A Message from the Executive Director Dear Friends, Recently a newspaper reporter asked us if the Silk Road Project’s efforts to “use art and music as a way of connecting people” were more or less important today, given the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Iraq.
The Silk Road Project was founded to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of other cultures and beliefs, with the hope that we may better address our differences if we appreciate our commonalities. From Baku to Tel Aviv, from the Art Institute of Chicago to the Rhode Island School of Design, the Silk Road Ensemble performances, residencies and educational programs described in this newsletter have been met with standing ovations, enthusiasm and support. During the past six months, in partnership with the Silk Road Project, the Stanford Program on International and Cross- Cultural Education (SPICE) has developed a new “Along the Silk Road” curriculum for students in grades 6–10, which focuses on the cultural, economic and geographic aspects of the Silk Road. Students will use music, art, geography, science and math to explore the cross-cultural influences that occurred via this historic trading route as well as the interconnectedness of people and ideas throughout the world. The new educational material will be introduced to 1,800 Chicago Public School students in the fall and was tested during an interactive workshop held for 80 teachers at the Art Institute of Chicago and funded by the Fry Foundation. As always, we would like to thank our generous individual donors as well as the Ford Motor Company, our global corporate partner; Mikimoto & Co., Ltd., our museum residency sponsor; Ab Initio Software; and the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for their ongoing support. Finally, I want to thank Yo-Yo Ma, who in addition to serving as our artistic director and visionary has pledged a $900,000 challenge grant to support our work in Chicago. Inspired by Yo-Yo’s pledge, a Chicago leadership team headed by Margot and Cindy Pritzker is aiming to match his donation with private contributions. To learn about the challenge grant, please call us at (401) 427-6980 or write to me directly at: Laura_Freid@silkroadproject.org. We need the support of all of you who are dedicated to finding connections to cultures seemingly very different. Sincerely, |
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Her question made me think about facts and truths. In times as dire as these, art and music can seem ethereal. Yet when we look at larger truths about identity and conflict and ask why we find ourselves in such a fractured world, art and music may be even more important than ever. 
