About AFCA for Arts & Culture

AFCA is an Independent Organization under the name "AFCA for Arts and culture." Its mission is to work with children and teens in English and Arabic as well as the French language; always maintaining the same concept of "Education through Art". AFCA presents cultural and artistic workshops, events and festivals by using creative artistic tools for the development and progress of personal skills.

According to the AFCA strategic plan for the next 5 years, one of the significant mission is to increase the role of youth in society and provide them freedom of speech and expression to participate in a vital way through a number of different art and cultural projects while simultaneously exploring their talents and natural artistry.

AFCA Mission: Education Through Art

Taking learning to a different dimension through art helps many people to learn easily and quickly. Similarly, they are able to overcome many problems relating to loss of focus, low self-esteem, confidence, and team building. AFCA uses education through art techniques that will work with almost anyone at any age and seeks to improve languages, accents, soft skills, phonetics, mathematics, science, geography, chemistry, biology, self-confidence, and raising self-esteem

Goals of Education Through the Arts Program:

• To promote the academic, social, and emotional growth of students
• To successfully engage all children in learning through participatory hands-on activities
• To improve the academic achievement of all students
• To provide teachers with a diverse array of instructional tools
• To develop a strong sense of purpose and direction in every student
• To promote creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.
• To provide opportunities for self-expression and self-discovery
• To create an artistic context with which to explore cultural, ethical, and social issues.

AFCA's Objectives:

1. Working with children from 4 – 12 years old through the concept of education through art.
2. Working with teens to help them overcome issues related to their age through art.
3. Discovering the hidden talents and skills in both children and teens, and giving them the necessary tools to become professional artists in the future.
4. Using art as a means to enhance communication, team building, and confidence.
5. Creating AFCA arts education manuals in three languages (French, English and Arabic).
6. Building a team of professional artists, providing them with training to be part of the team for continuing AFCA's mission in the future.
7. Working with talented individuals on their artistic gifts and helping them to participate in live shows and exhibitions produced by AFCA.
8. Helping people to explore new languages, accents, and ideas through art.
9. Working with everyone in all levels of the community (Orphans, Underprivileged and public schools) in order to build a new creative environment and culture for society today.
10. Allowing people from different generations to interact artistically through training programs, internships, volunteering programs, and participating in cultural events and festivals produced by AFCA.
11. Cooperating with international as well as local foundations and organizations to develop and support the AFCA mission.
12. Establishing a yearly artistic and cultural program to strengthen AFCA's mission through concerts, musicals, plays, short movies, and presentations.
13. Organize yearly book, music and theatre festivals by the AFCA Team.

AFCA Strategic Plan:

After ten years of Success in Egypt, AFCA's plan is based on two main programs: Arts Education program: (arts workshops in different forms) and the cultural program: (Festivals & Events)

1. AFCA Arts Education Program

Artistic Clubs: AFCA offers artistic clubs throughout the year during the school vacation (New Year and summer) where different art classes are held for Children through performing arts, visual arts, cinema and cooking all supervised by professionals at AFCA premises.

AFCA in schools: Instead of having schools make a trip to AFCA, the team of teaching artists goes to the schools and works with the students there. The program can be after school activities or among the school schedule.

2. AFCA Cultural Program:

Hakawy International Arts Festival for Children, it is a yearly international Arts Festival occurring usually in the last week of March, presenting performances focusing on storytelling, Theatre, Dance, Music and workshops. The Workshops include Drama, Visual Art, Cooking, and Creative writing targeting children from all society levels from 0 to 12 years and their parents, teachers, tutors and the public. During the festival there are sessions to develop training for teachers, Artists and child care workers through the arts and presentations for parents to talk with experts in order to develop parenting skills.

The festival usually hosts shows from Egypt and several countries worldwide to enrich the society through different perspectives and backgrounds.

3. AFCA professional Shows and performances:

AFCA puts on artistic and music shows as well as musicals, storytelling and plays for children in many venues in Egypt, producing the whole show by professional artists who work with AFCA in choosing unique themes in Arabic, French and English languages.

4. AFCA's Training:

Education Through Art Training: To continue and sustain the mission and deliver it to everyone, AFCA provides trainings throughout the year for teachers, facilitators and Artists who are working with children.

Arts Management Training: Because its important to help and cooperate with other organizations, AFCA presents Arts Management Training after three years intensive fellowship at Kennedy Center in Washington DC, moving the knowledge to other institutions and organizations in Egypt working in the same field, providing them the tools and skills to manage their workplaces.

5. AFCA in the community:

AFCA offers education through art to orphans and students in Arabic national schools with the aim of expanding its mission to everyone in society; especially people who can't afford an equal chance at accessing all the categories of society. AFCA believes that arts have to be shared with everyone in order to build a new creative environment and culture for society today.