Healing by art attack

One crucial way of healing victims of war is to offer them weapons of mass distraction. Some of the potent arms employed by Al Bugaa, a theatre troupe which performs extensively in the conflict zones of Sudan to help physically abused women recover from the emotional traumas of war, include short plays, puppetry and painting. The troupe, made up of child soldiers, victims and aggressors , has even given women exiles from the Nuba mountain in Sudan participative theatre workshops to help them gain the courage to return to their villages after the fighting.It was for this creative role in empowering society that actor and theatre director Ali Mahdi Nouri received a coveted prize last year called The Freedom To Create.
Launched in 2008, The Freedom to Create (FTC) Prize supports artists who use their talent, at great personal risk, to affect positive social change in their communities. It was designed to honour three categories of artists—those operating in the public eye, the youth and those who were imprisoned due to their artwork—and attracted entries from 900 entrants across 80 countries. Though it was launched on a small stage, FTC was welcomed by the artists in development and human rights communities so much so that it soon became a brand. And now, for the first time, after holding exhibitions in New York, London , Harare, Kabul and Cairo, FTC, the organisation will be showcasing the works of artists from some of the darkest places in the world, in the city.
"The exhibition has arrived in India after five years of being in existence only because the initial focus of our efforts was on providing opportunities for the flourishing of creative talents of people in countries with more repressive regimes, where freedom of expression is limited," says Priti Devi, spokesperson for FTC. India, she explains, has historically had a rich storytelling culture, and art has been a communication tool as well as a medium of self-expression at all levels of society here. However, Devi feels that despite the economic progress at one level, India also has some of the largest social and human development challenges and social inequities in the world. "The largest number of illiterate people in the world are in India. We would like to encourage artists from all segments of society in India who are using their creative talent to address social change to enter the FTC prize," says Devi, adding that the potency of creative arts (dance, theatre, film) which are still popular mediums for educating people and raising awareness here, cannot be overlooked.
The artists who participate in FTC exhibitions come from some of the most challenging countries in the world, where intolerance and religious extremism suppress creative expression , especially for women . For instance, Zimbabwean artist Owen Maseko, whose works will be a part of the exhibition in Mumbai, expresses the horrors of the Gukurahundi—the word that expresses the atrocities committed in Zimbabwe in the 1980s under Robert Mugabe's regime—through his painting, graffiti and 3D installations. Sara Rahbar's work, on the other hand, is inspired by her dislocation from Iran and reflects the experience of many people in today's conflict-ridden world who are forced to leave behind what is familiar and live as refugees. "The work is powerful art with important messaging that expresses the angst of ordinary people to bring awarenness, invite conversation and inspire creativity, to address social justice ," says Devi.
The process of creating a platform for dialogue between global change-makers , identifying creative solutions to create inclusive prosperity for empowerment and encouraging the inspiring work of extraordinary female change makers, however, has not been easy. In some countries, "we have been ‘watched’ to ensure that we were not stirring up any trouble as activists," says Devi. But all across the world, there has been a gradual shift in the attitude towards social issues. "More and more people from all segments of society, especially the younger generation, are recognising the need to collaborate and address social and human development in an equitable manner," says Devi.
The exhibition in Mumbai will showcase mix media art like installation art, sculpture, painting and photographs covering a range of topics, from acid attacks in Bangladesh to public massacres in Zimbabwe , by artists from Afghanistan , Bosnia, Herzegovina, Myanmar, Rwanda, Georgia, Iran and Columbia. Mallika Sarabhai, choreographer and social activist who has been a pioneer in using dance and the arts for social change, will be the chief guest. The works will be judged by a panel comprising American actress Daryl Hannah, Pakistani poet and writer Fatima Bhutto and filmmakers Apichatpong Weerasethakul of China and Mira Nair. Later this year, the winner stands to receive a prize of US $ 10,0000. That, by itself, should yield sufficient change.