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Iraq: Unity Academy 2008
Summary of Unity Youth Performing Arts Academies in Erbil, Suleimaniya and Kirkuk in July 2008
Group Photo of the 350 Participants in the Erbil Academy July 18 - 27
(Please scroll down for more photos)
About the Academy:
The Unity Youth Performing Arts Academy projects in Erbil and Suleimaniya was a success far beyond the imagination of American Voices. Although only 300 students total were expected, more than twice that number actually attended with significant last minute participation from Mosul, Basra, Kirkuk, Rania, and Khanarkeen in particular. The participants were uniformly enthusiastic about both the quality of instruction they received and the opportunity to explore new genres and styles of dance (Hip Hop, Broadway, Jazz), Theater, and music (Jazz, Symphonic). The participation of close to 150 participants from Kirkuk, Mosul and Basra added new geographic range to the project and established significant inroads with the most important cultural institutions and leaders in these beleaguered cities.
Donations of Instruments and Music Education Materials:
American Voices spent much time in the past six months arranging for the donation of music scores, instruments and dance supplies to the institutions participating in and supporting the project. In the Suleimaniya project, the donations of music scores were made to six libraries and institutions in the region (Suleimaniya City Library, Suleimaniya Wind Orchestra Library, Kirkuk Institute of Fine Arts Library, Suleimaniya Children’s Orchestra, Khanarkeen Youth Center and Rania Institute of Fines Arts). In Erbil, we made significant donations to the College of Fine Arts of Erbil, the Institutes of Fine Arts in Basra, Mosul, Koya and Duhok. The total estimated value of the donated materials is $90,000 including a significant donation from Alfred Publishers and lesser donations from Kjos, Hal Leonard, Shattinger and other major U.S. music publishers.
Unity Academy Facts:
The total number of student participants in the Suleimaniya and Erbil Academy programs was 674. In addition, there was a day workshop in Kirkuk on July2 for 50 children aged 6 to 14 bringing the total number of participants to 725. Several new institutions and cities were reached with the inclusion of Kirkuk, Mosul and Basra in this year’s program.
Attendance at the gala concerts is estimated as follows:
July 15: Cultural Hall of Suleimaniya, 750 in audience with approximately 300 were turned away due to lack of seats
July 24: Zagros Television Faculty Concert: 50 in studio audience with global viewers numbering in the tens of thousands
July 26: audience of 500 at Peshawa Hall, Erbil
July 27: audience of 750 at Peshawa Hall, Erbil
Media: Live television coverage by KurdSat, Zagros, Newroz, Al Hurriya, Al Sharqiya, Khak plus numerous magazine and newspaper articles
U.S. Faculty of ten:
John Ferguson, Pianist
Michael Parks Masterson, Dance and Theater
Carole McCann, Childrens theater
Richard Camargo, Break Dancers
Dr. Gene Aitken, Jazz
James Nacy, Cellist and Conductor
Marc Thayer, Violinist and Conductor
Andrew Karr, French Horn and Conductor
Ryan White and Tim Brady, Film
Participants:
o Kirkuk: 110
o Mosul: 22
o Basra: 12
o Erbil: 242
o Suleimaniya: 235
o Duhok: 36
o Rania: 31
o Koya: 14
o Khanarkeen: 7
o Baghdad: 2
First Programs in Egypt
American Voices Tours Juba and Khartoum, Sudan
