Arian Moayed’s Waterwell has teamed with nonprofit Nimruz to launch a grant program to support emerging Iranian creatives to tell their stories.
Under the moniker Unseen Iran Artist Grants, the initiative will provide emerging and established artists from the greater Iranian diaspora communities with funding, mentorship and a platform for their works across narrative disciplines like film, theater and beyond, particularly those whose works explore Iranian identity, cultural diversity and contemporary issues. The program will offer three to five grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000. Applications are due Sept. 15, and grantees will be alerted on Nov. 15.
“So much about Iran’s culture, humanity and art has been stripped down to nothing more than misinformed headlines and damaging stereotypes that don’t need repeating. For decades and decades, we rarely see Iranians telling our stories without the Western lens dominating the narratives,” explained Succession star Moayed in a statement. “These Unseen Iran grants give a voice to our Iranian storytellers to create art on their own terms, all the while, building a community and network of artists from our own diverse Iranian communities.”
Added Nimruz executive director Sepanta Mohseni: “We are looking for stories that explore identity, solidarity and the diverse voices within our community, particularly those that are underrepresented. By investing in these stories, we hope to foster cultural healing and unity, and to support artists who reflect the depth and breadth of the Iran of today.”
News of the grants comes on the heels of a collaborataion between Waterwell and Nimruz in January that saw the organizations develop programming to support Blind Runner at St. Ann’s Warehouse. Created by the Iranian troupe Mehr Theatre Group, the production was produced as part of Under the Radar Festival and performed for three weeks.
More information on the grants are here.