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.