An Artists’ Incubator in southern Tel Aviv that deals with the connection between art and Jewish culture, and which is the result of collaboration between the Sapir Center and Neve Schechter

The Artists’ Incubator, in which the participants will develop art projects that grown from Jewish Israeli culture, was created from a collaboration with a group of artists who met at Neve Schechter during the Covid lockdown periods to create artworks together.

The incubator is based on the understanding that the general Israeli perception views Judaism and art as two distinct and unrelated fields. Many young artists regard Judaism as outdated and static – a domain belonging exclusively to the “religious” – that bears no relevance to their own lives.

The incubator seeks to change these perceptions and to encourage artists to explore Jewish culture, to find connections that are relevant for them and for their communities, and to develop an artistic language that draws inspiration from Jewish-Israeli culture.

In the 2022-23 academic year, the incubator is focusing on the subject of learning.

The program includes 12 sessions in which the participants study and discuss sources and ideas from Jewish culture about learning, while addressing entrepreneurial tools in general and specifically those of artistic entrepreneurship, and 12 sessions of peer learning aimed at influencing the artists’ work in both the short- and long-terms.

Furthermore, the incubator participants take part in community events for the general public held around holidays and lead workshops for children and adults that are based on the link between artists and Jewish Israeli culture.

Participants:

Young artists in the process of building their professional reputation with growing influence that is expected to increase. The artists participating in the Incubator during the 2022-23 academic year are:

  1. Yair Meyuhas – photographer
  2. Meital Raz – actress and independent artist
  3. Adva Weinstein – performance artist
  4. Alit Kreiz – English-Israeli performance artist and actress
  5. Zvi Sahar – Theater creator and actor
  6. Ayelet Golan – theater director, puppeteer, writer, and teacher
  7. Renana Raz – Israeli dancer, choreographer actress and singer
  8. Moran Duvshani – multidisciplinary artist, visual and performance theater artist
  9. Shai Tsabari – vocalist and musician
  10. Yael Finkel – actress
  11. Ofir Yudlevitch – choreographer, dancer
  12. Dafna Karon – curator, artist, artistic director

Expected Results

  • Creation of a home for artists to develop thinking, language, and creativity around Jewish-Israeli culture
  • Three community events with 150 participants at each event (with an online broadcast for others)