RUWAD | AHDAF Consulting & Training

A Qualification programme in Cultural and Media Leadership and Entrepreneurship Management

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OBJECTIVE OF RUWAD

RUWAD is a training and qualification training for young Palestinian artists, cultural practitioners, cultural managers, and cultural journalists with the objective to develop their skills in cultural management and entrepreneurial innovation development and management. In the time of digital transformation, escalating political turmoil and lacking job opportunities in the cultural sector a new sensibility for proactive skills are needed to obtain and sustainably develop with visions and new skills with fresh approach.

RUWAD aims to provide an all-inclusive training programme in master class format with one-on-one mentorship sessions between September-December 2024 for freshly graduated university students, cultural enthusiasts, and multi-talented artists transforming into managers (here-in-after known as the “Participants”) from 20-35 of age in Palestine with possibility to expand to further Palestinian participants from the diaspora (incl. the Arab World).

Looking at the current cultural landscape the participants are to address the current status quo with a critical eye and deepen their ideas to develop certain solutions in shapes of new cultural entrepreneurial models of sustainable collaborative business models in a visionary cultural eco-system.

RUWAD IS BUILT ON THREE PILLARS OF INTERACTIVE EDUCATION and experience transfer.

Creativity development

This pillar provides the participants of a full overview of the disciplines of contemporary fields practiced in the Palestinian cultural landscape from experienced trainers and mentors. The participants will lean towards a certain gerne or discipline such as music or visual arts but might also be completely lost in other disciplines.

This pillar is the heart of the RUWAD.

Organizational management

This pillar provides the participants skills structuring their ideas into shapes of management. They will be able to build a vision and set a strategy and analyze their cultural environment. They will be able to identify risks and opportunities and streer their projects accordingly. They will be to identify method of work and how operations can come into life.

This pillar is the mind of RUWAD.

Operational management

This pillar is the least popular but the most necessary to establish a functioning organization connecting the heart and the mind and establish a full functioning cultural initiative with operational infrastructure.

This pillar is muscle of RUWAD.

The modules

The modules of RUWAD are divided over the three pillars of interactive education and experience transfer..

Creativity development

Music festival and music production management

Music festival management and music production management

This master-class styled sessions is tailored for the Palestinian cultural landscape and covers the comprehensive planning, logistics, budgeting, marketing, technical production, audience engagement, legal, and business aspects essential for organizing culturally resonant and successful music events and producing music within the unique socio-political context of Palestine.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions.

Art of sound and podcast production management

This module will engage participants in cultural audio production trends and provide a sneak peek into cultural journalism formats, including podcast production and story development, along with effective working methods with artists and stakeholders.

Scope: One Session followed by mentorship sessions.

Film Funding, Pitching, and Film Screening Management

In the cultural sector, film funding remains one of the most costly and challenging endeavors. In this module, participants will learn essential preparatory steps for formulating a robust film funding campaign and understanding stakeholder responsibilities. A pivotal aspect will be a successful film pitching workshop aimed at nurturing young filmmakers, supplemented by film screening practices and essential success factors covered within the module.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions.

Theater and site-specific performance management

This module, divided into two sessions, covers theater performance management in both traditional theater settings and unconventional sites, tailored to fit the cultural and theatrical experience of the Palestinian audience, managers, and artists. These sessions will equip participants with the necessary knowledge and best practices in planning, logistics, budgeting, technical production, audience engagement, and business aspects.

Scope: Two sessions followed by mentorship sessions.

Visual arts and exhibition curation management

This module aims to showcase various forms of visual arts, including photography, paintings, installations, sculptures, video art, audio art, and more. It will teach the partictpants the dynamics between the artists, curators, and managers and their relationships to establish successful exhibitions in galleries or unconventional sites, tailored to fit Palestinian cultural practices.

Scope: One sessions followed by mentorship sessions

Visual documentation and digital storytelling management

Cultural productions in Palestine inherently carry political significance, as Palestinian history and present are deeply intertwined with political realities, shaping them in various ways. In this module, participants will learn how to develop authentic stories into cultural products that resonate with both historical narratives and contemporary realities.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions

Organizational management

Organizational development and adaptive leadership

This module explores the concept of cultural organizations, delving into the institutionalization of culture and examining the common ground that connects artists and managers for collaboration and development. It addresses these questions and more to provide a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions

Cultural Entrepreneurship and business plan development and sustenance

This module explores how cultural products and organizations can serve as sustainable platforms for cultural practitioners in Palestine. It examines the establishment of a balanced approach between artistic productions, economic practices, creative industries, and the Palestinian reality, aiming to develop sustainable business models from an independent financing and management perspective.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions

Operational management

Project and financial management

Cultural initiatives frequently have a temporary lifespan. This module examines the components of a successful cultural project, including identifying necessary stakeholders and ensuring a well-defined target audience reached through appropriate channels and language. Emphasis is placed on financial management, monitoring, control, and compliance with local laws and regulations. Participants will gain the necessary knowledge and access to templates for effective project management.

Scope: One session followed by mentorship sessions

Cultural identity, marketing and audience development management

Visuals serve as a crucial means of expressing the aims of a cultural project or product, projecting the artist's intentions and vision. Participants will acquire the skills necessary to establish correlations between art and audience, translating them into a visual identity that effectively reflects the project's essence.

Scope: One session followed with mentorship sessions.

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What to expect from RUWAD

Enrolling

After successfully enrolling at RUWAD and being selected by the jury members, participants will attend all learning sessions and have the opportunity to book experts for mentorship and advice throughout the program.

Mentorship

Alongside the learning sessions, participants may request mentorship from experts for multiple sessions to seek consultation and advice on advancing their final pitching projects. Given that the expected projects may be interdisciplinary, participants can request mentorship from multiple experts to build coherent projects with robust foundations.

Learning sessions

Participants are required to attend all learning sessions without exception. They are expected to gain comprehensive knowledge and expertise in all disciplines related to culture and media entrepreneurial management. The interactive sessions include discussion formats such as fishbowl and barcamps. Participants will learn how to coach themselves for future ideation initiatives and how to collaborate effectively with partners and artists.

Final Pitching Project

As part of RUWAD's objective to encourage participants to develop cultural management projects, upon completing the full program, participants are expected to present specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) project ideas during the final pitching session. They will have experts available for additional advice and mentorship.

The experts