Step by step

Chronology/Balady project progress to date

July 2012:

- Call for application Tandem/Shaml – Cultural managers exchange Europe- Arab region is open until July 15.

- Selection of 18 Tandem/Shaml cultural managers.

August 2012:

- 29 August-2 Sept: Partnership forum in Tunisia August: discussion on project ideas, line up of Donia/Emilie’s tandem/partnership.

September 2012:

- Restricted call for applications to Tandem Cultural managers exchange Europe-Arab region open until 16 September 2012.

October 2012: 

Balady is selected as a Tandem/Shaml project that will be co-funded by the Tandem Programme.

November 2012: 

Start of the project/Kick off meeting in Istanbul for all Tandem projects.

December 2012- February 2013: Research period

In Barcelona:

-identification of institutions which are direct and indirectly related to belly-dancing (belly-dancing schools and teachers, bellydancers, musician, local immigrants associations, therapists, women based organizations…).

-searching of art initiatives (especially bellydance) which are implemented in Spain in order to struggle against gender issues like gender based violence,

-research on the number of Arabic immigrants living in Barcelona.

In both Cairo and Barcelona:

- Observation of women situation (gender stereotypes and inequities),

Preparation of a questionnaire which varies according to the interviewed person profile (man or woman/professionals directly involved in belly-dancing or not…).

- Realization of interviews with key persons in Barcelona (see details in Testimonies)

- Communication on the project through Interarts newsletter

- Building alliances in order to organize the workshops in Cairo and Barcelona

February 14-18: 
- Bellydance workshop in Cairo in a lady’s house and El Warsha with 10 women participating (political activists, artists, students…)

- Emilie’s first placement in Egypt from February 14 to 21 to work on the project

- Meetings with cultural actors: el Warsha, el Fayoum….

March 2013:

- Donia’s placement in Barcelona 10-24 March: filming Barcelona streets, filming bellydance workshops, realization of street interviews and key persons interviews.

- January/February/March: filming Cairo’s streets and protests.

- March: Design, preparation and communication on the workshop in Barcelona.

- On 15 March: Workshop with 4 participants in La Miranda association.

- On 19 March: Workshop at Interarts Foundation.

- On 20 March: Workshop in Bonnemaison Center (CCFD) with 20 participants.

April 2013:

- 1-7 April 2013: Donia travels to Tunisia: filming protests and street artists, interviews of Tunisian artists: dancers, choreographers, directors.

- Communication on the film and on the workshop celebrated in Barcelona in Interarts website.

- Some more interview in Barcelona.

- Analysis of all the information and documents produced since the beginning of the project.

- Selection of images.

- 28 April- 6 May 2013: Emilie’s second placement in Egypt.

May 2013:

- Discussion on the film’s structure and contents.

- Editing in Cairo (Hassala film).

- Preparation the Tandem/Shaml final event in Berlin.
- Organisation of the first screenings of the film.

June 2013:

-14 June: First screening of Balady movie in Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (ZK/U), during Tandem/ Shaml final event in Berlin.
- Preparation of Spanish subtitles.
- 27 June: Screening and short discussion on the movie in “la Bonne” Centre de Cultura Francesca Bonnemaison in Barcelona.

July 2013:

- 18 July: Screening in Cadmus Arabic school in Barcleona.

- 25 July: First screening in Al-Warsha Theatre Group in Cairo.