تواصل [Tawasol] Cultural Production and Policy Network
20 students of cultural studies form the core of the newly launched 'تواصل [Tawasol] Cultural Production and Policy Network’
The three partner universities Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen (Germany), Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon), Institut Supérieur de Musique de Tunis – Université de Tunis (Tunisia) announce the launch of the DAAD funded ‘تواصل [Tawasol] Cultural Production and Policy Network’ and its respective activities from 2023 to 2025.
The ‘تواصل [Tawasol] Cultural Production and Policy Network’ is focusing on the role of the arts in society. Artists and cultural activists have contributed to democratisation processes in many countries of the WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region, created forms of exchange and dialogue, and thus have a relevant effect on shaping society. The network will investigate this socio-political dimension of artistic formats between the WANA region and Germany. It aims to set up pioneering educational programs in the field of cultural production, cultural policy and international cultural relations. تواصل [Tawasol] means ‘being in touch, expanding contacts and networking’. The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and implemented by Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen (Germany), Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon), Institut Supérieur de Musique de Tunis – Université de Tunis (Tunisia) and non-academic partners in the cultural sector, the Goethe-Institutes in Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Ettijahat – Independent Culture in Lebanon.
Formats and activities of the network
Advanced training, cultural production and knowledge transfer
The تواصل [Tawasol] network offers the opportunity to learn and exchange experiences in an international environment with scholars from the WANA region and Germany. The 20 fellows will actively participate in the following activities:
⎮ In three seven-day advanced training workshops in Lebanon (2023), Germany (2023) and Tunisia (2025), 20 selected fellows will acquire comprehensive skills in the field of innovative, participatory forms of cultural production, cultural policy and international cultural relations as well as knowledge transfer. The workshops in 2023 will take place in September 2023 at Saint-Joseph University of Beirut and in November 2023 at Zeppelin University.
⎮ Within transnational working groups, the fellows will develop their own innovative formats of cultural production (products or projects) with a focus on knowledge transfer, that will be implemented in one of the participating countries. These activities are planned for 2024 and 2025.
⎮ In two-month ’Science & Arts Residencies’ at the Goethe-Instituts in Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia (2024), up to 10 selected fellows will develop innovative formats of knowledge transfer in transcultural working groups. Whilst realising their own ideas, the fellows will combine approaches of scientific with artistic research approaches.
⎮ The fellows will actively contribute one case study to be documented and uploaded to an open-access digital multimedia knowledge platform on artistic interventions in the context of socio-political democratisation processes. This platform will be a central approach of long-term knowledge transfer established between the universities and society.
Meet the fellows
Please stay tuned. You will soon have the opportunity to meet the fellows of the network here.
Contact
Feel free to contact the scientific coordinators for any inquiries:
⎮ Michèle Brand, Zeppelin University, michele.brand@zu.de
⎮ Jana Bou Matar, Local coordinator in Lebanon, boumatarjana@gmail.com
⎮ Iyadh El Kahla, Local coordinator in Tunisia, iyadh94@gmail.com
Academic board and project team
Jun-Prof Dr Meike Lettau, Zeppelin Universität (Germany)
Prof Dr Toufic El Khoury, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon)
Prof Dr Marianne Noujaim, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon)
Prof Dr Samir Becha, Institut Supérieur de Musique de Tunis – Université de Tunis (Tunisia)
Dr Ikbal Hamzaoui, Institut Supérieur de Musique de Tunis – Université de Tunis (Tunisia)
Hanane Hajj Ali, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon)
Michèle Brand, Zeppelin Universität (Germany)
Jana Bou Matar, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon)
Iyadh El Kahla, Local Coordinator (Tunisia)
Dr. Abdullah AlKafri – Ettijahat - Independent Culture (Lebanon)
Sandra Kastoun – Ettijahat - Independent Culture (Lebanon)
Frederike Berje – Goethe Institute Egypt (Egypt/Germany)
The project is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and jointly organised by Zeppelin University (Germany), Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth (Lebanon) and Institut Supérieur de Musique de Tunis, Université de Tunis (Tunisia).
In collaboration with Goethe-Institute and Ettijahat – Independent Culture.
Funded by the DAAD with funds of the German Federal Foreign Office.
