In December 2011 the British Council still dared publishing a report in which “the flowering of arts in Syria” was heralded and in which it announced learning would never stop. Now that latter certainly has to be the case, since with Assad and Putin and the West playing games with human rights the regular citizens of Syria are the victims. And they have to keep on thinking of and learning about new and creative ways to have the world look at them. For the world not to fall in the trap of Assad’s intention of having the revolution being labeled as a civil war.

This blog has posted on Syria before and will most certainly keep on doing so. What the brave peaceful opposition in Syria is doing is nothing but heroic. Two weeks ago Dutch Impakt Festival hosted an event with movies curated by Charlotte Bank . See one of that movies, ‘Smuggling 23 minutes of Revolution’, here. Or see a short registration of one of the great ways of diffusing information to audiences by using balls or here . The international supportive campaign Adopt a revolution used that same way of communication at various festivals this summer. To show to Syrians they are not forgotten. That their struggle is supported. Even though images as this report from Homs would suggest the opposite.

The fact that the Dutch Prince Claus Funds, an international foundation supporting the arts, opened up an exhibition in their gallery in Amsterdam contradicts that suggestion. In the show Culture in defiance the fund shows work of various Syrian artists. The show, which opened in June even made the Dutch television, largely due to the presence of Ali Ferzat whose fingers were brutally broken by the Assad regime to prevent him from drawing his cartoons. Read more on Ali Ferzat here or see his cartoons here.

Within the framework of the exhibition in Amsterdam the Prince Claus Funds and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts organize an evening with Syrian movies at August 14th. See you there! In the meantime be inspired by this great series of cartoons and puppetry shows.

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