Introducing the Iraqi Voices Amplification Project Artistic Team

News_08.09_IVAP-Newsletter
Michael Jordan, Kathryn Schulz, Paul Gordon Emerson, Tim Frakes, Kathryn Pilkington, Kim Schultz, Amikaeyla Proudfoot Gaston, and Alissa Everett

“It is our hope that through programs such as IVAP, we will be able to amplify the voices of displaced Iraqis and influence people of good will to pressure our government to do more to help those that have been displaced."

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

After months of planning and interviewing a highly competitive pool of applicants, Intersections is pleased to announce the delegation of artists that will travel to the Middle East in October for the Iraqi Voices Amplification Project. 

The delegation, which was assembled by Megan Hoelle and C. Eduardo Vargas, includes: Michael Jordan, media messaging expert and advertiser; Kathryn Schulz, writer and former magazine and newspaper editor; Paul Gordon Emerson, choreographer, artistic director and co-founder of City Dance; Tim Frakes, videographer and international video producer; Kathryn Pilkington, dancer at City Dance; Kim Schultz, actress, writer, teacher, improviser and stand-up comedian; Amikaeyla Proudfoot Gaston, singer and performer; and Alissa Everett, documentary photographer and writer.

“I am thrilled with the passion, artistic caliber and creative energy we will be taking with us in these artists,” said Hoelle. “I am confident that we will be able to shine a light on this important issue.”

“It is our hope that through programs such as IVAP, we will be able to amplify the voices of displaced Iraqis and influence people of good will to pressure our government to do more to help those that have been displaced,” said Vargas.

Vargas was part of a trip Intersections staff made to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in August 2008 in order to explore how to bring the stories of Iraqis back to the United States. “We saw many Iraqis refugees, without much hope of being resettled abroad, who were struggling to survive in the countries they were living in,” he said. “[They] were adamant about not returning to the violence of Iraq.”

The delegation will meet at Intersections’ office in New York City Sept. 13-14 for a planning session, and will work in the Middle East from Oct. 2 through Oct. 17. You can follow the artists on the trip on the new IVAP blog, coming soon. Once the artists return, they will develop a multimedia production that captures their experiences and highlights the stories of the Iraqis they meet.

Intersections hopes to mobilize public interest to improve the situation of Iraqi refugees. Find out more about Iraqi Refugees and the IVAP project by contacting C. Eduardo Vargas at cevargas@intersectionsinternational.org.