The Townhouse Gallery will hold its first annual affordable auction on Wednesday 12 June at 7pm in downtown Cairo.  Proceeds from the auction will go to the gallery's SAWA outreach program, which provides art workshops to refugees and underserved communities.

The auction will feature artworks by more than 30 Cairo-based contemporary artists, including Huda Lutfi, Hani Rashed, Amr Fekry, Mutaz El-Emam, Weam El-Masry, and Adham Bakry. Some of the artists donating their works for this auction have participated in the SAWA program.

"Inspired by the 'art for all' ethos that is the cornerstone of SAWA, the Affordable Auction features very accessible reserve prices, with the aim of encouraging all art enthusiasts to collect local artists," says the Townhouse press release.

Launched in 2005 to serve Egypt's marginalized Sudanese refugee community, SAWA offers a series of weekly fine arts workshops that cater to refugee groups, including those from Iraq and Syria, as well as special needs individuals and other overlooked communities. These workshops enable participants to freely express their thoughts and concerns, while providing them with valuable skills.

In the past eight years, SAWA has worked with more than 1000 individuals, some of whom have gone on to become artists, filmmakers, and musicians. Proceeds from the silent auction will fund the SAWA program until 2014.

Programme:
Viewing: Sunday, 9 June to Tuesday, 11 June
Silent auction: Wednesday, 12 June at 7 pm
The Factory, Townhouse Gallery, 10 Nabrawy Street, Off Mahmoud Bassiouny Street, Downtown, Cairo