Raheleh Filsoofi receives Tennessee Arts Commission Grant
Raheleh Filsoofi, assistant professor of art and Steinert Family Dean’s Faculty Fellow in Race, Racial Justice, and Social Justice, has been awarded a Tennessee Art Commission Grant for her project, “The Resonance of the Lands: Finding Identity and Place in Tennessee Through Clay, Music, and Community.”
The program involves mapping and extracting clay from various locations across the city to create 25 clay instruments, taking inspiration from the traditional Middle Eastern clay darbuka. By hosting interactive workshops, the immigrant and refugee community will have the opportunity to establish a profound connection with the land, embrace their historical significance within Nashville’s social-political landscape, and join together to create empowering community performances.
Filsoofi has already begun to collect soil from construction sites within the Vanderbilt campus and hopes to complete her work in spring 2024. Her ultimate goal is to curate performances at the Blair School of Music and within the Nashville community. She aims to invite and engage the community, for participation and collaboration with the musicians to create a new rhythm within the city’s soundscape.
About RDS
The grant proposal was supported by Research Development and Support, which offers proposal development assistance for both private foundation and government funding opportunities. Their services include searching for new sponsors, content development, and draft review. Furthermore, RDS enhances faculty support by fostering relationships with external sponsors, conducting workshops, and offering guides and phrasing for common proposal needs. RDS is a department within the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. For more details about RDS contact them at rds@vanderbilt.edu.
Original article written by Jim Alderdice