Annual Report 2010 | 2011 - Columbia Global Centers

musical telephone project was concluded in New York with a reinterpretation of Mumbai’s musical piece by
Christopher Washburne, Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance
Program at Columbia University.
Jordanian musicians Humam Eid and Abdulhaleem Khatib
perform at Muslim World Music Day
Film Series: A Tale of Three Cities – In collaboration with the Amman Institute for Urban Development,
the Center organized a film series in July titled, “A Tale of Three Cities: Debating our Urban Future.” The
series featured the screening of three documentaries including, Confronting Decline in an American City (2006),
City of the Big Shoulders (2006), and Quest for the Livable City (2009). The documentaries address the planning
of three major American cities: Cleveland, Chicago, and Portland respectively, including the ways in which
stakeholders dealt with issues such as land use, growth limitations, controlling sprawl, transportation planning,
land preservation, and community involvement. Each screening was followed by a panel discussion on how
the planning of these cities—whether a success or failure—could provide learning experiences for Jordanian
cities, as they move forward in urban development. The discussions featured participation by local experts,
and two GSAPP faculty members: Kamal Farah and Jenny Broutin.
The Deir Ghassaneh Project – In coordination with GSAPP and the Riwaq Center for Architectural
Conservation; a non-governmental, non-profit organization based in Ramallah, the Center helped organize a
workshop in August, which gathered a group of nine GSAPP students together with two faculty members, led
by Craig Konyk, GSAPP Adjunct Assistant Professor. Students worked on the documentation, rehabilitation,
and development of the architectural heritage of the “Throne Village” of Deir Ghassaneh (Bani Zeid) in the
West Bank. The workshop allowed students to learn from the successes and experiences of Riwaq and to make
an actual assessment and proposal for Deir Ghassaneh. The research and onsite fieldwork will form the basis
for a studio course to be offered at Columbia University.
Arts
In partnership with Columbia’s School of the Arts (SoA), the Center is continuing to develop a series of programs
in the arts, spanning from film screenings to creative writing. Activities of the Arts Program include:
Film Screening – In collaboration with SoA, the Center presented a special screening of the Academy Award
Winning documentary Man on Wire on December 15, 2010. An introduction and post-film discussion was
held with the film’s co-producer Maureen Ryan, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and Director of
Production at Columbia University’s School of the Arts.