SAVE is a cultural research program based on volunteerism and community participation. It was initiated as the first project of the YEMRSH Initiative, a digital art archive focused on documentation and digitalization. This program encompassed four artistic and cultural research projects covering the following topics: Yemeni female singers, advertisements in 1950s Adeni newspapers, the cultural magazine Al-Fonoon, and the history of theater in Aden. Over a period of three months, eleven volunteers conducted research, received training, and produced a magazine documenting their findings. Additionally, an event was held in Aden in October 2023, where researchers presented their experiences and results from the project.
The primary goal of the project is to amplify the voices of researchers in the fields of art and culture in Aden. YEMRSH aims to foster collaboration and build a Yemeni archive in both Arabic and English, making it freely accessible to the public and providing comprehensive online resources for future generations.
Wala Al-Sadi is a student of Communication and Audiovisual Production at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Recently, she was spending a semester abroad at Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA. Al-Sadi's engagement in the arts and cultural sector began in 2022 through her volunteer work at the Modern and Contemporary Arts Museum (MACAM) in Lebanon. She has also contributed as a social media content creator and designer for Al-Yamaniah, a platform dedicated to supporting Yemeni female artists. Additionally, she is involved with the Boncast podcast, which explores Yemen's cultural heritage. Al-Sadi has a deep interest in art, history, music, culture, and research, and she aspires to pursue a career in producing, writing, and archiving Yemeni culture.
Favorite moment
"I thoroughly enjoyed the project overall, despite the challenges and obstacles. A moment I will never forget, even though I couldn't experience it in person, was the event in Aden where we presented the project results. Running the project remotely from Lebanon and the US meant I missed many moments with my team and our incredible group of volunteers, including the closing event. I followed the livestream on Instagram, and it was wonderful to see the researchers presenting their work and hear the comments from visitors. Another moment to highlight was visiting Jordan and meeting people from all over Yemen who are working to enhance cultural activity in the country. I am immensely proud of what we accomplished!"
