Al Ismaelia, UNESCO and EUE Partner to Bring Youth Artists Programme to Downtown Cairo

Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, UNESCO’s Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan, and European Universities in Egypt (EUE) have partnered to bring the Youth Artists Programme to Downtown Cairo, bringing together 21 emerging artists aged 17–25 from Egypt, Sudan and Palestine.

The five-day programme, fully sponsored by UNESCO and hosted academically by the University of East London through European Universities in Egypt (EUE), provides participants with intensive mentorship to strengthen their artistic, professional and creative skills, while encouraging cultural exchange, dialogue and inclusion.

As part of the collaboration, Al Ismaelia will open its cultural spaces in Downtown Cairo to the program and its participating artists. The Factory by Al Ismaelia will host the program’s jury day on 30 August, with Al Ismaelia CEO Karim Shafei joining the jury committee responsible for selecting the winning projects.

The collaboration will then bring the artists’ work into the heart of Downtown Cairo through a public exhibition. The exhibition will open at The Factory by Al Ismaelia on 8 September, before continuing at Art Lane, Cinema Radio, until 15 September, extending the artists’ exposure beyond the mentorship program and creating an opportunity for the public to engage directly with their work.

Commenting on the collaboration, Karim Shafei, CEO of Al Ismaelia for Real Estate Investment, said: “Downtown Cairo has always been a place where different generations, ideas and forms of creative expression come together. By supporting this program, we are ensuring young artists have access to spaces where their work can be seen, discussed and taken seriously. Giving emerging talent that kind of platform is an important part of how we see the role of our buildings and cultural spaces in Downtown as places that actively contribute to the city’s cultural life.”

The initiative builds on Al Ismaelia’s wider approach to the revitalization of Downtown Cairo, where the restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings is accompanied by programs and spaces that bring art, culture and creative communities back into the area.

Through the collaboration with UNESCO, Al Ismaelia aims to give the participating artists greater visibility at an early stage in their professional journeys, while creating further opportunities for audiences to experience and engage with new artistic voices from Egypt and the wider region