The project “Support to innovative cultural venues in response to the Lebanese crisis” was implemented in a context of multiple crises (economic, political and health), further aggravated following the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020. Relying mainly on private or international funding, the Lebanese cultural sector has particularly suffered from this context of crisis. The objective of this project financed by the cultural department of the French Embassy was to strengthen the capacities of cultural actors through the promotion of innovative models of cultural cooperation, aimed at promoting social cohesion by involving local communities. This main objective was based on three components, each focused on an innovative concept of place(s):
- The creation of a place for media, in support of the Metropolis association, aiming to become a national centre for the dissemination and education of cinema and promoting the revitalisation of a district of Beirut;
- The creation of a cultural centre focused on art and the environment in Akkar, a region on the fringes and not very accessible, in a former silkworm farm in Kobayat by supporting its annual programming;
- The creation of an artistic dissemination network “arts and territory”, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA), supporting the production of individual artistic projects in archaeological heritage sites across Lebanon.
ITAR led a two-month evaluation of the project following OECD DAC criteria.
