Project yourself – Express your heart out

Long before the revolution was calling for liberty, 'Project yourself' was doing their part for the freedom of self-expression by offering up and coming artists a chance to be seen and heard

Centre
The author Barbara Ascher once wrote, 'There is a need to find and sing our own song, to stretch our limbs and shake them in a dance so wild that nothing can roost there, that stirs the yearning for solitary wings'. Egyptian youth are no different it seems and just like anyone else have an overwhelming need for creative expression.
‘Open-mic' which will take place on Friday 25 March is a part of the 12th 'Project yourself' project. During the event, participants are encouraged to present any mode of self-expression they feel like sharing with the world at large – or in the words of 'Project yourself's facebook page, "people expressing themselves through poetry, song, performance, and silence".
These events were launched in December 2009 by Lobna Fatani and Mariam el Quessny, who are keen to help establish Cairo's home-grown talent by providing them with an outlet for their work.
The aim of 'Project yourself ' is obviously not to create the ‘next big thing', instead preferring to concentrate on giving a voice to anyone who wants to be heard and give opportunities to those who can find no way to make their work public.
Last January at the one-year celebration of 'Project yourself , the audience preemptively voted for their favourite performers (who perform almost at every event), which showed that the brightest young talents tend to gravitate towards the event and making it a one-of-a-kind experience, unmissable for those with an interest in grassroots local art and culture.
The first event attracted 60 people but as word-of- mouth spread , more and more people eagerly flocked to the event which is usually held either in Makan downtown or Darb 1718 in the Fustat area. It is gradually becoming more and more popular perhaps because "There is a lot of honesty , it's very pure and uncommercialised", as Quessny told Ahram Online.
The atmosphere at a "Project yourself' event is always very welcoming and laid-back. The audience are willing to accept any form of performer, though there are favourites amongst veteran attendees, and you can expect anything from a poetry reading, stand-up comedy, music or even unclassifiable rambles or speeches and it is sure to become even more interesting.
"Self-censorship is going down , and people are critiquing the old regime, so all subjects have become open," Quessny notes. Also the event is steadily becoming less insular and is going beyond the educated upper-class who usually attend, and reaching out to mainstream Egyptian society.
With the warmth characteristic of the spirit of 'Project yourself' Quessny is keen to stress that everyone should consider performing, 'Come if you're shy, if you think you are unimportant or have nothing to say, you are so much than you think you are and even if you don't perform you are adding to your library of experiences and learning about how connected we all are," she said.
The 12th 'Project yourself' event will be held on Friday 25 March at 5.30 pm at Darb 1718 - Contemporary Art and Culture