Melding a traveling multimedia arts installation, with an interactive web series and feature length documentary you will have the opportunity to meet the women, men and children of Gaza through their artwork, poetry and music. Housed in a traveling architectural space you will experience being inside the siege, you will have an opportunity to ask questions, to learn and perhaps come away with a new perspective on this troubling conflict. Through their artwork, poetry and music, those living inside the siege speak eloquently about their situation...our mission is to bring their messages from the inside to the outside. We have a confirmed date in London, August 18 - 28 at the OXO Building, South Bank. A subsidy grant has been made available from the Coin Street Community Builders. Additional funding is needed for final design and construction of the the installation in London, for subsequent travel to other venues in the UK, Europe and beyond

What we'll deliver:

• We will do the final design and construction of the traveling arts installation
• We will transport original art from Gaza to London
• We will travel with the installation to other London and UK locations
• We will museum quality print artwork not able to leave Gaza
• We will set up and open the installation for free for 14 days in South Bank

Why it's a great idea:

For those of us living outside the Gaza Strip we take many things for granted.....being able to conceive of this arts project and actualize it will be difficult, but certainly not impossible. For those inside Gaza, however, these basic rights and freedoms are not a given. Asmaa Tayeh writing on the web site We Are Not Numbers articulates the situation far, far better than anyone not experiencing life inside. Her reality is the motivation for our efforts. ________________ In a couple of weeks, I'll turn 20 years old. ....Like everyone else, I used to dream and imagine things I wanted to have or do. But you know what? I live in two worlds. The first one is the same as yours and the second one is mine. I do everything I want or dream about in my imagination; I close my eyes, talk to myself, reply and smile. Ok, yes, I'm crazy. But I don't care if people consider me so because I would rather be crazy and happy in my own world than be realistic and sad in the other.......

Steps to get it done:

• Arrange for digital files of artwork not able to be shipped
• Arrange transport of original artwork from Gaza
• Construct traveling installation and kiosks at OXO
• Finalize design for traveling installation
• Print digital files and mount
• Welcome the public
• Complete video editing of artist profiles
• Mount artwork and install all audio/video and lighting

For our South Bank installation. We begin with six large format digital portraits of the artists presented in six kiosks at key intersections along the river walkway in South Bank. At each location visitors will find a portrait, introducing these men and women to visitors. Each portrait will be identified with the artist's name, along with family story. At each kiosk a question, a multiple-choice question, will be posed to visitors concerning the issues inside Gaza. These questions will be graphically displayed at each kiosk, also articulated on a 4 x 6 art card that viewers will be encouraged to take with them. Visitors will be encouraged to participate in the experience by collecting all six cards and marking the correct multiple-choice answer. All answers can be found on the companion web/mobile application. When all cards are collected visitors can bring them to our main installation in the OXO courtyard and receive a specially designed poster exclusive to this event.