Support Iranian flutist Ali to study Contempory Music

Hello, I am fundraising for my friend Ali Chupani, a 29-year-old Iranian flutist, composer, and artist, hailing from Iran with a passion for contemporary music and improvisation.

This year, Ali got accepted into the prestigious Advanced Master Contemporary Music programme at KASK & Conservatorium (The Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Royal Conservatory which constitute the School of Arts of Hogent and Howest) in Ghent, Belgium.

Ali's dream of pursuing his studies is at risk due to financial hardships. To secure his place to study, Ali has to cover the tuition fee of 2550€ as well as follow the requirements for international students with the blocked account procedure which means he has to transfer €10200 to KASK & Conservatorium. This is an obligation by Belgian law to provide evidence of sufficient financial means to cover their study and living expenses for the duration of the studies.

Without this funding, the delay in his studies will force him into a two-year military service, potentially hindering his career trajectory and altering the course of his life. Given the current circumstances, where the possibility of war is not far-fetched, being drafted into the military could devastate his future.

I hope for solidarity and mutual aid to support my friend Ali before his appointment at the Belgian Embassy in Tehran which is scheduled for 17 October 2024. Your generous contributions, and kind support would be truly appreciated and mean a lot to Ali, ultimately ensuring his education and nurturing his contributions to the field of contemporary music and culture.

Learn more about Ali and listen to his music:

From the tender age of 5, Ali's began his musical journey with the piano. In high school at 14, the flute became his instrument of choice. Ali completed his bachelor's degree in 2018 at the University of Tehran, one of Iran's most prestigious academic institutions. In 2019, he embarked on his master's studies at the University of Arts, Tehran. Throughout the years, Ali has enriched his musical knowledge and skills through a series of master classes and workshops with renowned flutists and composers such as Barbara Gissler-Hasse, Firouze Naval, Said Taghaddossi, Mehrdad Gholami and Azin Movahed.

However, the onset of his graduate studies coincided with the pandemic, leading to job loss. To make ends meet, even for basic necessities, Ali was forced to take on work unrelated to his field. With the commencement of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, Ali has refrained from any government employment to date. Student strikes further disrupted his academic progress, preventing him from attending university and completing his degree. Fortunately, after months of administrative procedures, his graduation was completed in August 2024.

Ali has made significant contributions to the Iranian music scene by premiering works of Iranian composers, playing flute solos as well as in ensembles. Check out some notable recordings here:

Transparency:

Due to the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis with devastating inflation in Iran, Ali has been unable to save any money beyond his daily living expenses. Therefore, he is humbly seeking your assistance via this fundraiser.

The blocked account procedure is one of three acceptable options that can be used to proof you have sufficient funds to cover your stay in Belgium. The other two options which require a guarantor are not possible for Ali after unsuccessfully trying to find someone for the past six months. Ali has now only a few weeks left to gather the necessary funds.

Required tuition fee : €2550

Required Blocked Account University College Ghent fee: 12 x €850 (per month) = €10200

Ali’s savings will cover €3750 of the total required amount of €12750 as well as cover his travel and first year of expenses. Therefore we are hoping to raise funds totaling €9000 (currently: £7590).

Once the amount is collected, it will be immediately transferred to the university’s blocked account system.

Any extra amounts collected in this fundraiser will be used towards the transaction fees by GoFundMe (2.9% and 0.30$ per transaction) well as support Ali’s living expenses in Belgium. These will be transferred to Ali’s future Belgian account.

Once the blocked amount is released, 12 months after commencement of studies, these will be used to serve Ali’s living costs in the second and final year of studies.