Within the activities of this year’s ArtEvolution program which is in its third edition and organized by the Goethe-Institut Libanon, a series of ‘Impulse’ sessions will be taking place during June and July 2023 in Beirut and Saida. These sessions are open to the public and will be guided by guest curators who will seek to encourage engaging discussions within civil society, promoting an atmosphere of open debate.
Impulse I is the first series of talks on ‘Expression vs Oppression, the Struggles of Performing Arts in Lebanon’. It will take place at Barzakh, Beirut during the month of June and will be curated and moderated in English by Lynn Modallal, a Beirut-based curator and gallerist.
Next, Impulse II will take place at Ishbilia Theater, Saida in July under the title: ‘Performing Arts: Reclaiming Spaces, Voices, and Community Connection’. This series of talks will be curated and moderated in Arabic by Hiba and Nahla Zibaoui the co-founders and co-directors of Ishbilia Theater and Art Hub.
Program Impulse I
‘In this series of four panels, I want to explore both the ways of expression and oppression regarding performing arts. My aim is to raise awareness about the struggles faced by the performing arts scene in Lebanon, and by sharing these experiences, to create a bond between the practitioners and to set a precedent on dealing with the various means of oppression. These discussions are crucial to develop safer and more inclusive spaces, where artists and activists can express themselves freely and without fear of repression.’ – Lynn Modallal.
Barzakh Location
Thursday 22 June 2023 at 06:30 pm “Stand Up for Socio-Political Expression”
with Andrew Hraiz and Omar Layza
Thursday 22 June 2023 at 08:00 pm “Safe Spaces for Performing Arts and their Struggle as Institutions”
with Bassam Abou Diab and Nabil Canaan
Friday 23 June at 06:30 pm “Queerness and Sexual Expression in a Conservative-Ruled Society”
with Khansa and Zyad Al-Seblany (Zuhal)
Friday 23 June 2023 at 08:00 pm “Cybersecurity and Psychological Warfare as a Means of Repression”
with Anaelle Saade
Program Impulse II
‘In Lebanon, the sectarian political system embedded the centralization of the arts scene in the capital, which led to exclusion, inequality, and neglect towards people who are living outside the capital and deprived them of their right of being part of the cultural scene in their country.
Cultural democratization does not only give access to communities but has also allowed artists to experiment with new forms of artistic expression, breaking free from the structures of conventional theatre.’ – Hiba and Nahla Zibaoui.
Ishbilia Theater Location
Friday 14 July 2023 at 06:30 pm “Remembering the Floating Theatre in Saida’
with Zaher Bizri
Friday 14 July 2023 at 08:00 pm “Cultivating Culture in Public Spaces”
with Amal Kaawash
Saturday 15 July 2023 at 06:30 pm “Tales as a Tool for Socio-Political Imagination”
with Ali Al Samra
Saturday 15 July 2023 at 08:00 pm “Playback Theatre: Bridging across Differences”
with Farah Wardani
ArtEvolution 2023 is a funding opportunity by the Goethe-Institut Libanon supported by the Ta’ziz-Partnership fund of the German Federal Foreign Office.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon