CAIRO — Students in the Art Jameel Programme for Traditional Arts and Crafts will now get more creative as a new course has been added to the curriculum. The program, which now falls under the remit of Art Jameel, rather than Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), hasn't changed its essence of providing education in traditional art forms, an idea conceived by Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI) together with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the Prince's School of Traditional Arts (PSTA) back in 2009.
“The Traditional Arts & Crafts Program at Fustat is now in its 6th year and it has been delivering a consistently excellent level of teaching. Its success is clearly reflected by a greater number and higher quality of applicants from various fields. The PSTA believes that the success of the alumni of the program would revive the understanding, practice and appreciation of the traditional arts and crafts in Egypt and the region,” said Dr Khaled Azzam, director of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, London.
Since its inception, the two-year program has produced 40 graduates, of which some have gone on to become teachers themselves, have started their own production line of furniture and other objects, or have become artists in their own right exhibiting successfully.
Second year students in this academic year 2014-2015 are now also learning the principles of design as a new course at the The Fustat Centre, a leading center of Islamic arts and crafts, chosen as the base for the course.
“The course has been extremely successful over the years but this doesn't mean we can afford to stand still, innovation breeds new talents. Hence, we are constantly revising the curriculum adding new lectures and courses as required,” Fady Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, president of ALJCI International, commented on the decision to add a new course to the curriculum.
The curriculum teaches students to produce traditional arts and crafts, whilst allowing for contemporary techniques, and includes classes in geometry, floral patterns, observational drawing, and color studies. Students are also trained in craftsmanship in wood works, brass piercing, ceramics, gypsum and glass.
While the first year students started this academic year with an introduction to the geometry of drawing, they were also divided into two groups on crafts day, one focusing on ceramics and the other on gypsum and glass.
The second year students have already chosen specializations in their chosen crafts.
“We at ALJCI believe in the importance of keeping traditional art forms alive, and there is no better way than doing so fostering the talents of the young to become experts in what they love to do. The benefits of the program are twofold, for one it gives these youngsters the opportunity to eventually embark on a professional career with the skills they have gained, thus contributing to relieving unemployment, and secondly it promotes Islamic Art,” Fady Jameel said. — SG
