MINA: Artistic Ports and Passages
Ettijahat – Independent Culture has successfully announced the 2021 programming for the MINA: Artistic Ports & Passages, which has already been postponed twice! And while we were content to postpone it the first time in light of the October 17 revolution in Lebanon, our second attempt, which had been scheduled to take place in France in April 2020, was delayed under more concerning circumstances, coupled with our unprecedented use of terms such as ‘pandemic’, ‘lockdown’, and ‘social distancing’.
The past two years have introduced radical changes into our lives and societies, most prominently at the level of cultural and arts production and their prevalence in the Arab region. In light of these circumstances, our relentless desire to congregate, unify and discuss art has been singularly constant; similarly great has been our will to do so in the public spaces which have borne witness to the struggles of their nationals against oppression and violence, and through digital spaces which tenaciously challenge geographical barriers and obstacles to communication. Around one year ago, we set out on a journey of exploration with several partners and artists to brainstorm how best to organise this edition of MINA, with the intention of honouring its subtitle, ‘Artistic Ports & Passages’.
Today, we are pleased to announce the 2021 Edition of MINA as we celebrate Ettijahat’s tenth anniversary. This edition's programme will take place over the remainder of 2021 and will include events in theatre, film, visual arts, music, and literature, along with discussions and dialogue sessions around current issues of culture and society. The events will take place between Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, and online, in partnership with 17 cultural associations and groups and in collaboration with more than 115 artists.
We look forward to meeting you both in-person and online during these events, the details of which will be announced gradually. For more information, we invite you to visit MINA's group page on Facebook.
MINA Ports
Performing Arts: The international premiere of the play The Return of Danton by Collective Ma’louba, in collaboration with Shubbak Festival; the premiere of the play Corpse on the Sidewalk followed by a tour of Lebanon, by Koon Theatre Group; and a specially commissioned online theatre reading entitled On Loss, by director Wael Ali.
Music: Six musical soirées featuring more than ten bands, in partnership with Metro Al Madina, Action for Hope Music School and Beirut and Beyond.
Film Screenings: Seven film premieres screened in Beirut, Cairo and Khartoum, in collaboration with Metropolis Cinema Association, Zawya Cinema, Sudan Film Factory and the Isntitut Français du Liban.
Visual Arts: Opening of the exhibition Assemblage: Dark Nights onto Rolling Waves by artist Mohamad Omran and writer Odai Al Zoubi, in collaboration with the Isntitut Français du Liban.
Ten Years Together: A series of live discussion events with the participation of Beirut audiences, creating a space for reflections on art and its merits, in partnership with Zoukak Theatre Company, Legal Agenda, Daraj Media, Metropolis Cinema Association, Culture Resource and Ashkal Alwan Association.
Artistic Residencies: Artistic residencies and three events with live audience, including exhibitions of works in progress, in partnership with Hammana Artist House.
A Moment of Art | Beyond Geographical Confinement: A digital conference curated by Jumana Al-Yasiri and Ismail Fayed.
