About Us
FACE, Foundation for Arts, Culture and Education, is an organization whose mission is to strengthen, empower, and educate communities through the arts and through cultural interactions. It primarily focuses on international exchanges and culture to promote mutual understanding among nations. FACE plays an important role in ensuring education at all levels to empower men and women to create stronger, more humane, creative and sustainable communities. FACE is specifically dedicated to promoting gender equality and women empowerment.
FACE was founded in 2014 in response to opportunities for cultural dialogue between various countries and Pakistan. FACE has evolved into the largest cultural organization working on mega projects related to arts and culture. FACE has also implemented various training programs. FACE has organized festivals, unique collaborations, and concerts and has delivered workshops, master classes, and training for filmmakers and women entrepreneurs. FACE’s projects have involved more than 100,000 direct audience members and reached tens of millions more through our TV partners and radio broadcasts across Pakistan. Working closely with various diplomatic missions as well as local and international partners including the U.S. Embassy, USAID, the World Bank, UNESCO and the British Council, FACE has demonstrated the know-how to implement programs in the most challenging environments. Since 2012 FACE has presented over 1000 artists and artisans from across Pakistan, more than 50 artists from the United States, 10 artists from Poland and trained and empowered 25 women-led enterprises from the underserved areas of Pakistan.
For three consecutive years, FACE has presented a showcase of Pakistani Music at SXSW in Austin, Texas. This U.S. Embassy supported program was immensely successful. Austin Mayor Steve Adler, recognized FACE in his speech in City Hall in 2016 and proclaimed March 14th2016 as “Music of Pakistan Day"
Mission
FACE is a platform that encourages artists and artisans to create relevant and socially viable works in their communities, while providing avenues to engage and connect with wider audiences and build revenue streams. Through publicly accessible programs and collaborative multimedia productions FACE provides a platform for the generation and exchange of ideas leading to positive social change.
Vision
FACE, Foundation for Arts Culture and Education, is an organization whose mission is to strengthen, empower and educate communities through the universal language of music, arts and cultural interaction. FACE plays an important role in ensuring education at all levels to empower men and women to create stronger, more humane, creative and sustainable communities.
Founder
Zeejah Fazli is an entrepreneur, producer, cultural programs director and an educationist in the field for the last 25 years. Besides being the founder and president of FACE, Zeejah has a wide exposure as a Project Director and spearheaded flagship projects of FACE such as:
- WOMART.PK: A virtual marketplace for economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs from under-served areas of Pakistan producing artisanal products with viable businesses at scale-up phase through building their capacity, on-boarding them on www.womart.pk and introducing them to international markets.
- INDUS BLUES & HERITAGE LIVE: An award winning documentary film “Indus Blues” on the endangered musical instruments of Pakistan. Later developing into a residency program “HERITAGE LIVE” for empowering the indigenous musicians of Pakistan through trainings and workshops based on Maestro-Apprentice relationship focusing on their audio-visual productions and social media marketing campaigns and graduating them out of poverty resulting in preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage of Pakistan.
- FACE MUSIC MELA: Annual cultural festival since 2014 showcasing music, food, artistes, and artisans at one platform. So far presenting more than 1000 artists and artisans both in Islamabad and Hunza, attracting nearly 25,000 people in three days every year.
- ROCK MUSICARIUM: Setting up a 2-acre amphitheater facility “The Rock Musicarium” with a capacity of 3000 people in collaboration with CDA, Islamabad.
Zeejah also presented up to 70 musicians from Pakistan as a PAKISTAN SHOWCASE at the mammoth South by SouthWest festival in Austin, Texas, U.S.A. for three consecutive years when the Mayor of Austin proclaimed March 14th, 2016 as Music of Pakistan Day. Zeejah has presented more than 50 foreign artists in Pakistan and conducted training of 15 filmmakers in Pakistan and the United States.
Zeejah while empowering thousands of artists and artisans focuses on international exchanges to promote mutual understanding among nations and is specifically dedicated to promoting gender equality and women empowerment. Zeejah connected people in joyous, creative, and popular programs. His commitment to public engagement and community connections promises to make FACE a hub of cultural activity for Pakistan.
Team Members
