Seventeen Yemeni cultural and civil society organizations will be taking part in The Cultural Atelier in Yemen, designed and implemented by AFAC in partnership with UNESCO and funded by the European Union.

Active in archiving, heritage, music, visual arts, performing arts, journalism, podcasting and multidisciplinary works, the selected organizations operate from Taez, Socotra, Aden, Hadramout and the diaspora.

Independent jurors – Yemeni co-founder and executive director of “Your Echo” Safaa Alwatari; Yemeni visual artist and the head of the Ministry of Culture office in Hadhramout Abeer Alhadrami; and Palestinian researcher in cultural policy and a freelance advisor Fatin Farhat – convened to deliberate over the applications and make the final selection. At the close of their deliberations, the three jurors issued the following jury statement:

“The jury was pleased to review all applications submitted by Yemeni cultural institutions, representing diverse geographic regions of Yemen. The enthusiasm and passion exhibited by Yemeni cultural actors was truly inspiring, particularly their unwavering commitment to delivering cultural programs and projects despite the immense challenges they face under the current circumstances.

A key highlight for the jury was the dedication of these institutions to leveraging art as a tool for economic and social empowerment within their communities, despite limited resources and support. The prominent presence of women in leadership and managerial positions was particularly commendable and a positive indicator of the growing participation of women in the cultural sphere.

We noted the challenges facing specialized institutions, which, instead of focusing solely on a single specialization, have tended to broaden their areas of work. This shift may be attributed to the difficulty of sustaining a single specialization and the need to adapt to local contexts by offering diverse programs. We also noted the varying quality of the applications, reflecting the need for further support and guidance for these institutions.

In the selection process, the jury prioritized institutions based on their merit, the quality of their applications, the impact of their programs or projects on the Yemeni cultural landscape, and their potential for growth and development. We also focused on evaluating the institutions’ ability to boost the cultural scene by fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development within their communities, while ensuring the geographic diversity of participating institutions.”

The Cultural Atelier in Yemen will provide participating entities with capacity building training, in addition to networking opportunities through peer exchange visits and events. In line with participants’ stated needs, the trainings will focus on financial sustainability, partnership building, human resources capacity building, general management, programs development and communication.

The program is set to launch with an initial workshop at the beginning of 2025 and will run through 2026.

The CSOs selected by the juror

• Aden Again Cultural Foundation
• Khaleej Aden Troupe
• Yemen Used to Be (YUTB)
• Yemen Woman Archive
• Seiyun Creative Hub
• Boncast Cultural Organization
• Hadhramout Culture Foundation
• Madarat Cultural Organization
• Art Mix Forum
• Centre of Art Culture and Folklore (CACF)
• Jedaria Foundation for Cultural Development and Media
• Almanasa Alshababia (Manasati30)
• Socotra Planet Organisation
• Seen12
• Wyam Youth Foundation
• Sirius Production
• Aden Foundation for Art and Science