Thiseos 75, Varkiza
16672 Attiki
Greece
- Arts
The Delia Arts Foundation is run by the following team:
Program manager Gaza
Online manager
Development coordinator
Executive director
Founder
Annual budget for 2020 - $161,000. Currently we are funded by our founder, but we need to access more financial resources through grants and sponsorship in order to expand our programs.
The Delia Arts Foundation is a cultural and educational non-profit organization working in conflict zones. We use art as a vehicle for the improvement of lives, while promoting the values of peace, acceptance, creativity and humanity.
We have three main strands of work:
1) Creating recordings that are released to an international audience.
2) Training programs with a strong cultural exchange component.
3) Building physical infrastructure such as recording studios.
Our strongest partnership is with Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI). We have also developed relationships with organizations such as the Palestine Music Expo, and the Edward Said Conservatory of Music.
The Delia Arts Foundation helps musicians from conflict zones and marginalized communities fulfill their dreams. We do this by creating opportunities for talented musicians to be heard by a broader audience, by providing training opportunities, and building music industry infrastructure on the ground through our physical cultural centers. Our goal is to help create an economy where musicians, regardless of their socio-economic or geo-political background, can make music their full- time career.
The Delia Arts Foundation was started in 2018 by musician, producer, and philanthropist John Keating (Johno). He has worked widely throughout the Middle East, Africa and Europe, and saw a need to help musicians from these regions.
We are giving musicians the knowledge and tools that will move them along the path from “talented amateurs” to “professional musicians”. Arts funders generally focus on providing music education to children and amateur musicians. In areas of the world with a thriving music industry, this model works well, because these talents have plenty of opportunities to move into the professional realm. In regions with little infrastructure, these artists need the support we’re providing to take that next step and reach their full potential.
We recognize that in certain geographic locations where we work, there are greater barriers for artists to be heard. In some cases artists are living in conflict zones, challenging geopolitical situations, or are from a region that is negatively stereotyped by the audience they’re trying to reach. We see music as a creative language that can connect people of diverse backgrounds and change negative perceptions. These barriers are not obstacles, but opportunities for these musicians to promote positive changes for themselves and their communities by sharing their talents and stories.
This is the best point in history to be a creative person. There are endless opportunities through the internet to connect with audiences and attract new listeners. Musicians don’t need a whole lot of money to get started and release their own music. But these opportunities are not accessible everywhere due to barriers such as language and technology skills. Through on-site training, competitions and performances, and social media exposure to an international audience, we will grow the power of these creative voices until everyone has the opportunity to be heard.
Since starting the Delia Arts Foundation, the focus has been on creating high quality recordings with international appeal, such as the recordings of Blackbird and Over the Rainbow which were translated into Arabic and sung by Palestinian artists. These two videos have already reached half a million viewers. More recently we started our YouTube series named the “Delia Sessions”, also promoting young Palestinian artists to an international audience and again with much success (over 100,000 views so far).
Furthermore, these recordings, among others, have given the young musicians the nurturing environment they needed and the artistic liberty to fulfill their visions. The Delia Arts Foundation has accomplished its intended purpose by giving them the opportunities they lacked and has listened to their needs and is trying to base its future projects upon their requests.
In March 2020, the Delia Arts Center opened the doors to the first Delia Arts Center in Gaza. Musicians in Palestine live with a lack of opportunities. The Palestinian Territories, despite being home to some of the world’s oldest musical traditions, are impoverished and cut off from the world. Palestinian musicians, from classical to rappers, struggle to have their voices heard when they lack space to make their music due to a lack of investment in music industry infrastructure. The Delia Arts Foundation has once again made steps in the right direction, by giving musicians a sustainable solution to their ongoing difficulties and problems.
The goal of the Delia Arts Center is to create a community space for musicians in Gaza. With a target audience of musicians ages 15-35, this is the first publicly available space to develop and perfect their skills, build a local and international career, and create a community where they can actively support and learn from one another. Through this effort we also hope to create a sustainable economy based on the arts and make sure that the young musicians can rely on their musical careers to live and make a living.
The Center has been met with much enthusiasm from the community, with literal tears of joy from some. Musicians are rehearsing and recording there, and we are in the midst of creating the first projects and training programs that will be a regular part of the Center.
The Delia Arts Foundation aims to create a bridge between countries in the MENA region and the rest of the world to bring value to cultural diversity and highlight the importance of arts and culture in the development and bridging of these societies. In collaborating with other organizations in these regions, we seek to expand the impact of our work and others in the Network, and give more opportunities to young musicians living in the Arab world. As we help to develop the arts and culture space as a viable part of the economy in these communities, we will create sustainable career opportunities that everyone will benefit from.
In addition, by creating cultural exchange, we aim to create more learning opportunities as well as promoting cultural diversity, inclusion and freedom of expression. As another voice promoting these values in Palestine and beyond, we will help to amplify the voice of the Network.
The Delia Arts foundation seeks to become a member of the Anna Lindh Network as we are aware of the mutual goals between both organizations. We identify closely with Anna Lindh Foundation’s three pillars:
1) empowering young voices;
2) influencing policymakers;
3) building a movement for dialogue and exchange in the face of growing mistrust and polarization among societies.
We feel that the Delia Arts Foundation has the ability to contribute to achieving these goals throughout their work in different regions of the world. As we keep building our network, being a part of Anna Lindh's community is very valuable to us. We are aware of its history, credibility, work ethics, goals and outreach, all components that allow the Delia Arts Foundation to grow further into fulfilling its own mission.
