Mission Statement
Our mission as an art school, situated in one of the most complex neighborhoods on the seam line between East and West Jerusalem, is to become a center of academic excellence encouraging its students and graduates not only to artistic achievements, but also to generate social change by contributing to and empowering the weak through community-based artistic volunteerism in Jerusalem and nationwide.
About the School
Founded in 1987 in the heart of Musrara, a West Jerusalem seam line neighborhood overlooking the old city and the Damascus Gate, Musrara School is an institution of higher education in the interdisciplinary arts providing professional training in the fields of photography, new media, new music, visual communication and phototherapy (3-year programs). Being located in a neighborhood still preserves memories of difficult absorption processes, discrimination, the school derives its activities from the area and its programs emphasize the importance of creating interdisciplinary art that deals with social action and community based work.
Our students (150 currently enrolled) are actively involved in all aspects of the making and influence the local and international scenes. They research new forms of expression, combine artistic work with new technology and are encouraged in community involvement (http://www.musrara.org/ , http://www.osef.musrara.co.il/En ).
Social Activities
As a socially aware institution, Musrara has developed over the years a variety of empowerment and social art enrichment activities such as the following:
Empowerment by Photography
The school runs tens of photography projects for disadvantaged communities such as workshops for Arab women from the Jerusalem periphery, workshops for mentally and physically challenged Jewish as well as Arab children and at risk youth, weekly photography and art classes for adolescent level advancement pupils, a phototherapy program for senior citizens and more, all this in complete synergy to our purpose as an art school as students and graduates take active part in the programs.
Our school’s location enables community from East Jerusalem and the periphery of Jerusalem to feel at ease coming over and participate in our activities, unlike other parts of the city.
Musrara Art Galleries
Within the premises of the school we operate three international art galleries exhibiting work of local and international artists, amongst them leading names, as well as students and alumni work. The galleries host circa 20,000 visitors annually. Link to one of the current exhibitions: http://www.musrara.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=781&Itemid=911
Musrara Mix Festival
The school initiates and produces the festival, an annual event (this was its 16th year) which takes place within the school spaces, Musrara neighborhood residential houses, private yards and alleys (http://www.musraramixfest.org.il/ ). The festival is open to the public - in 2015 it hosted about 7,000 visitors.
It exposes to the audience circa 100 of new works annually.
Link to a short video of Musrara Mix 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WWHJ_Lr9lY