A project funded by UNESCO
Connect and Create – Revitalizing Cultural Life and Enhancing Creative Expression
The Connect and Create project aims to revitalize cultural life in Baalbek, strengthen social cohesion, and promote inclusive access to cultural spaces, with a particular focus on girls and young women. The project targeted 100 direct beneficiaries, of whom 70% were girls and young women and 30% were men, providing them with opportunities to develop creative, technical, and collaborative skills.
Beneficiaries received training in a diverse range of cultural and creative disciplines, including chess, graphic design, hoop work, videography, photography, weaving, drawing, and screenwriting. These activities fostered creative expression, teamwork, and interaction among local cultural actors, while also opening pathways for economic opportunities within the cultural and creative industries.
A key component of the project was the presentation of a meaningful theatre performance addressing gender equality, social roles, and inclusion, which reached approximately 300 adolescents. The theatre piece served as a powerful awareness and dialogue tool, using art to challenge stereotypes, encourage critical thinking, and promote values of equality and mutual respect among young people.
The project will conclude in March with two major public activities:
- a community running event involving around 300 participants, promoting inclusion, wellbeing, and social cohesion; and
- a second public performance of the theatre piece, further expanding its outreach and impact among adolescents and community members.
The Connect and Create project highlights the strategic importance of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) as drivers of social change, youth engagement, and economic resilience. CCI projects provide safe and inclusive spaces for self-expression, strengthen community bonds, and empower young people—especially girls and women—by transforming creativity into a tool for dialogue, confidence-building, and sustainable livelihoods. In contexts affected by economic and social challenges, investment in culture is not a luxury, but a vital mechanism for inclusion, participation, and long-term community development.
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