Kurdistan Center for Arts and Culture

The Kurdistan Center for Arts and Culture (KCAC; ) is a non-profit cultural institution and digital archive based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region. Established in July 2023, the center focuses on the preservation of Kurdish oral history, music, and manuscripts through digital archiving, as well as the promotion of contemporary art and literature through exhibitions, translation projects, and architectural competitions.

The organization operates as a public hub for Cultural Research, photojournalism, and film, aiming to professionalize cultural infrastructure in the region. In 2025, KCAC presented its archival findings at the London School of Economics.

History

The KCAC was founded on July 19, 2023, by Barav Barzani to address the need for a centralized, modern infrastructure for Kurdish cultural heritage. It is headquartered in Erbil. The initiative has received recognition from regional leadership, with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani emphasizing the necessity of focusing on arts and culture to preserve national identity.

The organization has established partnerships with international entities, including the Institut Français (French Institute) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil, to facilitate cultural exchange.

In October 2025, the center initiated a restoration project to renovate a designated "Cultural House" in Erbil to serve as a permanent headquarters and cultural hub. The project was launched in coordination with the Erbil Governorate and the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism.

Activities

The center's work is divided into five primary sectors: digital archiving, visual arts exhibitions, architectural competitions, literary translation, and educational workshops.

KCAC Archive

The center maintains a digital repository dedicated to preserving at-risk Kurdish history. As of late 2025, the archive holds approximately 3,586 items, including rare manuscripts, booklets, newspapers, and photographs. The project utilizes modern digitization standards to prevent the loss of historical data.

In 2024, the center's digitization efforts were featured by international media outlets such as Voice of America and Barron's, which described the project as a "sacred job" to preserve threatened Kurdish culture. The archive has also partnered with the Jiyan Archives to establish a specific collection focused on women's memory and history in Kurdistan.

Qalat Awards

KCAC organizes the Qalat Awards, an annual international architecture competition. Unlike traditional conceptual competitions, the Qalat Awards aims to construct the winning designs as permanent urban interventions.

  • 2025 Cycle (Space Between Moments): Launched in August 2025 in partnership with Aadex Studios, this cycle challenged architects to design a "gathering space for the everyday" within the Sami Abdulrahman Park in Erbil. The brief called for a structure of 50–150 square meters that functions as a reimagined amphitheater for poetry readings or solitary reflection.
  • Academic Participation: The award has engaged local academic institutions, with students from universities such as Cihan University and Tishk International University (TIU) participating in the design challenges.

Translation and Publications

The center operates a Translation and Publication Department aimed at making Kurdish literature, folklore, and history accessible to English-speaking audiences. The department focuses on digitizing and translating works that previously lacked English translations. Notable releases include:

  • "Summit: For Halabja" (May 2024): A poem by the late Kurdish poet Jila Hosseini, translated to commemorate the Halabja chemical attack.
  • "The Ball in the Coffin" (May 2024): A short story by the writer Rauf Begard.

Exhibitions

KCAC organizes rotating art exhibitions that often utilize historical sites to bridge heritage with contemporary art:

  • Blue Orange (2024): A solo exhibition by artist Kaiwan Shaban held on March 2, 2024, at the Qishla of Akre. Organized in partnership with the Duhok Directorate of Antiquities, it was the first public event held at the historic site following its renovation and attracted thousands of visitors.
  • Being.Lost (2025): Held in February 2025 at the Public Park of Ranya, this exhibition focused on themes of displacement and the search for missing loved ones. Curated by Niga Salam and Anna Zamecka, it featured photography by Shamal Hisamaddin and sound installations by Hardi Kurda. The project was organized in partnership with the Polish government.

Workshops and Conferences

The center facilitates academic and linguistic workshops:

  • Digital Media and Language (2024): On May 7, 2024, KCAC partnered with the Institut Français in Erbil to host a workshop titled "The Impact of Social and Digital Media on the Kurdish Language."
  • Holy Qur’an in Kurdistan (2025): On June 3, 2025, the center hosted an event at the Rotana Hotel in Sulaymaniyah showcasing over 100 rare manuscripts of the Quran.