Artsbridge on CBS
CBS spent two days filming Artsbridge this summer at Boston College. In late September they aired a documentary which included a segment on Artsbridge. The segment on Artsbridge begins 1 minutes into the documentary.
Artsbridge Institute Selected as 2010 British Airways Face of Opportunity Winner
Founder and Executive Director, Debbie Nathan was selected by British Airways as a 2010 Face-of-Opportunity winner and was awarded travel to anywhere in the world to conduct business meetings as well as attend the British Airways Face-of-Opportunity business conference this past February. The award is part of the British Airways Face-to-Face program, which provides small business owners and entrepreneurs the critical tools for building business relationships abroad and stimulating growth through the power of face-to-face interaction.
Before taking off to London, Debbie attended the British Airways Face-of-Opportunity conference in New York City on Feb. 2, where she received free counsel from top influential international business experts while networking with venture capitalists, renowned entrepreneurs, and media and other small business owners. The conference included an introduction by Simon Talling-Smith, Executive Vice President Americas, British Airways, and keynote speeches by Rhonda Abrams, best-selling author and USA Today small business columnist and Bill Rancic, best-selling author and first season winner of The Apprentice.
Artsbridge Gears up for Summer 2011
Artsbridge Institute is excited to announce two changes for the 2011 summer programs. First, we will be having our first Artsbridge Alumni Advanced Program this July, in Israel/Palestine. All Artsbridge alumni are invited to participate. This will be an opportunity for alumni from all three years to come together, share ideas, learn advanced skills and engage in opportunities to create constructive change in their communities and beyond. For more information please contact Debbie Nathan at deb@artsbridgeinstitute.org
Secondly, students selected for the 2011/2012 academic year will be beginning their Artsbridge experience with a 4 day orientation in Israel/Palestine. Then, during the academic year they will be working in groups in their home communities - meeting regularly, engaging in an artistic process and preparing for the following summer when they will spend an intense three weeks in the USA. We believe that this process will allow the students to gain knowledge and skills about themselves and their communities, begin to learn how to engage in constructive dialogue, and be better prepared for the experience in the USA. This will also work to strengthen our relationships with our partner organizations in Israel and Palestine. Three times during the academic year students from all of the partner organizations will come together to meet each other and work together, while the facilitators from each organization will receive training from our Artsbridge trainers.
We look forward to keeping you updated on these exciting changes. We hope that you will continue your support, allowing us to provide rich opportunities for young Israeli and Palestinian youth to create a more constructive, positive future.
2010 Student Films
Enjoy this year’s student films below! The green titles link to YouTube.
By Suzan, Mohammad, Naama, Shawqi, and Ron
By Aya, Tala, Mariana, Baraa, and Meitar
By Mousa, Ziv, Ahmad, and Boaz
Photos from the 2010 Artsbridge Summer Showcase!
On Thursday evening, the Artsbridge Summer Showcase went off without a hitch–well, unless you count the water that, carried by a summer storm, began to fill the lobby of the theater two hours before the event! By 6 o’ clock, the floor was (mostly) dry, and guests were trickling in. By 7 o’clock, we had a real celebration on our hands.
Enjoy the following images of our students and their artwork. Half of the participants departed Boston last night–we’re missing them already!–and the rest tonight. After that, it’s time to start gearing up for next summer!
The group that created the Feelings Tower on the process of working together.
Wasim explains his group's project to a guest at the Summer Showcase.
The 'Feelings Tower,' by Hadar, Wasim, and Jamal.
See more clusters of artwork and project statements here!
Artsbridge Profile: Peer Mentor Amir
- Artsbridge peer mentor Amir shows off one of the many magic tricks up his sleeve.
Amir Alkalak participated in Artsbridge in 2009, and has returned to Artsbridge this year to serve as a peer mentor. On October 1st, Amir will be flying to Germany to begin his studies in dental medicine, after which he hopes to open a dental practice in his home community in Israel.
How has your experience as a staff member differed from your experience as a participant?
When you are a staff member, you have much more responsibility, and you have to find your place between being a good friend of the participants and also a leader of the group. It was difficult at first, but I’ve learned to strike the right balance. Because I’ve been a participant, I know the needs of the group—I know what it’s like to be in their place, and thus how to act and how to help.
Is that desire to help guide the next class of participants what motivated you to return to Artsbridge?
Above all, I really want to help this organization to continue running. Artsbridge was incredibly important for me. My friends say that I am a new person because of Artsbridge. I think the biggest change that happened to me was greater self confidence—because of Artsbridge, I’m no longer afraid to speak my mind, I feel more sure in what I’m doing and I believe in myself more. I learned how to listen, rather than just talking. It was hard in the beginning for me.
After the Summer Leadership Program, what community program did you work with?
For a year, I volunteered at the Youth Club in my village. It’s a place where teenagers come for activities and fun, and where each generation leads the younger one. I helped lead the children, and my leaders are the old guys in the village. I did art activities and games with the kids—it was really fun.
Is there a favorite experience with Artsbridge that stands out in your mind?
I think the best experiences I had were our sessions with Keren Schecter in the morning. I think the pressure you have at the afternoon dialogues can really build up for the participants, and in Keren’s class we could all relax. She made me believe in myself. I always tell her, “Thank you,” and she always says, “Don’t thank me, it’s you!” I feel like my life was previously locked away, and that Artsbridge gave me the key to continue. Artsbridge’s dialogue technique is really important—it gets to the heart of the political issues between Palenstinians and Israelis. Growing up in Neve-Shalom [which was cofounded by Arabs and Israelis] I was used to talking about these issues (unlike many of the other participants) but I hadn’t had the same kind of opportunity to speak with people who live in the West Bank for an extended period of time.
Artsbridge Profile: Peer Mentor Kerem
How has Artsbridge changed since you first were a participant in 2008?
The program is so different in so many ways. The art projects are different—this year’s final projects aren’t completed yet, but I think the art-making has become much more professional and serious from year to year. I also think Debbie better understands the needs of the participants—how the Middle Eastern mind works, if you will. We have a little more free time—not because she likes it, but because she understands we need it. The kids who come here are carefully chosen, and this year we have a really great group.
In the year after I was a participant, I held a weekly meeting in Neve-Shalom/Wahat al-Salam with 4th through 6th graders. We sometimes did artistic things, but it was mostly about spending time with them, building their confidence, and building friendships. When I told them at the end of the year that I was leaving, they were all very sad, and for a long time after that, they would come knocking on my door, asking to hang out. I felt very appreciated.
What final project were you a part of as an Artbridge participant?
I was actually a part of two projects. First, I filmed a piece about an Arab kid and a Jewish-Israeli kid who find themselves in the middle of the woods and then find each other. They begin to talk—coincidentally, when we were shooting this scene, it started to pour, which was a really cool effect. They find out about each other’s background and don’t want to cooperate because of that. When they are struggling to survive, they find each other and begin to bond. That scene doesn’t have many words, but it says a lot. Then, they wake up, and the viewer discovers it was just a dream. The film then follows their interactions with their friends, and the viewer gets to see how they react differently when their friends insult Jews or insult Arabs. It’s hard to explain an art project—you have to see it!
And, with everyone’s permission, my group filmed part of a dialogue and we shot someone saying something we thought was important, made other people think. We recorded the thoughts everyone else might have had at that moment. There were serious parts, and there were silly parts.
Do you have any thoughts about what you’ll do after graduation next year?
I think I am going to first be in the army. I am going to try to be a medic and see how it feels. I currently volunteer on an ambulance, and I do think medicine might be in my future.
Trip to the University of New Hampshire ropes course
This Tuesday, we journeyed to a ropes course for the day. Participant Noor Nashef wrote about her experience below:
On Tuesday, the 20th of July, we woke up at 7 am, ate breakfast, and headed out to New Hampshire. After an hour and a half on the bus, we arrived at the Browne Center, the ropes course where we were to spend the day. As we walked out to the field to meet the staff members, mosquitoes and other flying things swarmed us —some of us just couldn’t stand it! We all stood in a circle at first and filled out forms. That was super uncomfortable because we were sitting on the ground and moving around because of the bugs and using each others’ backs as a hard surface to write on.
After that, we played a game that everybody liked. It was a game that showed our counselors which of us would be the “participating kind of person” and the “non-participating kind of person.”
Playing a warm-up game at the Browne Center
After that we got divided into three groups: yellow, red, and blue. I was in the red one with a very cool counselor. After that, each group went to a different place to do activities. The activities were very cool — each one with its own point and idea, each one requiring deeper thought. In each game, all the people in the group had parts (that is, of course, if they all chose to participate).
Students and staff in the yellow group play a tightrope-walking game that teaches cooperation.
After doing the activities and having a break in the middle of the day for lunch, we went to the ropes and tree climbing courses. Some people really enjoyed this, and some of us sat on the side cheering for the ones climbing …and making fun of them good-naturedly.
New Hampshire is stunning. We had nice views from the bus. As we rode along, we were surprised to find out that our dinner was pizza…and very tasty pizza at that! After that we were almost satisfied but not quite. Then we went to Walmart and got completely satisfied. We all got back on the bus with a great feeling of a day that will be remembered! On the ride back to the dorms, we all had some time to think about the day, and we realized that the whole day had been designed to get the members of Artsbridge to come together and learn how to work as a team, think as a team, and meet new people and make new friends in the program…so it was a great day overall! The day ended with all of us falling asleep at the evening meeting, and then really falling into a deep sleep when we got back to our rooms at night.
Interview with Debbie Nathan
As Artsbridge’s third summer program begins, I (Lilia Kilburn, one of Artsbridge’s three summer interns) sat down with Debbie to ask her a few questions about Artsbridge’s present and future.
Q: How is Artsbridge’s curriculum continuing to evolve this year?
A: Being at Boston College for the second year in a row makes us feel as though we’ve found a real home. This summer, several incredible new staff members have joined our team, from dialogue facilitators Elad Vazanna and Najuan Daadleh to film instructors Dan Knapp and Liz Jones to art instructors Aaron Lazansky-Olivas and Ruth Rieffanaugh. Two of our past program participants, Kerem Ben-Ishay Bairey and Amir Alkalak, are serving as peer mentors to this year’s class of thirty students—and leading them through their first day of activities as we speak! Artsbridge’s curriculum has always been dynamic—after being introduced to the mission of Artsbridge, staff bring their ideas to the table—and we’re excited to collaborate with these artists and to see how they can foster communication with and among the students. One new event we’re all looking forward to is a mime workshop led by Shep Barnet, Associate Director of the Robham Theater Arts Center at Boston College.
Q: Any news from the partner programs?
A: First of all, there are exciting things happening in Haifa. Students from the Hebrew Reali School and the Orthodox School are coming together to create films in groups comprised of students in each school. Also in Haifa, we work with Beit Hagefen coordinating cultural projects with Haifa’s big annual art festival. At Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, students are raising awareness of environmental issues using the arts and working with the students from Safit school to build tolerance and appreciation of cultural diversity. In Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, we’ve been developing an art and film peer mentorship program with Karen AbuZant, who has several years of experience running after school tutoring and English enrichment programs.
Q: What are your hopes for this summer, and for Artsbridge in the long term?
A: Every group brings its own unique qualities to Artsbridge, and I’m really excited to watch the journey of these students. My hope for them is that Artsbridge is able to open up new spaces—not just open up possibilities for them, though that’s certainly part of it—but help them identify with their strengths, find their own voices, build a community within this group of 30 and a desire to work for the good of the greater community.
Artsbridge is growing, and it’s really exciting to see. My hope as we grow is that we can reach more and more communities, hold more trainings, host more students, and that we become a catalyst for positive change. Right now, Artsbridge has 7 official partnerships, and we hope to expand our presence to more communities that don’t otherwise have access to our ideas about the power of creativity and dialogue. There are various ways to approach this expansion– We especially hope to train other leaders and facilitators in the Artsbridge method so that they can bring change to their own communities.
Making a Difference Through Art
The mission of Artsbridge Institute is to provide a safe environment that cultivates creativity, voice, respectful listening and dialogue in order to empower today’s youth to become leaders in the quest for peace in and between their own communities.
Empowering Youth and Cultivating…
Creativity + Dialogue + Leadership Development
