Since 2022, Ettijahat – Independent Culture has spearheaded the groundbreaking grant initiative Sanad in the Digital Realm, a collaborative effort with partners including Mimeta, the Asfari Foundation, and the Swedish Arts Council. This program empowers Syrian, Arab, and diaspora artists to create works that confront urgent themes like justice, identity, censorship, and social memory—often under extraordinary political, economic, or personal constraints.
Context: Art as Resistance in Fragile Ecosystems
The initiative emerged in response to escalating challenges faced by artists in Syria and the Arab region, where conflict, authoritarianism, and displacement have destabilized cultural ecosystems. Sanad in the Digital Realm provides financial support, mentorship, and digital infrastructure to help artists transcend physical and ideological borders. By leveraging digital tools, grantees reclaim narratives about their communities and histories, transforming oppression into creative fuel.
Themes & Impact: Resilience Through Creativity
Sanad in the Digital Realm has supported over 30 projects spanning film, visual art, literature, and digital storytelling. Examples include:
Interactive archives documenting erased cultural heritage.
Virtual reality experiences reimagining suppressed histories.
Digital theatre productions critiquing censorship mechanisms.
One standout project, highlighted in Ettijahat’s May 2025 newsletter, explores how Syrian women use AI-generated poetry to subvert patriarchal norms. Another uses augmented reality to map destroyed neighborhoods of Aleppo, preserving collective memory.
Looking Ahead: Sustaining Digital Solidarity
As the initiative enters its fourth year, Ettijahat and partners aim to expand access to AI/VR tools and strengthen networks between Arab artists and global institutions. Future priorities include safeguarding digital privacy for creators in high-risk environments and fostering intergenerational knowledge exchange.
Since 2022, Sanad in the Digital Realm by Ettijahat – Independent Culture has empowered Syrian, Arab, and diaspora artists to reclaim their stories through digital media. From VR reenactments of lost histories to AI-generated poetry challenging patriarchy, this initiative defies borders and censorship, turning creativity into resistance. Together with Mimeta, the Asfari Foundation, and the Swedish Arts Council, Sanad nurtures art where it’s most needed.
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