An introduction to the Centre for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in Exile (CCAA in EXiLe )
The Centre for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in Exile ( CCAA in EXiLe ):
CCAA is an independent, noun profit, artistic and cultural center established in August 2004 by Rahraw Omarzad as the first and only contemporary arts center in Afghanistan. The establishment of CCAA over the past five centuries, in fact, is the new motion towards visual arts in the country. In these new development, Basically the CCAA in EXiLe gives young people the chance to express and improve their artistic talent as an individual and creative artist and implement a new way of looking at art for the Afghan society. Endeavoring towards peace, justice, democracy, civil society and supporting the sustainability and institutionalization of these beliefs. CCAA in EXiLe provides equal opportunities for men and women to improve their artistic talents and upgrade their practical and theoretical knowledge of arts, and particularly have new artistic expressions, then these artists with possession of new artistic initiatives will be able to play significant role in art development and promotion of contemporary arts. The center is divided in sections: visual arts, documentary, Installation arts, video arts and performance arts. Women art center:
In 2006, CCAA in EXiLe was able to establish Afghanistan's only women's art center in order to promote women's advancement and empowerment as an integral part of the process of the process of democratization and civilization. Objective of CCAA:
1- Developing contemporary art and ensuring art education rights for youths (men and women) minorities. Improving and increasing the quality and quantity of individual and creative artists.
2- Combat against present fanaticism and constraints against women’s artistic activities by increasing women’s art centers throughout the country.
3- Giving youths the chance to express and improve their artistic talent as individual and creative artist and implement a new way of looking at art for Afghan society towards peace, justice, democracy, civil society supporting the sustainability and institutionalization of these beliefs. CCAA in EXiLe is running the activities through its structure:
The direction: CCAA in EXiLe has it's team members, volunteers, advisory boards and the core members, formed by ex-trainees, professional and advanced artists and professors from other Institutions. The direction provides the necessary administrative organization as well as the contacts with founders, contributors and institutions, on a National and International level. Activities of CCAA:
The CCAA is launching a support campaign for the following activities, divided into 4 categories:
i. Running the courses and workshops by national and international contemporary artists. The courses - The contemporary art in Afghanistan is at a starting point, First CCAA established and then the centre has an educational activity and is conducting courses, workshops by National and international artists,
c. CCAA, following recruits new members into the centre activities starting with courses. The courses are the core of the centre activities, they are organized throughout the year in accordance with the necessities of the artists: beginners and advanced. The courses are held by the core members of CCAA in EXiLe as well as visiting professors and artist. Every year the Centre organizes exhibitions about these activities showing to the Afghan society the operas produced by trainees during or after the courses. f. The workshops - The CCAA in EXiLe is open and welcomes activities in collaboration with other's people and institution at a National and International level. The outcomes of this collaboration are mainly workshops held for the education of the centre members: beginners, advanced, professionals. g. h. According to our Vision. Our activities through continuous education at all levels will increase the number of individual and creative artists in Afghanistan: improving, developing and upgrading the teaching and creative standards in the country and the acceptance and development of contemporary art in Afghan society. ii. financing the core of the centre
a. Running of contemporary Art Gallery. iii. A SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM
iv. The CCAA in EXiLe core members, according to its own history and belief, will work to implement the independency of the centre. The projects aiming to contribute to the CCAA in EXiLe economy are the establishing of an art-gallery and the designing of arts and cultural events. The CCAA in EXile do not ask any inscription fee to trainees, rather we share the result of the learning process and when an opera is sold we do share the incoming. This is how we are working since 2008. We do love this concept because this doesn't charge the families, but sometimes bring them money. On the other side CCAA in EXiLe has a consistent administrative and financial system and procedures. It maintains period lessons learned sessions at all its management levels and update and fine-tune accordingly best meet internal and donor requirements. It has 10 years’ experience in implementing projects in the field of arts. The members of the management team are professional and have years of experience working with government and international organizations. What brought them together is the common vision and utilization of resources with effectiveness and efficiency. It experiences reporting structure to the best way of meeting donor and stakeholders requirement and do look for ways to best illustrate what has actually been implemented in association with lessons learned and proposal for continual improvement sessions. CCAA in EXiLe possess strong financial management, accounting systems and procedures based on General Accepted Accountancy Principles. It has experienced managing several projects. v. improving the training offer
a. improving contemporary arts library equipped with multimedia devices;
b. re-publishing of “Gahnama-e-Hunar” the only Art Magazine of Afghanistan. vi. Design of art and cultural events. vii. trans-cultural and exchange projects, scholarships for students. Conducting national and international exhibitions. i. Conducting conferences, presentations, seminars, artistic talk by national and international artists, art aspects. j. Provide the youths to participate in international art competitions, and exhibitions. k. To provide study at distance for women in art field;
l. Residency for Afghan artists abroad and vice versa;
m. Organizing of exchange international programs;
Publication:
1- Art magazine
“Gahnama-e-Hunar” which started in 2000. It is included of painting, drawing, music, cinema, theater, calligraphy, photography and It also has a part for theory and history of arts and contemporary arts. The most important goal for the magazine is to improve the level of interest and artist’s knowledge of artists and art lovers’ about contemporary arts. On that time Gahanma-e-Hunar was the only art magazine in the aria of Afghans cultural activities inside and outside of Afghanistan. The Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in EXiLe has been relocated to Frankfurt, Germany since 2021.
