Creative Iraq is Joining Creative Roots!

Creative Iraq is delighted to be joining as a partner in the new 'Creative Roots' program that connects history and culture with creativity, expression, and interactivity. Creative Roots is part of TARII’s Heritage Grant Program with funding from the JM Kaplan Fund in collaboration with Creative Iraq. The program will invite participants to explore Mesopotamia, Abbasid Baghdad, and the 1960s through a series of activities that connect cultural engagement with the past, directly through arts and creativity.

"We need engaging solutions to promote our rich heritage and culture and ensure that is accessible for all, not just wrapped up in academic language or international studies" - Ali Raid, Project Coordinator said. "Over the next year, we will be hosting activities in Baghdad, Babylon, and Nasiriyah and invite people to engage with heritage through meaningful and interactive sessions that celebrate Iraq's cultural legacy amongst modern"

"Heritage means different things to different people" said Mohammed Sobhe. "Through our Creative Roots program people can explore the past through the roots of heritage: playful, artistic, resilient, historical, and cultural. It is important to find different ways to connect to different people, community engagement is the only way to ensure that our history is heard.

Playful

Over the next 10 months, we will see a series of activities will explore The Game of Ur, where participants will be able to learn how to play the ancient game whilst also learn more about how the game highlighted how the ancient mesopotamian cities were on a global network, and how the early designs are still with us today!

Artistic

Creatives will be invited to explore the sites around them on a number of tour coming up! Exploring Abbasid art and architecture in greater detail, as well as the modern buildings of the city - looking at how the city is still influenced by its ancient past. After these tours, get creating unique pieces whilst learning all about how they came to be, and maybe even where they are going! We will also be bringing in the tech sector who play a vital role in the cultural production scene, and by working with Iraqis, we will ensure that Iraqi voices are heard.

Resilience

We will be celebrating the skills of the Iraqi architects whose buildings have stood strong against war, unrest, rapid urban redevelopment through tours and tech. The unique style of Iraqi modernism remains a huge presence in the country and these buildings should be celebrated for the design and ingenuity, especially now that cheap plastic coverings hide the original buildings or they are destroyed to be sold off to land investors who would rather bring an international style that could fit anywhere in the world.

Historical

For those who want to take a deeper look at Mesopotamian iconography and mythology, we will be exploring creatures, the origins of writing at the museum before creating modern representations that connect the modern world with the past.

Cultural

The cultural root will celebrate Shehrezade and her 1001 Nights that influenced global art, theatre, and literature and put Baghdad at the heart of a global network of storytellers. We celebrate the characters and global connections that this story represents whilst exploring how its historical characters can still be felt on the cultural landscape today.

"We believe that the preservation of Iraq's cultural heritage is fostering a deeper understanding of our past and shaping our future," said Amanda Long, the Executive Director of TARII. "Through our fellowships and grants, we support scholars and projects that not only study Iraq's rich history but also engage with local communities to ensure that this knowledge is accessible and impactful.”.

Once the roots have grown, we will celebrate through a final exhibition that will entwine all of the creatives together in a visual representation of Iraq's rich heritage, an opportunity for the wider community to explore, interact, and engage with the past.

Each event will be advertised on Creative Iraq's Instagram page so make sure you're following as spaces will be limited, and for those keen to find out more online - we will be having a series of dedicated posts to explore the diversity of Iraqi heritage in more detail. Having accessible events on the ground that are relevant and targeted is a core value of Creative Iraq as we aim to foster and empower local communities so that they can use heritage for positive social value and economic impact.