Talents of the Shadow

Talents of the Shadow

Lebanon
Lebanon
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Dates: 2020 - 2021

Reducing the Barriers to Cultural Expression for Refugees

A workshop and online campaign gave young refugees the opportunity to engage in the performative arts in a safe and accepting space.

Young refugees interested in the arts and culture in Tripoli face two modes of stigmatisation.

Firstly, being refugees, they can find themselves excluded from participating in many cultural activities that the city has to offer. Secondly, creative expression is looked down upon by others from their community who value more conventional professions.

These barriers that prevent them pursuing their passion can lead to issues around self-esteem.

The team behind ‘Talents of the Shadow’ wanted to foster self-confidence and rekindle that passion among young refugees, so they can engage more fully in the performative arts. They organised a workshop which was an entirely safe space, free of judgement or criticism, and wholly mutually supportive.

Enabling Refugee Youth to Share their Story

The workshop was followed by an online campaign that gave them the opportunity to express themselves to the world.

The workshop lasted five days, and involved 12 refugee youth from different communities in Tripoli. Across the five days they were given the opportunity to learn the basics of acting, screenplay writing, film production, singing and more.

The boost in confidence among the participants over the course of the workshop was palpable, with many thanking the team afterwards for organising it.

Together, they produced a short video showcasing their performance, posted on their social media page, together with a series of posters encouraging others to get involved in the creative arts.

Find Out More

Find out more about the impact of the project in Tripoli.

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If you would like to find out more about our impact, or would like to discuss future opportunities, we would love to hear from you.

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