Musrara – The people creates the difference

The Naggar school of Photography, Media, New Music, Animation and Phototherapy in Musrara, Jerusalem, was set from the beginning to function as an institute with a different nature - open to it's environment, inspecting new approaches and dealing with hot issues concerning society in Israel. Early influences on the school’s spirit are the myths connected to the neighborhood of Musrara: its past as a border, as an impoverished place and as a ground for social struggle. All of these are integrated in the school’s being and vision.
The school has created a unique model of an undergraduate institution. As a photography school it has integrated immediately the potential of the medium to provoke social and visual consciousness.
The relationship between artists and the community is manifested over the years through many projects that involve teachers and students from school with community members. It is a framework that allows co-operation of people from different backgrounds, taking part in a creative process that has the potential to change both the artists and the community inside which they work. This concept perceives the creative process as a catalyst of change and a bridge over gaps in society.
The school is a creative institute that enables its students to become active artistically and professionally, with a strong link to inter-disciplinary creation. The uniqueness of the school is in the possibility it provides for students to work in an alternative setting that is open-minded and that places the student at the heart of school life and activity. The students themselves are from different backgrounds: religious, seculars, minorities and immigrants.
The school offers 5 departments in the 3 year course: Photography, New Music, Digital Media, Animation and Phototherapy.
The school also offers three post-graduates programs: Photo-therapy, The continuation studies program in photography and video (forth year) and a unique study program called 'Artists for Social Change'.
At present the school consists of 140 students from all departments.