”Illuminated dreams” is a pilot-project, consisting of a cross-disciplinary practice of social sculpture and psyco-drama, where the civil society organisation Life Foundation, Egypt and art organisation, Art Agent, Sweden produces workshops for female ex-prisoners in Alexandria and Aby Hammad, Egypt. It will be an exchange of art practices between the organisations in Egypt and Sweden, implementation of art and drama workshops, meetings and building of networks for the the future. The projects aims to give the women new channels to express themselves freely in society.

partnership (Swedish and international partner/s)

Art Agents artists have worked in Tirana, Albania since 2007, together with the human rights

organization Refraction Association in order to improve the living conditions and integration into

society for female prisoners after sentence. The collaboration has proved that the art method social

sculpture has been a valuable tool for integration and freedom of speech. The possibility to use artistic

expression provides the ability to work with emotions and in this process reach a greater self-awareness

for the participants. Life Foundation started 2013 in Abu Hammad city, Sharqia Governorate, Egypt for

the rehabilitation and social reintegration of former prisoners. Founded by a former female prisoner and

a group of lawyers and volunteers, the organizations delivers programmes for the rehabilitation of post release

prisoners as well as marginalized groups, with the aim of reducing re-offending and rebuilding

lives. Sociodrama and psychodrama are important treatments. Charlotte Åberg, president and Lott

Alfreds, Pontus Lindvall, artists, ArtAgent will be responsible from Sweden. Nermeen El-Bahtyty,

director, Bassem Samir, actor, script-writer and Haggar Mustfa, art-pedagogue , Life Foundation will be

responsible from Alexandria and Abu Hammad, Egypt. They will invite targeted women, psychologists,

pedagogues, social workers in Alexandria and Abu Hammad, Egypt. The mission for both Sweden and

Egypt partners is to raise awareness among a larger audience in a cross-disciplinary field in art, social

work and human right .

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