The Beirut-Lebanon workshop on Culture and Digital Transformation was held on May 7 and 8, 2022, at the Bossa Nova Hotel in Sin-el-Fil (Lebanon) with 25 in-person and online participants. It was co-organized by Dar al-Kalima University, CAFCAW, and Dar al-Kalima NGO for Arts and Culture/Nabad program (nabad.art) in Lebanon.
Several issues were addressed by trainers and discussed with academics, university students, artists, activists, creative enterprises, and NGO founders/active members in Beirut: what is the relation between culture and digital transformation? What is the difference between digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation? What are digital arts and their main practices in Lebanon? What are NFTs – and what are their advantages/disadvantages? What is digital calligraphy? What are the current practices and main challenges of digital transformation in the arts and culture domain in Lebanon? How can challenges be faced? What are the solutions? How can cultural heritage be preserved through digital transformation? What are the main tools and techniques to create/manage digital exhibitions and cultural visits? What are the Lebanese citizens’ digital rights? How can artists create digital campaigns using different art tools and forms to promote public policies? What are the alternative practices to the digital ones when no infrastructures are available? etc.
The workshop was divided into three main training sessions, which followed an introductory session. Presentations/talks and discussions were done in Lebanese and English. All sessions had a hybrid format, with in-person and online participants and attendees. Participants had the opportunity of experiencing hands-on activities. They worked in groups during the sessions, created storytelling videos using digital technologies, and presented their digital campaigns verbally/in writing and digitally. Dialogue segments were included throughout the workshop, as well as a musical performance and a music-sharing session.
The Beirut Workshop on Culture and Digital Transformation was held on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 8.30 a.m. to 6:00 pm at the Kulturnest Cultural Space in Sin-el-Fil (Lebanon) with 14 in-person young participants with a majority of women, along with 5 trainers, one online speaker, Dr. Pamela Chrabieh, and Ms. Roula Salibi.
The workshop was organized by Dar al-Kalima NGO for Arts and Culture in Lebanon, and funded by Dar al-Kalima University/CAFCAW program. It followed two workshops that took place in September 2023 in Amman and Cairo, as well as the Round-Table on Culture, Religion, Higher Education and Digital Transformation in Larnaca-Cyprus (June 2023).
Several issues were addressed by trainers and speakers, and discussed with the youth: What are the main challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in the realm of arts and culture in Lebanon? How does digital transformation impact activism, and what are the challenges and opportunities it presents for activists? What tools and platforms have redefined activist engagement in the digital era, and what complexities does digital activism face? What is the significance of art in societal development and individual self-expression, especially during challenging times? How can digital transformation amplify the reach of artistic ideas, and what role does social media play in this context? What practical guidance is provided for utilizing Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for home recording and digital art creation? How has storytelling evolved and remained relevant in the digital age? What impact can effective storytelling have on one’s online presence, and how can it make your work stand out? What are the various applications of AI-generated art, and how does it intersect with traditional artistic creation? What ethical considerations are associated with AI in art, including copyright concerns and biases within AI algorithms? How will participants actively engage in creating AI-generated artwork and explore the ethical challenges tied to this art form?
