Soulbird is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Ryan White’s Camp Unity, a film that will document the courage, spirit, and celebration of American Voices’ 2008 Unity Academy in Erbil and Suleimaniya, Iraq this July.  Ryan White is a gifted filmmaker and environmentalist, specializing in documentary films of ecological subject matters.  He is currently working freelance in Bangkok, Thailand and continues to provide footage for the World Wildlife Fund.

Watch a video from last year’s 2007 Unity Academy:

Our official statement of sponsorship:

Soulbird believes strongly in the use of music and the arts as agents of lasting social change, and we salute the groundbreaking work in cultural diplomacy that American Voices is doing through the Second Unity Performing Arts Academy. We are delighted to support Soulbird Ryan White’s endeavors to document this musical celebration of building intercultural harmony, in a region that has long been torn by conflicts. Soulbird is proud to be a producing partner in the making of Camp Unity, and looks forward to helping to bring this important documentary to audiences around the world.

The three 10-day programs in Iraq, presented by American Voices, will bring together over 300 young actors, musicians, and dancers from all regions of the country, including Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, and Basra, for educational workshops and public performances of Jazz and Classical music, Broadway scenes, and Hip-Hop dances.

2007 Unity Academy (photo courtesy of American Voices):

The 2008 Unity Academy embodies Soulbird’s core values of bridging communities and dismantling barriers through the power of these art forms.  We salute Ryan White, John Ferguson, and American Voices for their efforts to extend cultural diplomacy and intercultural harmony to the Middle East.

Visit Camp Unity’s project page here.

If you’d like to contribute to the success of the film, please visit Camp Unity’s indiegogo profile here.

To sponsor plane tickets or equipment like lens filters, visit our donate page.