Tahwita El Nahr- Furn El Chebak- Baabda- Balha Street - SEIF Building -ground Floor
Baabda
Lebanon
- Arts
- Heritage
- Human rights
- Others
- Research
- Youth and education
We are a group (6 member) of concerned citizens with common beliefs and diversified expertise in Archeology and cultural heritage conservation and management, architecture,
Archiving and Information Management, Online Marketing.
Structure:
The organization comprises a steering team of 4 (President, vice president, secretariat and accountant) and a operations team of 6 members.
The average budgetary resources of the organization is 2,000 USD per year. All efforts of the members are on a voluntary basis, hence no salaries are included in the budget.
Source of funding: Membership fees, in-kind donations, service contracts and grants.
Modalities of action:Projects, research and consultancies, workshops and seminars.
Previous partnerships: Private sector and civil society (such as Art Design Lebanon and Gaïa Fodoulian foundation Lebanon, Roman Robroek photography, Lebanese Union for Persons with Disabilities, Biladi NGO.), Public sector and governmental institutions (for example: municipality of Beit Mery, public school of Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanese syndicate of tourist guide, Lebanese directorate general of antiquities, Lebanese ministry of culture), International organizations (British council)
Ṣilāt thrives to bind communities together by promoting and safeguarding identities, traditions, and values through public cultural programs and artistic activities. We believe in the strategic and transformative role of Culture in the socio-economic and human development of societies and communities. With the absence of comprehensive and inclusive nationwide cultural policies, Ṣilāt was founded to:
- Contribute to the efforts that ensure Culture, in all its
manifestations, is apprehended and in reach for every citizen.
- Assist by being proactive in finding and implementing solutions and strategies that fit the context and respond to the local needs.
- Promote policies and contribute to the efforts of devising sound cultural policies.
- Empower the community to reconnect with its cultural heritage through arts, culture, and creative industries.
Foster cross-cultural acceptance, mutual understanding, and respect at the level of citizens as well as communities.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders at all levels.
- Establish cross-field private and public partnerships.
*Activities focusing on cultural mediation, awareness and outreach*
- Reviving History - Tabbal building
Ṣilāt revived the history of the Tabbal building through a series of guided tours shedding the light on the families and people who inhabited the different levels throughout the years. Ṣilāt researched the historical, social, economic and architectural conditions and values of the Tabbal Building (Sursock, Plot 156), led the guided tours and promoted the importance and needs to preserve Beirut’s gem. Due to the deteriorating state of the building following the tragic explosion of Beirut’s port, Ṣilāt supported the Tabbal family in decision-making through creating the “Tabbal building emergency conservation management plan”. For more information, please refer to Newsletter attached.
-Cultural and archeological mediation - Deir El Qalaa
Ṣilāt participated in Art Design Lebanon’s exhibition "Lost in the right direction" by introducing two interventions on the archaeological remains. The first is a designed installation titled Extrusion that restitute some of the Byzantine Basilica’s columns with a new material. This restitution aims to enhance the understanding of the basilica’s layout. The second is an archaeological and anthropological intervention at one of the olive presses present on site revealing its layout and reintroducing some of its elements. The intervention aims to explain the process of olive oil extraction during the Byzantine period. In parallel, Ṣilāt organized tours of the archaeology at the site during the exhibition’s duration in collaboration with AD Lebanon and the Directorate General of Antiquities in Lebanon. Please refer to the attached article.
- Raising awareness of the wider public through photography: -Raising awareness through photography:
Silat supported and assisted the international photographer Roman Robroek in accessing and documenting abandoned architectural heritage sites in different regions in Lebanon. The aim was to highlight the importance of preserving the sites and to the need to its preservation, through several online platforms. I.e. https://romanrobroek.nl/tag/lebanon/
Activities focusing on collaboration and dialogue among the heritage sector actors :
Silāt for culture in partnership with British Council and Biladi NGO, has embarked on a situational analysis that maps and assesses, in accord with a cross-section of stakeholders, the needs and priorities of the Cultural Heritage sector in Lebanon. For this purpose consultation focus groups, national seminar and survey were conducted and the result of which were published in a comprehensive report. https://www.britishcouncil.org.lb/sites/default/files/situatingheritage…
Activities focusing on youth and heritage education :
Silat for culture in collaboration with the municipality of Beit Mery and the community cultural center of Beit Mery organized guided tours on the occasion of the Lebanese national heritage day, for youth from different public and private schools. The aim of the activity was to create stronger links between the youth and their local heritage.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Mbjm6Wvh3YdP8K…
https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18342528922068820/
Advocacy to a 'Culture for All':
Silat is supporting and aiming at a long term partnership with Lebanese Union for Persons with Disabilities (LUPD) in advocating for inclusion and accessibility to culture and cultural heritage.