Concluding its “Artists in Residency Program for the Lebanese Public School System” implemented throughout the 2017-2018 academic year and which targeted, in its first phase, 7 schools from different Lebanese regions, the Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA) in partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education, launched the “Shared Imaginaries” exhibition, showcasing the participating students’ works carried out during the program. The exhibition held in Beit Beirut under the patronage of Education and Higher Education Minister, Mr Marwan Hamadeh, and in presence of the Director of the Ministry, Mr. Fady Yarak, gathered prominent media figures as well as professors and representatives from the participating schools, their students and their parents.
The seven residencies, launched by the Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA) in November 2017 and conceived by BeMA’s education consultant Lyne Sneige were implemented by local and international artists and students from the participating schools under the close supervision of Maya Hage, BeMA’s project curator. Hage oversaw all stages of the residency and followed up on the students’ varied artwork ranging from performing arts, to visual arts, photography, and even video art.
The project aims to support the national education policy through the Lebanese Center for Educational Research and Development’s effort in promoting concepts like dialogue, civic education, cultural diversity and intercultural understanding.
In this light, residency programs which are based on the cooperation and exchange of skills provide children and youth from different social and geographical backgrounds, unique opportunities to acquire new skills and widen their creative horizons. These programs also offer a space for interaction and dialogue, and urge the participation in a project that strengthens the bonds of society. To this end, the project nurtures the sense of belonging to a broader and more inclusive community. Thus, helping in reducing any hostile behavior towards it, and subsequently reflecting the societal and community dimensions of arts.
The collective exhibition “Shared Imaginaries” embodies BeMA’s message and its vision of decentralizing art, where it showcased the works of art resulting from the different residencies.
The residency program implemented by Collectif Kahraba at the Kamal Jumblatt Public School in Chouf and at Zahle Al Jadida Mixed Public School in Zahle entitled “Puppets and video” provided the participants an opportunity to create puppet characters with a history of their own, drawn from the the students’ everyday lives.
French-Iranian artist and architect Soraya Ghezelbash’s intervention for the residency program in Tyr’s Public School for Girls in Tyre, entitled “Beyond Words: Narrative Textile”, revolved around introducing silkscreen printing to the children, as a tool for storytelling and expression.
The collective exhibition also showcased works from the residency program implemented by Studio Kawakeb at the Emir Chakib Arslan Public School in Verdun and at « Äl Oula » Public School in Jbeil. Through a series of workshops, the residency titled “The Adjacent Space”, provided students with a critical view of the relationship between man and the sea, proposing alternatives to human activities that cause damage to marine heritage.
The exhibition also included Chantale Fahmi’s residency program entitled “Hadikati” which was the fruit of the innovative workshops that took place at the Rachel Eddé Public School, Sebeel – Zghorta. Hadikati allowed students to explore nature as an essential and vital component of photography.
Abou Nader
Following a documentary on the execution stages of the project, BeMA’s co- founder and board Member Ms. Sandra Abou Nader welcomed guests and highlighted “BeMA’s commitment to decentralizing arts and involving local communities and educational institutions, particularly students, in producing artistic works that express their fears and concerns, while providing them with the opportunity to innovate, and in turn develop their skills and create a space for dialogue, change, communication and peace-building”.
Reiterating BeMA’s vision of introducing art in the Lebanese curriculum as a basic communication tool amongst students, Abou Nader stated: “We, at BeMA, have already carried out similar residency programs in Ras Maska – Northern Lebanon, Jezzine – Southern Lebanon reaching Baalbeck, before deciding to expand the scope of this special experience to our younger generation”. She added that, “there is no doubt, that art and culture are essential to strengthen the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence. Both contribute to the development of a civic and community culture that fosters creativity and fulfills human aspirations.
Abou Nader also revealed “following the success of the project’s first phase, the program will be extended for 10 years, growing to 40 new public schools from all Lebanese regions and will be included in their respective curriculum.”
Yarak
From his side, Director General of the Education and Higher Education Ministry Fadi Yarak asserted: “what we are witnessing today is a pioneering and groundbreaking experience born from a trusted cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA) ,who created a program that directly linked public schools students to great artists, painters and creators. This initiative
opened the path to our students towards developing new artistic skills and unlocking their talent and creativity through directly working with outstanding resident artists”.
Yarak thanked “Mrs. Sandra Abou Nader, and all the team that made this experience possible and a success, “giving the students in public schools the opportunity to broaden their creative horizons through rewarding art residencies not only limited to the classroom”.
Yarak also announced the extension of this partnership with BeMA for 10 more years to implement the residency program in more Lebanese public schools. “The success of this experience is essential”, concluded Yarak. He reiterated the “importance of having the feedback of the students, the teachers, and the artists. The objective further develop and expand this model in the future, to include other public schools and students who will benefit from such a project, and of course be surrounded by artists with such unique creative skills. ”
Certificates were then distributed to the students and artists that participated in the different residencies.
About BeMA:
One of the most significant developments for Lebanese art and culture in a generation, Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA), is a new museum set to launch in Beirut in 2020.
Envisioned as a cultural hub highlighting modern and contemporary art from Lebanon and the region, BeMA will encourage Lebanese artistic creation while fostering dialogue and cross-cultural collaborations.
In addition to housing an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art, the museum will create opportunities for the production of new works through artist residencies, commissions and cultural partnerships. Committed to nurturing a dynamic and creative civil society, it will also host cultural and educational programs.
An independent institution, BeMA will be a site for discourse, creativity, academic research, and public education, engaging local communities. Drawing inspiration from the city itself, the museum’s innovative design was developed by one of Lebanon’s leading architecture houses Hala Wardé / HW Architecture following an independently juried competitions. For more information about BeMA visit our website http://www.bema.museum
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