Arts Call for Darfur (Wales)

Moral Beauty happens when someone carves out a place for compassion in a largely ruthless universe Author of lest innocent blood be shed Arts Call for Darfur (Wales) is a localised movement of artists and Activists living and working in Wales to inspire a global movement of ordinary people standing up for humanity and human rights.
The project presents the work of artists whose visions convey the interdependence of human life, enhance our awareness of diversity and encourage us to create a culture of compassion, tolerance and dialogue.

I would like to invite you to become part of an exciting new partnership that is taking place in Wales. The Arts Call for Darfur is an art based project that combines nurturing and developing Welsh artistic talent, with providing awareness and humanitarian relief to the people of Darfur through the work of Save the Children. Over 20 Welsh and Sudanese artists have contributed pieces for the opening of this event with more pieces being produced throughout the year culminating in an auction and gala dinner at The Hilton Hotel Cardiff on October 16th, 2008. This partnership is a great way for both individuals and groups to come together in Wales to create a better future. We would like to offer you the opportunity to support this innovative project. The attached documents explain a little more about Arts Call for Darfur and the ways in which you and your company can help.
Please read through them and get in contact with us if you would like to find out more.

The launch event for this project is on Friday 14th December and will be held at Butetown History and Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay and it will be featured live on www.2hgs.com The event will open at 2.00pm with a number of discussions and activities relating to the project. There will of course be plenty of opportunity to view the exhibited works, purchase limited edition prints of the work and speak to the artists and organisers involved. The event will close at 6.00pm. The work will be exhibited at Butetown History and Art's Centre until 20th January and will then travel to Treherbert Gallery, RCT and then other locations across Wales throughout 2008.

An ongoing project aimed at raising money both for Darfur and for the arts in Wales

Earlier this year a group of individuals in Wales, concerned about the continuing crisis in Darfur, came together with the aim of making a difference. These individuals, with links to the art world both in Wales and Sudan decided to create a project that would highlight the problems in Darfur and raise funds for the humanitarian relief work of Save the Children in this area. The group also wanted to showcase and support the efforts of Sudanese and local Welsh artists. Arts Call for Darfur was therefore created.

The concept for Arts Call for Darfur came from Mohamed Hamza. Mohamed was born in Sudan and has lived in the UK for 20 years. He has become increasingly concerned about the crisis in Darfur and decided to take action. Mohamed recently visited Darfur and visited a number of communities to improve his understanding of the situation. Through his contacts in the arts worlds of Wales and Sudan, a number of individuals and groups sharing Mohamed's concerns established Arts Call for Darfur.

The Arts Call for Darfur project launches on December 14th at Butetown History and Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay. Following the launch, an exhibition will be on site until 20th January. A selection of works will be on display as part of the launch event along with the opportunity to purchase limited edition prints. The exhibition will then tour various sites in Wales offering the public the chance to hear more about the project and the opportunity to support its aims. The exhibition will first travel to Treherbert Gallery, Rhondda Cynon Taff. Throughout the year, various events will be held to encourage individuals and businesses to support the aims of the project. Support will be sought through sponsorship, the commissioning of artists to produce pieces and the purchase of pieces as well as smaller merchandise being produced and sold. The year's activity will culminate in a gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel Cardiff on 16th October, where a number of original art pieces will be auctioned.

The project is working in partnership with Save The Children, which is the largest international organization providing relief and vital services to children and families in Darfur. Backed by over 20 years of experience in Sudan, they provide an essential lifeline to those in need. In West Darfur they are reaching 500,000 people every month with life-saving humanitarian aid. They are distributing food; running health and emergency maternity clinics; building 19 schools and refurbishing 19 more; drilling wells and providing communities with equipment to pump water.

All money raised from the sale of work will be distributed in the following way:
40% will go directly to Save the Children, to support their humanitarian work in Darfur.
30% will go to the artist. This is to encourage their ongoing involvement with the project, support them as artists, and provide them with sustainability in an increasingly tough environment.

30% will be re-invested into the Arts Call for Darfur project. These funds will be used to cover administration and organisational costs, advertisement, supporting a travelling exhibition and on production materials and merchandise to create more revenue.

The patron of this project is Harry Holland - one of Britain's leading figurative artists. Individuals producing pieces for the project include renowned artists such as:

Philip Nicol, Charles Byrd, Iwan Bala, David Knight, Mary Jolley Bev Howe, Mohamed Hamza, Maggie James, Sian Hamza, Chris House, Salvatore Salimeni, Andii Little, Paul Hurley, David Watkins, Kyle Legall and Liz McKernan

The Arts Call for Darfur project aims to be an ongoing campaign that supports and nurtures artistic talent whilst raising awareness of global issues and raising funds for humanitarian aid. In the first year, the project aims to generate $50,000.

Project Officers:
Sian Hamza : Project Manager
Michael Flynn : Publicity and Marketing
Andree Morgan : Events
M.Hamza : Fine Art
Andii Little : Crafts
Anthony Hopkins : Save the children
Paul Hurley : Installation and Performance
Galal Hamza : Online Gallery
E-mail : admin@2hgs.com

DONATION AND SPONSORSHIP
Arts Call for Darfur Head Office:

Treherbert Gallery, 146 Bute Street, Treherbert RCT. CF42 5PD - Wales - UK
TeL: (0044) 1443 771731
EMail: mail@artscallfordarfur.org
http://www.artscallfordarfur.org

General Information on Sudan and Darfur


	Official Name: Republic of Sudan Capital: Khartoum Government Type: Government of National Unity (GNU), the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) formed a power-sharing government under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement; the agreement stipulates national elections for the 2008-2009 timeframe. Chief of State: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, president . Population: 39.38 million Area: 967,500 square miles; almost the size of continental U.S. east of the Mississippi River Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English Literacy: Total Population: [61%] Male: [71%]; Female: [52%] GDP Per Capita: $2,100 Year of Independence: 1956 more info and Slideshow about Sudan

They said it could never happen again... But it is happening. Armed conflict in Darfur, Sudan has left over 200,000 dead in Darfur , forced more than 2.5 million people from their homes and placed millions of people - in Darfur and the neighbuoring countries around Darfur of Chad and Central African Republic - at risk of starvation, disease and further attacks. United Nations officials have called this the world's worst humanitarian disaster today.
Amnesty International

The crisis in Darfur, in western Sudan region darfur, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and widespread murder, rape, abduction and forced displacement all these happening in darfur and Hundreds of thousands of civilians have died as a result of both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, and more than 2 million civilians have been forced to flee from their homes. The situation on the ground has been plagued with renewed violence, Janjawid attacks, and aerial bombing by the Government of Sudan's military. The international community must, at long last, put a stop to these atrocities and bring relief to those who have survived but continue to suffer.

El-Geneina,the capital of West Darfur
.
More reliable rains permit larger and more stable millet yields, and more varied crops. Dominated by the central Jebel Marra massif ( central Darfur ) from where Darfur's great seasonal rivers run. It is the most fertile land and is inhabited largely by non-Arab farming communities (Fur and Masalit) who grow millet, Darfur's staple, and keep a few animals. Terracing and some perennial streams enable simple irrigation systems known as shadouf. As well as millet and sorghum, the people of Jebel Marra cultivate, among other things, inter alia, citrus, onions, chillies and okra, small quantities of wheat

Darfur is divided into three administrative states that correspond approximately with three production systems: North Darfur South Darfur West Darfur Semi-desert and prone to drought. It is the domain of the Abbala camel herders, who comprise both Arab (Rizeigat and Zayadiya) and non-Arab (Zaghawa and Meidop). There is some household-based millet cultivation on the sandy qoz soils. Home to the Baggara, or cattle people - most numerous among them, the southern Rizeigat.

They need your Help

DONATION AND SPONSORSHIP
Arts Call for Darfur Head Office:

Treherbert Gallery, 146 Bute Street, Treherbert RCT. CF42 5PD - Wales - UK
TeL: (0044) 1443 771731
EMail: mail@artscallfordarfur.org
http://www.artscallfordarfur.org