Talaqi: A Space for Dialogue Through the Arts

Dawlaty Foundation and Citizens. Artists, with the support of Ettijahat – Independent Culture, announce the opening of applications for Talaqi: "A Dialogue Space Through the Arts." This project targets young Syrians* who are interested in artistic and community work and wish to develop their skills in community engagement through the arts. The project aims to support the role of youth in building safe spaces for dialogue and expression through training workshops on the concepts of justice and cultural leadership, in addition to specialised training in interactive theater. This will develop interactive theatrical experiences that facilitate engagement with local communities in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Daraa, Tartous, and the surrounding rural areas.
The project aims to strengthen the role of the arts as tools for community engagement and to provide spaces for dialogue on pressing issues and discussions related to justice and citizenship. It is based primarily on interactive theater, a prominent artistic practice that fosters participatory engagement with the public, opens avenues for listening to diverse experiences and narratives within an environment that respects privacy and difference, and creates open forms of dialogue and communication.
In its first phase, the project includes two training workshops in each of the five cities it covers. The first workshop provides participants with a theoretical and practical background on the concept of transitional justice, its pillars, international mechanisms for its implementation, and the roles of society within this process. The second workshop offers training in the tools and techniques of interactive theater. In its second phase, the project supports the development and production of interactive theatrical performances in each city and provides field tours of these performances to create constructive community dialogue spaces.

Project Components

Workshop 1: Transitional Justice

This workshop aims to build and develop the participants' cognitive capacities, enabling them to gain a deep understanding of the concept of transitional justice, its four pillars, and its fundamental differences from traditional justice. It also aims to empower them to grasp the vital role this approach plays in addressing the heavy legacy of gross human rights violations and establishing the foundations for sustainable peace in post-conflict societies. Furthermore, the workshop seeks to create a space for dialogue and discussion to address the complex challenges and difficulties facing the implementation of these approaches on the ground, with a focus on strengthening and activating the roles of activists, victims, and civil society organisations.

Workshop 2: Interactive Theater

This workshop aims to develop participants' skills in interactive theater techniques and tools, including games and theatrical exercises related to this genre, developing interactive scripts, and ultimately creating and presenting interactive theatrical performances to audiences within targeted local contexts. The workshop begins with dialogue as a fundamental element of theatrical practice and interaction with local communities. Interactive theater allows for direct engagement with the audience and draws upon experiences and questions related to daily life. The workshop also aims to explore the role of interactive theater as an artistic and social tool that contributes to highlighting diverse narratives and addressing themes of memory and social peace within the current Syrian context.

Production and Touring of Interactive Theater Performances

This component builds primarily on the work accomplished in the workshops, which enabled participants to gain a deep understanding of transitional justice and acquire the tools of interactive theater. This will allow them to develop their ideas and scripts and transform them into interactive performances. Interactive performances will be produced in each of the five governorates, allowing participants to experience how interactive theater can be used to explore concepts and themes related to transitional justice and social recovery. These performances will tour multiple locations, and the trainers will monitor and supervise them throughout the tours.

Application Criteria and Conditions

• Applicants must be Syrian citizens* or Palestinian Syrians, those born to a Syrian mother, those with unregistered births, or those residing in Syria and active in the field of culture and arts for the past ten years;
• Applicants must reside in one of the following cities or surrounding rural areas: Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Daraa, Tartous;
• Applicants must be between 20 and 35 years of age;
• Applicants must be working in or interested in the field of theater, or the arts in general, or involved in civil and community work;
• Applicants must commit to attending all phases of the project, from the two training workshops to the final performances and associated tours;
• Applicants must be able to engage positively and flexibly in group discussions and constructive dialogue, and must respect the privacy of participants during training;
• Members of the Dawlaty, Citizens. Artists, or Ettijahat – Independent Culture  are not eligible to apply, nor their first-degree relatives, nor any artistic projects involving personal collaborations with their team.
• A specialised and independent committee will review all applications to evaluate them according to eligibility criteria, the applicants' background and experience in civic engagement and artistic specialisation. Applicants may be contacted before or during the evaluation process as needed. The selection committee will consider gender and geographical balance and will strive to support accessibility for people with disabilities and diverse backgrounds and experience

Key Project Dates

• Open Q&A session to answer your questions about the project, Monday, June 15, at 4:00 PM Damascus time.
• The application deadline is June 30, 2026.
• Results will be announced and successful applicants contacted by July 10, 2026.
• Workshop dates: Training workshops will be held in the Syrian governorates according to the following schedule and geographical distribution:
• Damascus: July 31 - August 10, 2026
• Daraa: August 10 - 21, 2026
• Aleppo: August 24 - September 4, 2026
• Homs: September 7 - 18, 2026
• Tartous: September 21 - 30, 2026
• Production and touring of theatrical performances: October and November 2026

*This also includes people who do not have Syrian nationality but also Palestinian Syrians, those born to a Syrian mother, those with unregistered births, or those residing in Syria and active in the field of culture and arts for the past ten years.