Founding Champions
We are now seeking Founding Champions of the Ark Re-imagined, a new venture to revive Iraq's ancient craft heritage through public art and design initiatives in Iraq and internationally.
The Ark Re-imagined project takes a leap of imagination by asking: What would the Ark look like if it was based on the real cultural heritage of Mesopotamia, built using materials and techniques that were really available in its time and place?
We believe crafts are the essential link that connects our culture to its environment, creating a distinctive Mesopotamian aesthetic and a body of knowledge that has endured through many millennia – but is now in danger of extinction. We offer the concept of the Ark as a rescue boat for Iraq’s craft traditions, particularly watercraft, and the underlying “alphabet of making” based on practical understanding of local materials. The Ark Re-imagined project aims to bring together makers, artists and designers, anthropologists and institutions within Iraq and internationally, to research and recreate these traditional techniques, create intercultural dialogue, and develop new artworks, products and business opportunities.
For an overview of the project concept, achievements to date and future plans, please download our report here.
Our Invitation to You
We are contacting respected individuals and companies from the Iraqi diaspora community with an invitation to join us as Founding Champions, furthering our mission to revive Mesopotamian heritage and cultivate intercultural understanding through the media of art and design. We ask each individual Champion to make a contribution of £5,000, and each corporate Champion to make a contribution of £10,000 towards the start-up costs of the project.
Your role as a Founding Champion will be acknowledged in all project presentations, promotional materials, and at international events including the Venice Biennale and Thames Festival. Founding Champions will be at the heart of the Ark Re-imagined project and play an essential role in establishing the project as an independent initiative with an art-led agenda and strong roots in the Iraqi community. We invite you to become faces and voices of the Ark Re-imagined project, promoting it to stakeholders, potential funders and the general public.
We also offer alternative levels of association including Project Partner (£2,500 for individuals / £5,000 for corporates) and Project Associate (£1,000 for individuals / £2,000 for corporates); please enquire for further details.
As a Founding Champion you will receive a certificate in the form of a unique, signed print artwork by Rashad Salim; seasonal updates on project progress; and invitations to special events marking project milestones. Founding Champions will be offered the first opportunity to purchase from a limited edition of artworks from the Ark Re-imagined project.
To reserve your place as a Founding Champion please contact Hannah Lewis: hannah@safinaprojects.org
