– Jan. 17 – Welcomed Eleonore, Sabine, Julie, Hanna cultural spaces amidst the crisis. A project run as part of process mediterranee program in partnership with Arcenciel and shanti.
– Mar. 18 – French short film festival in collaboration with IF Deir al Qamar.
– May 3 – The Body I Live in at Rebirth Beirut at the human condition exhibition.
– May 13 /14 – Panel talk with rural encounters on environment and film at Hammana artist house.
– June through Aug.– Theater inclusive workshop – 13 participants.
– May through June – Awareness sessions and psycho-social support sessions led by ABAAD MENA for men and women.
– May 30 – Welcomed Clement Bouissou french photocollage artist and Sarmada’s Botanical Garden got featured in his “oh, jours” exhibition.
– June 3 –Zaher founder of Sarmada was a judge member at the young social innovators awards 2023.
– July 5 – 3 hours body movement workshop Ain Ksour college.
– July 24 through July 28 – Taabir project “creative expression through film” in collaboration with Elbarlement, led by Corine Shawi and Yara Nashawaty.
– July 17 – Transcendental meditation preparatory session led by Hayat.
– July 4 through Aug. 4- four 2 hour sessions workshop with Zaher Garderie L’enfantine.
– Sep. 1, 2, 3 Last Summer Days Festival.
– Sep. 1 “Circle of Silence” theatrical show by Zaher Kais and 13 participants presented at the Last Summer Days Festival- a result of a 3 month workshop.
– Oct. 6 Installation of names in the botanical garden and seed collection for Sarmada’s seed bank of native plants of Batloun valley and greater Chouf.
– Nov. 2 – Palestine cinema days – screening of “stitching Palestine” by Carol Mansour.
– Dec. 6 – Body movement workshop led by Zaher at IF Deir al Qamar.
– Dec. 16 – Mushroom hunt hike with experts Sandra Sleiman, Dr. Antione Daher and botanist Hisham al Zein.
– Dec. 21 – Tarareeh Chouf Film Festival second edition one full day of films in collaboration with Reef, Council of Environment and independent filmmakers from Chouf: Jad Endary & Bady bou Ayash.
– We launched the first edition of “Tarareeh – Chouf Film Festival” with Home of Cine Jan & The Beirut 24Hr. Film Project.
– We set up our year with a contemporary dance workshop led by Simea Cavelti, at Beit Sarmada. A project supported by Embassy of Switzerland to Lebanon and Syria and organized by Beirut Physical Lab.
– Partnered with Seenaryo under the support of the French Institute to produce “Kalam Faddi” a street theatre performance created by youth in Lebanon, Directed by Raghda Mouawad.
– We attended the Ecosystem Academy held by All Around Culture in Amman Jordan.
– Hosted Body Watani dance project led by Leila Awadallah in residency at Beit Sarmada collaborating with dancers Sarah Almoneem, Layal Berberi, Andrea Fahed and Natasha Karam on a new dance performance: TERRANEA.
– Hosted the artist Omar Abbas in an art residency at Beit Sarmada a project supported by The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture.
– Attended Festival de Theatre de rue et de Cirque in Châlons, France.
– Hosted the training on Artistic Freedom and Documenting Violations by FFEEMUSE, the last of three trainings conducted in Jordan and Tunisia as part of the Small Changes project’s objectives of building the capacities of local organizations and artists networks by delivering trainings on international frameworks on Artists Rights.
– The Mounet Beit Sarmada Season, making Mounet jars of variable vegetables and fruits, from organic local farmers to local working women and men taking part under the initiative of From Mounet we Do Art, the jars later becoming the tickets to all of the events held.
– Implemented with Garderie L’enfantine Psychosupport and motor activities for 60 children aged 7 till 13 years old through drama, arts and body, movement, activities* to express and control their feelings, motivate undiscovered feelings, understand the world around them and assist physical development, the project was led by Zaher Kais.
– Hosted the artist Wissam Sawaya in an art residency at Beit Sarmada a project supported by AFAC, the Arab Fund for Culture and the Arts
– Last summer days festival at Sarmada house in its’ second round.
– Hosted a cultural exchange program with Jour De Fete Companie, in residency at Beit Sarmada, a French theater company based in Basque, which gathers artists around artistic projects created in public space, over accomplishing a new project inspired by Andrée Chedid’s novel: The message.
– Hosted Tariq El Nahel community, on a program of Collection and processing of native seeds from Sarmada’s botanical garden, a presentation on the State of our environment by Hicham El Zein, another on Wild pollinators by Wael Yammine, Nettles dinner & discussion, Musical circle & herbal experience!
– Presented “The Body I Live in”, a body movement performance accompanied with live music by Zaher Kais.
-We inaugurated Beit Sarmada as our Association’s Center.
– A Botanical Garden to learn about our native plants and assist farmers in sustainable techniques was established with the guidance of agricultural experts.
– 700 people participated in hiking activities coupled with workshops in nature during a one and a half month period.
-Held World Music Day celebration with local musicians at Beit Sarmada.
-Our annual theater production “Hostages,” drew over 1500 people over three nights at Batloun Club Open Air Amphitheater.
-“Last Days of Summer”, a three-day festival at Beit Sarmada, drew over 600 people to enjoy summer evenings with a mouneh market, local handcrafts, and Open-Mic style musical evenings, offering a place for artists and talents to express themselves.
-Ended the year with a Theater Movement Workshop led by Valerie Green, a distinguished American artist.
-We hosted a body movement Workshop at Baakline National Library led by Jennie Bergsli and Klara Sjöblom.
-Launched the casting process for an upcoming play at Chouf, the castings happened at Baakline National Library insisting on having participants organically from the chouf area.
-Rally paper, discovering Batloun!
-The selection of the cast for Edrab Al Haramiyah was done, and rehearsals set off for 6 months, readings, rehearsals and full provas.
– The fruit of the long time rehearsals and hard work was ripe, Edrab El Haramiyah was presented for 8 consecutive shows and full audience at the Baakline National Library that was a success and was covered on local news and many press institutions and magazines
Get Introduced to "Sarmada"
Sarmada is a Lebanese association founded in 2018 and registered at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities number (2058) in 2019, located in Batloun – El-Chouf. Sarmada association works to raise awareness about cultural arts and theatre in El-Chouf, where public spaces for creative expression are lacking and theatre groups are few.
