The program’s vision: To create an active generation with cultural and cognitive awareness towards visual arts, acquiring skills and knowledge to produce and create visual artworks by developing the skills and appreciation of art for those enrolled in VAF’s school of Arts. We are proud that many of our alumni now feature among the most prominent artists and art teachers in the occupied West Bank.
The program’s core intervention: The establishment of the “School of Visual Arts” in 2002 to teach visual arts to all ages, based on a comprehensive, cumulative academic curriculum that works to enhance the capabilities and knowledge of children, adolescents, youth, and adults in the different fields of visual arts.
The Educational Program “The School of Arts”: The school works as an incubator for creativity and the exploration and enhancement of visual arts talents. Teaching methods are based on an interactive, unconventional and accumulative curriculum provided by prominent and experienced artists in the field of visual arts and teaching. Commitment and entertainment while learning is a core pillar in the teaching method and learning journey at VAF. Classes and workshops take place at VAF’s art studios in Ramallah through two main paths:
This path works on building an innovative generation able to produce and employ visual arts, in ways that anchor the Palestinian identity and human values as means of steadfastness and development. Through this path, the academic year is split into two semesters, where students attend classes twice a week for a duration 2 to 3 hours (based on the approach) per session, based on the following courses:
- The Academic Courses, 12 years old and above (For adolescents, youth, and adults): The courses are based on an academic, specialized, comprehensive, cumulative curriculum that extends over the period of three years. Courses are provided at VAF’s art studios by specialized artists in the fields of visual arts and teaching methods. Throughout the educational journey, artists’ talks are hosted, exhibitions and studios are visited, and open social-art discussion sessions take place. Also, students get the chance to present their art work at VAF’s gallery and at local and international exhibitions.
- The Principles of Arts Course (For the age group from 9 to 11 years old): This stage is based on discovering students’ talents in the field of fine arts, and developing their skills and abilities by unleashing their creativity and experimentation while learning the basic principles of drawing and art. Methods of teaching are based on the principles of imagination, innovation, and expression, triggering their desire to continue their education and enroll in the academic courses.
- Arts kindergarten Course (For the age group between 5 and 8 years old): This stage is based on using arts to unleash the imagination of children in expressing their thoughts and emotions, focusing on the child’s personality using arts to increase self-confidence, concentration, accuracy, responsibility, team work, and general well-being. The courses are provided by artists specialized in teaching children where drama, storytelling, and music are integrated in teaching visual arts. Parents at this stage are very much involved in providing feedback on how their children are developing and interacting with arts.
Anyone who does not prefer to enroll in a long academic system and wishes to explore, learn and produce art can join “Amateur” path. Many of those enrolled in these courses are university students, employees, entrepreneurs, housewives, and retirees who seek to spend personal quality time, relief from daily stress and entertainment as well as acquire skills on a personal or career level. The courses also provide the opportunity for emerging artists from art colleges and graduates who wish to enhance their abilities in specific areas and be part of the visual art community.
Main objectives:
- Contributing to nurturing a creative generation capable of producing and employing visual arts, belonging to its Palestinian identity, committed to the values of its society, and socially and economically empowered.
- Discovering and attracting talented people in developing their abilities and knowledge in the fields of visual arts.
- Providing a space for creativity, development, and teaching visual arts.
- Self-expression and the socio-political and economic landscape through the production and practice of visual arts.
- Attracting the most skilled artists to teach visual arts.
- Providing educational opportunities through the exchange of students and the exchange of trainers with educational institutions in the field of visual arts outside the country.
- Contributing to enhancing awareness among parents of the importance of learning visual arts by all ages, from a young age.
Core strategic outputs:
- Increase cultural awareness and the appreciation of visual arts in the Palestinian society.
- Nurture creativity and innovators in the fields of visual arts and disseminating their practices by creating a generation of graduates and arts producers.
- Increase people’s awareness of the importance of the arts, to become a way of life for Palestinian families.
- Parents encourage their children to learn arts as a talent or profession, and visit exhibitions and galleries.
- Contribute to the employment of visual arts as a tool for expression, change, development and free thought.
- Enrich qualitative artistic production in the field of visual arts.
- Strengthen partnerships with local and international cultural institutions contributing to the Palestinian cultural sector.
- Strengthen the national identity and communicating the Palestinian story through the practice of art and artistic production.
- Continue to develop the teaching curricula in pace with developments in the visual arts at regional and global levels.
Target groups
- School students in different educational levels from 5 to 18 years old.
- University, colleges and institutes students from the Faculty of Arts and others.
- Emerging artists and graduates of art colleges.
- Working mothers and housewives.
- Male and female retirees.
- Teaching and management staff in all education levels, including art teachers.
- Governmental and private educational and cultural institutions.
- The local community, including Palestinian parents and families.
