The past two years haven’t been easy for the Arts & Culture sector in the Arab region and for those working in this sector. This includes us, the Culture Resource team. In addition to the pandemic-related repercussions that the whole world has had to deal with, we’ve faced a rush of other new and pressing challenges arising from the political and economic circumstances in Arab countries and in Lebanon, in particular, which is where most of our team members reside. Still, as 2021 draws to a close, we feel we have survived. We’re still here and, despite the endless challenges, we continue to dream and work together with friends and partners to build a rich, diverse and robust arts and culture sector. This dream and this commitment are driven by our deep faith in the fundamental part that culture plays in the life of free societies and in the critical role independent cultural organizations have to play in promoting the right to creativity, especially since they supplement governments’ crucial if still insufficient efforts in this regard.
Our work could not have continued under these conditions had it not been for two main factors which manifested themselves stronger than ever during the past two years. The first is the mutual support and strength the team members give each other, especially in hard times. We are constantly striving to build a non-authoritarian work culture, thereby holding up a critical mirror to the prevalent work conditions in general and in the arts and culture sector in particular. The second factor is the partnerships we have built with other organizations that share our principles, goals and dreams, and the trust we have gained from donor organizations which share our belief in the importance of universal access to culture and in artists’ fundamental right to free expression.
Before signing off for 2021, we invite you to take a look at our 2020-2021 review in numbers and the publications and resources we produced this year:
- Insights into Cultural Policies in Lebanon (in English/French and Arabic)
- The Arabic translation of: Project Management: A professional Approach to Events
- Mudawanat Podcast series (in Arabic)
- Online talks between artists and writers from the region (in Arabic with English subtitles)
- Map of the independent cultural and artistic organizations that took part in the Abbara program
- The artistic projects that participated in the RedZone Festival 20/21 online edition under the two categories “Special Mention” and “Confinement”
- Panel Discussion: “Locked Down to Create” (in Arabic with English subtitles available on YouTube)
- Panel Discussion: “The Absent People and the Present Violent Representation” (in Arabic with English subtitles)
Wishing you and your loved ones happy holidays, and may 2022 bring a better year and greater opportunities for creativity and creatives.
