Iranian Artists Support Project
In October 2022, AFI took action in response to the crisis in Iran by launching the Iranian Artists Support Project (IASP) – an emergency-based, short-term project for Iranian artists at risk.
We hope that with the Iranian Artists Support Project (IASP), we can provide the support necessary for Iranian artists at risk and their dependents to preserve their livelihoods as artists in a safe environment, free of persecution.
Through IASP, Artistic Freedom Initiative aims to support 5-7 Iranian artists and their families by the end of January 2023 by providing:
- pro bono immigration representation
- resettlement assistance
- ongoing support post-relocation
This project is made possible through generous funding by the SDK Foundation for Human Dignity.
Since October 2022, Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) has received an unprecedented number of requests for legal assistance from Iranian artists/activists who are at grave risk due to the recent political turmoil in Iran. In the aftermath of the murder of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini by the Iranian regime’s so-called morality police, hundreds of ordinary Iranians have lost their lives. In its attempt to silence the collective voice of Iranians and hide the truth from the world, the regime has cut off all forms of cross-border communication and has rounded up hundreds of artists, activists, and journalists – individuals who all employ diverse modes of communication to disseminate news about the regime’s crimes.
For decades, artists have played a central role in highlighting the human rights abuses of the authoritarian regime in Iran, and over the past four years, AFI has remained committed to securing pro bono immigration assistance to Iranian artists at risk, providing assistance in 104 cases involving artists seeking refuge from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Many of these artists are now living and creating in the U.S., Europe, and other parts of the world and have built a strong creative diaspora.
During the recent turmoil, our team has fielded dozens of inquiries via email, social media, and our website from individuals and groups in urgent need of assistance. In response, AFI took immediate action by launching an emergency-based, short-term program for Iranian at-risk artists. We have developed the Iranian Artists Support Project (IASP) by drawing on our highly specialized expertise in providing immigration services and resettlement assistance to 1000+ at-risk artists who have been forcibly displaced from 50+ countries.
Please note that AFI intends to broadly define the term artists for this program, which will include assistance to creative journalists and cultural workers, as well as visual artists, musicians, and writers.
AFI’s team possesses the expertise, skills, and experience necessary to launch and operate this project, as we have recently demonstrated in response to the crisis in Afghanistan, which thus far has assisted over 70 artists at risk, including immigration services, housing, and fellowships with institutions such as the New School, University of Pennsylvania, the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. AFI’s work in this program was covered in publications such as NPR and the Art Newspaper.
Given AFI’s expertise and proven track record, few organizations are better positioned to launch a comprehensive and nuanced project like IASP, which centers on legal and resettlement services and to create programs that provide opportunities for at-risk and forcibly displaced artists to collaborate.
Help us fund our program
This project is made possible through generous funding by the SDK Foundation for Human Dignity. However, we seek additional funding to accelerate our response to the crises.
With additional funding, AFI will put into place the additional components required for this project’s success: an increase in our legal team’s capacity, vital funds to cover artists’ legal filing fees, basic living expenses for the artists upon arrival, and funds for collaborative works between at-risk artists.
AFI is a registered 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Photo credits: Nosrat Tarighi.
Stories - Our Iranian Artists
Ramin Seyed-Emami is better known by his stage name King Raam. He is a musician, singer, and host of Masty o Rasty Podcast. He left Iran following the death of his father, Kavous Seyed-Emami, a conservationist and sociologist, in the Islamic Republic regime’s prison where he was detained for interrogations.
Ramin Seyed-Emami is better known by his stage name King Raam. He is a musician, singer, and host of Masty o Rasty Podcast. He left Iran following the death of his father, Kavous Seyed-Emami, a conservationist and sociologist, in the Islamic Republic regime’s prison where he was detained for interrogations.