strategy

Visual Arts Forum: A Commitment to Values and Continuous Ambition

Strategy of the Visual Arts Forum (2021 - 2023)

Vision:

Towards a conscious Palestinian society that values its culture and identity, believing that art and creativity are essential tools for expression, change, development, and the enhancement of free thought.

Mission:

We strive to provide opportunities for learning the visual arts and to promote their use in effecting change and fostering free thinking.

Foundations of the Forum's Vision:

Visual arts focus on producing works that require sensory visual appreciation, regardless of how these works are created. This includes various forms such as painting, ceramics, coloring, sculpture, three-dimensional works, installations, photography, video, film, printing, animation, storytelling, design, and architecture.

Art in all its forms garners interest from many countries and local communities due to its significance for individuals and society. The arts, particularly visual arts, stimulate research, thinking, and innovation in lifestyles. They enhance learning, creativity, and innovation while promoting social and national values. The arts also serve as a means to achieve community awareness regarding rights and political, social, and economic priorities, acting as an effective tool for enhancing mental health when integrated into psychological and social support programs.

Participation in visual arts education goes beyond learning skills and concepts related to the arts or developing talent and passion. It plays a vital role in enhancing communication and connection among participants, fostering strong friendships, promoting mental well-being, channeling energy, creating positive outlooks on life, engaging in the community, and nurturing logical thinking and intelligence.

We aim to integrate with all efforts and initiatives aimed at empowering Palestinians across all regions, regardless of age, gender, or economic status, to enhance their creativity and ownership of vibrant culture, providing opportunities for excellence and artistic innovation. We aspire for art to be a way of life, effectively used in community development, and to cultivate an appreciation for the arts as a means of expression, change, and entertainment within Palestinian society.

We believe that visual arts can contribute to shaping a system of human and national values, advancing knowledge, and employing reason and logic in guiding our lives, decisions, and stances, paving the way towards a renewed, vibrant community alive with cultural and intellectual movement. We assert that the human mind is the bearer of ideas and concepts, and the nature of the beliefs held by an individual reflects on their thinking and perception of reality, their interpretation of events, and their relationships with others and different cultures.

Core Values of the Forum:

Integrity: The forum is committed to adopting transparent policies that allow everyone to access information related to projects, activities, and financial status. It also embraces accountability at internal levels, with targeted groups and community initiatives, and adheres to codes of conduct agreed upon by Palestinian civil society organizations.

Justice and Equality: We will continuously adopt policies and make decisions that enhance the access and participation of all community segments in the forum's interventions, especially in visual arts education activities. We will implement administrative policies that balance the forum’s resources with the needs of staff and trainers, supporting all initiatives that promote justice and gender equality.

Acceptance of Others: As members, staff, and trainers, we will work to foster acceptance of all individuals or groups with differing viewpoints while maintaining our identity, values, and beliefs. We will also encourage the target groups and graduates to embrace diversity without compromising our national, social, or economic thoughts.

Solidarity: We will consistently make decisions and take stances that support the social, economic, political, and cultural rights of marginalized groups in society, collaborating with all social activists to advocate for rights, consistent with the principles of the rule of law and national constants.

Passion: The forum believes that generating interest and motivation towards learning visual arts and their role in community development is fundamental to achieving desired outcomes, particularly in fostering initiative and generating new ideas for development. We believe that the interest and belief of all stakeholders in the forum’s work are essential for its sustainability.

Humanity: The forum sees its role not only as a professional educator in visual arts but also as a contributor to promoting a set of essential human values for community development, achieving respect, and ensuring a safe living environment for all. These values include freedom, dignity, appreciation, honesty, integrity, cooperation, love for others, helping those in need, solidarity, participation, and respect for family.

Belonging: We take pride in our belonging to Palestine, its history, and its culture, and we are deeply loyal to national priorities, particularly liberation, independence, and ending occupation. We also take pride in our affiliation with the Palestinian cultural sector and the Visual Arts Forum, which obliges us to prioritize the cultural sector, especially the arts, in the development agenda.

Main Programs of the Forum:

Visual Arts School

Psychological and Social Support through the Arts

Economic Empowerment for Youth through the Arts

Community Awareness and Advocacy through the Arts