Featured Organization
Al Mawred Al Thaqafy
Arab World
Al Mawred Al Thaqafy, or the Culture Resource, supports artists and intellectuals through an independent fund for arts and culture, and various other programs to stimulate dialogue, foster mutual support, and highlight artists’ work in the Arab world. Since its founding in 2003, the Al Mawred Al Thaqafy has supported over 600 artists, writers, and cultural managers, either financially or with training.
Founded in Cairo by a small group of cultural activists and artists, Al Mawred is a nonprofit operating all across the Arab region. Its first few cultural programs in Cairo brought together young, local, and underprivileged Arab artists and writers. A few years later the Egyptian government cracked down on Al Mawred, shutting down a workshop and theatre, and falsifying a lawsuit against Culture Resource’s director. By 2014, Culture Resource suspended all operations in Egypt.
“We suspended activities in an atmosphere of uncertainty, at a time when many people felt threatened,” Basma El Husseiny, a founder of the organization, said in an interview.
Despite this setback, Culture Resource continued supporting artists throughout the region; launching a Beirut office, launching the first master's degree program in cultural policy and cultural management in the Arab world, and establishing the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.
By Shahrooz Nasir, September 2017.