Intisar Foundation

Founded by HH Sheikha Intisar AlSabah, Intisar Foundation provides drama therapy programmes to enable the psychological recovery and self-empowerment of women traumatised by war and violence. The foundation seeks to promote peace across the Arab region and wants to positively impact one million Arab women by 2050.

Related sustainable development goals

  • Good Health and Well-Being
  • Quality Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • Partnerships for the Goals

Focus areas

Focus sectors

  • Arts
    • Performing arts
      • Performing arts education
      • Performance art
      • Theater
  • Education

Focus populations

  • Refugees and displaced people
  • Victims of conflict and war

Focus geographies

  • Middle East
    • Lebanon
    • Jordan
    • Kuwait

Programmes

  • Education in drama therapy
    Expand the pool of knowledgeable and qualified drama therapists in the Middle East by forging close partnerships with universities and other educational institutions, and introducing scholarship programmes for female Arab students from around the MENA region, allowing them to earn a master’s degree in drama therapy.
  • Field work
    Creating safe spaces for women to overcome their traumas, using various activities, from dance to storytelling. This is done within 12 to 16 weekly sessions of drama therapy for a group of no more than 20 women, plus 12 monthly sessions throughout the subsequent year, which creates a support group and instills a sense of belonging to one another in a larger community.
  • Research
    The foundation works on research projects that explore the qualitative and quantitative impact of drama therapy on vulnerable populations. This work is expected to significantly contribute to the field of drama therapy, mental health, and psychosocial support in the Arab world and beyond.

Financials

Funding model

  • Grants to Individuals
  • Grants to organisations
  • Programme related investment

Primary funders

  • Sheikha Intisar AlSabah

Funding source

  • Private

Operations

Key staff

  • Karima Anbar, CEO and board member

Board members

  • Benjamin James , Advisor and board member
  • Christian Nakhle, International advisor and board member
  • Karima Anbar
  • Karma Ekmekji, Advisor and board member
  • Philip Stoltzfus, Advisor and board member
  • Rabih El Chaer, Advisor and board member
  • Sheikha Intisar AlSabah, Founder and Chairwoman

Contact details

More

Resources

Drama Therapy as a Mental Health Intervention for Women in the Shatila Refugee Camp, Lebanon. Read more

The Impact of Dramatherapy on the Mental Health of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged and Refugee Women in Lebanon. Read more