New programs, residency initiatives and an extended international reach will be part of Art Jameel’s exciting future after it agreed to a landmark partnership with London-based Delfina Foundation designed to maximize each organisation’s global impact.

Under the terms of the agreement, Art Jameel will have access to Delfina Foundation’s network and expertise in running arts residencies, while Delfina Foundation will benefit from the strategic thinking powering Art Jameel and its sister organization Community Jameel.

Fady Jameel, President of Art Jameel, will join Delfina Foundation’s board of trustees. Along with Art Jameel Director Antonia Carver, he will contribute to shaping Delfina Foundation’s short and medium-term future. Aaron Cezar, Director of Delfina Foundation, has been appointed as Senior Advisor at Art Jameel.

Fady Jameel said: “We have long admired the work of Delfina Foundation and its founder, Delfina Entrecanales, who has nurtured artists for more than 30 years.  Their base at Catherine Place is a home-from-home for artists in London, particularly those from the Middle East.

“Art Jameel shares with Delfina Foundation an ethos that is artist-centric and that is committed to the exceptional power of the arts to generate ideas and facilitate exchange – between practitioners, between artists and audiences, and between contrasting disciplines and schools of thought.  Art Jameel has always worked in collaboration with like-minded organisations to create opportunities for artists from the Middle East; this major new partnership marks a truly exciting new chapter for both organisations.”

Art Jameel is based in Dubai and Jeddah. Its programmes range from heritage preservation to contemporary arts exhibitions and commissions, while research and learning opportunities are central to its philosophy. Art Jameel’s long-term partners include the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (London).

Delfina Foundation, which launched in 2007, is London’s largest provider of international artistic residencies.

Art Jameel and Delfina Foundation will now partner on discrete projects including co-commissions, exhibitions, and events.