News
US$2.2 million in grants to artists and cultural entities for the creation of cultural productions under the BERYT project
This call for proposals was announced today by UNESCO Beirut during a ceremony held in Sursock Palace, and attended by interested potential beneficiaries as well as cultural experts.
The project aims to provide emergency support through grants to creative practitioners and cultural sector entities in areas affected by the Beirut blast while promoting an urban recovery approach. The activities to be funded are related to the creation, production, distribution, and exhibition of cultural and creative activities as well as the transmission of skills in the fields of performing arts, visual arts including photography, fine arts and crafts, intangible cultural heritage, audiovisual and interactive media, literature and press as well as heritage and tourism.
The project is expected to directly benefit at least 65 non-profit cultural formal and informal organizations and 85 individual cultural professionals, 50 percent of which are women and 40 percent are youth. In addition, some 10,000 individuals in the local communities are expected to benefit indirectly. Support will also prioritize applications from those who are economically vulnerable, single parent families, persons suffering from disabilities, and the elderly.
“The creative sector is amongst the hardest hit by the Beirut blast and the economic crisis. The grants will mainly focus on these vulnerable and impacted creatives living in Beirut and adjacent areas to revive cultural life. Submissions should provide a clear description of the scope of the production, its objectives, direct and indirect beneficiaries, target audience and expected impact, as well as detailed budgets and timelines”, said Elena Constantinou, Culture Programme Specialist at UNESCO Beirut.
The call for proposals comes in the framework of the “BERYT” project, or “Beirut Housing Rehabilitation and Cultural and Creative Industries Recovery Project" which aims to support the rehabilitation of prioritized historical housing for the most vulnerable people and to provide emergency support to creative practitioners and entities in the cultural sector in the Port of Beirut explosion areas. Implemented by UN-Habitat, the BERYT project is financed by the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, and for which UNESCO Beirut is overseeing the implementation of the cultural and creative industries component.
&Բ;“Thanks to the generous contributions of the LFF donors, the BERYT project will help sustain the livelihoods of affected cultural entities and practitioners and ensure the coordinated recovery of the housing and cultural sector”, said Zheng Judy Jia, World Bank Urban Specialist and Project Team Leader.
‘’The revitalization of the cultural and creative sector is an important contribution to the overall recovery of Beirut. The BERYT project hopes to be a testament to how the concurrent restitching of the urban and social fabric through the project’s two components can truly revive the bustling city life of Beirut’’, said Elie Mansour, Urban Planning and Design Unit Manager at UN-Habitat Lebanon.
For additional information on the project and how to apply:
-Ends-
About the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF)
Established in December 2020 in the aftermath of the August 4 Port of Beirut explosion disaster and following the launch of the , the LFF is a 5 year multi-donor trust fund that pools grant resources and strengthens the coherence and coordination of financing in support of the immediate socio-economic recovery of vulnerable people and businesses impacted by the explosion. To date, the LFF has received contributions and pledges from the governments of Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, and Norway and from the EU. Subject to the commitment of all Lebanese stakeholders to critical reforms, the LFF will build the foundation for medium-term recovery and the sustainable reconstruction of the Port of Beirut and affected neighborhoods. The LFF prioritizes three focus areas of interventions: 1) Socioeconomic and business recovery; 2) Preparing for reform and reconstruction; and 3) Strengthening coordination, monitoring, accountability and oversight of the 3RF. The LFF benefits from the World Bank’s high fiduciary standards, through the application of its fiduciary framework for financial management, procurement, and environmental and social safeguards. The LLF also ensures that programs promote gender equality and community engagement that target women, youth and vulnerable populations.
About the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
UN-Habitat works in over 90 countries supporting people in cities and human settlements for a better urban future. Working with governments and local partners, its high impact projects combine world-class expertise and local knowledge to deliver timely and targeted solutions. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a dedicated Goal on cities, SDG 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UNESCO seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030.
Contacts:
-------------
For UNESCO: Bechara Maroun; b.maroun@unesco.org
For UN-Habitat: Layal Abou Antoun; layal.abouantoun@un.org
For World Bank: Zeina El Khalil; zelkhalil@worldbank.rig
