With all the excitement swirling around the launch of the Delia Sessions, there’s been another project building quietly behind the scenes, and it’s time to start talking about. As a non-profit supporting musicians in conflict zones, it’s imperative that we listen. Not only to the music, but to what the actual needs are. Sure, we have some ideas, but they’re often through our Western-focused lens. During a meeting in Gaza in December that our friends at Cooking Vinyl led, we heard about an urgent need from the artists in attendance. What it boiled down to is that they need a physical space – a space to rehearse, perform in, learn in, record in, and most importantly, a space where they can build a community.
We went straight to work! With the guidance of our team member Ayman Mghamis, who is himself a musician in Gaza, we have developed a concept for the “Delia Arts Center“. We have a location, we’re talking to potential partners and the musicians who will benefit from it, we’ve gone to the music and furniture stores in order to create the budget. We see the urgent need, and we are responding!
The most exciting part of this project is that a whole community of musicians will be impacted. We’re addressing the needs expressed by providing rehearsal, recording and performance spaces along with the necessary equipment. No more artists having to worry about the logistics of moving their own instruments, amps, mics, etc. around town. A cornerstone of the program will be educational trainings for the musicians on all music-related topics. We’ll also provide opportunities to showcase the musicians internationally. Heck, we’re even talking about creating a radio broadcast! It will be managed locally, in partnership with other local arts and culture organizations, and in keeping with the mission of the Delia Arts Foundation, we are exploring how this center can contribute to the creation of a local music economy. The musicians involved will finally have the careers they’ve been dreaming of!
We know, we’re thinking big! We’re just trying to match the passion of the artists who so beautifully express themselves through their music. And while pieces of this may take some time to develop, we don’t want them to have to wait any longer. We’re opening the doors in 2020!
Stay tuned as we post updates about our progress.