the Za’atari refugee camp were transformed by youth and local artists into recycled community sculptures.

Local youth and Syrian artists painted murals in Azraq and Za’Atari together that revealed their hopes for the future and rebuilding a Syria where they can live and work in peace. Another mural reminded all who visit it that the heart of their community lies within each family. The children and local artists created a mural of the “mother of Azraq” because family is what holds a community together. At a school in Amman, Syrian and Jordanian girls united in artistic expression when otherwise they remain separated from each other. Each of the projects supported by our partners at IRC and NRC Norway.

This past summer, 2018, we spent a month in Lebanon bringing together communities of local and refugee children to address issues of sustainability, recycling, growth, community, sharing, and coexistence. Through mural art, Syrian and Lebanese children created the world that they want to live in. The children painted together and told the story of building the futures of both Lebanon and Syria.

Due to the scale of the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan, during the summer of 2018, we will sustain the hopes and dreams of the children and families that we have met and have planned to expand our programming to reach even more youth by educating local artists. With local Artolution artist leaders, Artolution can expand the reach and frequency of Artolution programs throughout Azraq, Za’Atari, and local schools and communities in Jordan.

Thank You For Helping Us Transform Lives Through Public Art!