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Musrara - The Naggar School of Art and Society in Jerusalem, Israel and Wisdom of the Elders in Portland (WOTE), Oregon has partnered to implement the joint project titled

“The Hero's Journey of Transformation.”

 

Naggar and WOTE received a grant through the Communities Connecting Heritage (CCH) program to carry out a cultural heritage project which will explore the power of cultural arts for healing trauma and strengthening cultural identity. CCH, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by World Learning, empowers youth to protect the cultural heritage of underserved communities around the world.

 

The two organizations share the concept that the power of art can create an inner transformation of the individual and lead this hero into a better state of mind, and thus promote sustainable recuperation. They will exchanged their knowledge and abilities while recording, preserving and sharing the art of storytelling, music, photography, phototherapy and video.

 

In February 2020 The Naggar School 5 participants cohort  traveled to Oregon and Washington State and returned 2 weeks prior to Covid19's global outbreak. During the trip to the U.S., Naggar's cohort visited Native American tribal communities. The visit included phototherapy and photography workshops and Native storytelling. The content photographed, recorded and filmed with participating tribes, storytelling events and workshops during the US visit form a culminating public exhibition, which, due to Covid19, will be launched online in August 2020.

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Ma’-Sie to our kind hosts.

(Thank you" in the Native American commerce language- Chinook Jargon)

 

 

 

Here are some tastes from this unique, and in the current days, dreamy, trip.

Photos: Asaf Alboher, Shirly Goffer, Avi Sabag, Kunu Bearcham, Yali Reichert & Dana Shahar