Promoting human rights in the Mediterranean through young people’s digital and artistic practices
« Tae’thir » project aims to promote a culture of human rights in the Mediterranean, by young people and for young people, by supporting the production and distribution of digital contents and artistic creations. The three-year project was launched in Marseille, France, in September 2023.
« Tae’thir » project – influence in Arabic – is the continuation of a long-standing reflection on the evolution of new forms of mobilization and demand for human rights in the Mediterranean. The consortium behind this project – REF, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Instants vidéo numériques et poétiques and the Ligue de l’enseignement des Bouches du Rhône – has been working for years on issues linked to the defense of human rights, the promotion of active citizenship and access to art and culture for all in contexts that are becoming increasingly restrictive.
During the conceptualization phase of « Tae’thir » project, the consortium members called on experts in human rights and/or the artistic and digital world. From this initial consultation, a clear observation emerged: artists and content creators in the MENA region see their capacity for action restricted by the absence of spaces and platforms promoting dialogue and content production.
The economic, social and political situation in Mediterranean countries has continued to deteriorate and is marked by a decline in human rights and liberties. « Tae’thir » project aims to open up spaces conducive to the exchange of ideas and creation, by encouraging the promotion of a culture of human rights in the Mediterranean through the artistic and digital practices of young people. The ability, despite the current context in the Mediterranean region, to collectively aspire to change, and confidence in the power of artists and digital content creators to promote human rights principles, is the silver lining around which « Tae’thir » project is built.
« Tae’thir » aims to bridge the current divide by bringing together artists, digital content creators, civil society organizations and a wide range of skills to create a common dynamic and build capacity through peer-to-peer exchanges.
The project was launched in September 2023 in Marseille for a period of 3 years. The project is financially supported by the Agence française de développement, Délégation interministérielle à la Méditerranée – Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères – and la Fondation de France.
Project participants are young artists and web content creators aged between 21 and 35, from the following Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.
In concrete terms, this three-year project will involve 42 young artists and digital influencers from 17 Mediterranean countries in a work cycle based around :
- an online training/reflection cycle on human rights, based on 3 pillars: censorship / patriarchy / critical thinking
- a mentoring and cascade funding process to support the production of 25 digital works and contents
- multi-stakeholder workshops in Marseille, enabling exchanges between these artists/influencers and local stakeholders
- presentations of digital works and productions to the general public in France and several other Mediterranean countries.
« Tae’thir » first cycle
The first cycle of « Tae’thir » project is set to run from February 2024 to October 2025, ending with the presentation of digital works and productions in Marseille during the Instant Video 2025 Festival.
A first meeting of « Tae’thir » project Advisory Board was held online on October 13, 2023. This multi-stakeholder Advisory Board is made up of resource persons with a good knowledge of the current Mediterranean context and proven expertise on issues of human rights, gender, arts and culture, but also on digital issues and influence.
- Selection of participants :
The call for applications (Cf. ressources section below) for the first cycle of the project was launched on 30 October 2023 and closed on 4 December 2023. Application requirements include the proposal of an original work of art or the creation of digital content that resonates with the project’s theme: ‘How do humans live?’ as an open question and an invitation to explore the complexity of human conditions through the prism of human rights. The various forms of eligible work include literary creation, digital content creation, installation and visual art, sound creation, performance, and video installation. The call was issued in English, Arabic and French, attracting a total of 132 applications.
20 participants : young artists and digital content creators aged between 22 and 33 were selected from the following 10 Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Egypt, France, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.
- Launch of the first cycle of activities of the Tae’thir project (02.2024 – 10.2025)
The first cycle of activities of Tae’thir project, running from February 2024 to October 2025, was launched during a webinar on 22 February 2024, bringing together participants, members of the project consortium (cf. consortium brief below) and members of the advisory board. This event provided an opportunity to discuss the various project stakeholders and clarify everyone’s expectations and needs.
The online training/reflection cycle led by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) began on 6 March 2024 for a period of 5 months. The aim of this activity is to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of human rights issues, focusing on the themes of patriarchy, criticism and censorship. The cycle aims to raise participants’ awareness of current human rights issues, equip them with theoretical and practical knowledge, and encourage critical reflection on these issues and their links to art and content creation. It also provides a platform for participants to exchange and share experiences on these issues.
The mentoring cycle led by the REF also started in March 2024, with the aim of supporting participants in the process of producing and disseminating their artistic and digital productions by helping them to structure and formalise their project in all its aspects (financial, technical and the drafting of the project brief). Participants will be given personalised support in putting together the final artistic/digital file with a view to producing and distributing the project. Members of the project’s Advisory Board are involved in strategic discussions and the identification of mentors. A meeting of the project steering committee was organised on 18 April 2024 to mobilise and consult them on the proposed process.
The week-long workshop in Marseille was held on 18-25 October 2024 on the sidelines of the annual Instants Vidéo festival. This activity is designed as a time for multi-stakeholder meetings in Marseille, enabling these artists/content creators to exchange ideas with local stakeholders. Instants Vidéo is responsible for organising the week-long workshop in Marseille.
Financial support awarded to 10 projects
10 digital works and artistic productions have been selected to receive financial support of up to €3,000 per project. Participants were invited to submit an artistic or content creation portfolio in early November 2024. This document was prepared after three key moments: human rights training, the first personalised mentoring session, and a week of multi-stakeholder meetings in Marseille (19-24 October 2024). These three stages enabled participants to develop their ideas and refine their approach. The decision to award grants was based primarily on the quality of the projects, assessed according to several criteria: thematic relevance, originality, potential impact and feasibility.
Multi-stakeholder webinar (12 September 2024)
A webinar entitled: « How are young people engaging with human rights issues? What new alliances can be built to foster dialogue on human rights in the Mediterranean in an increasingly repressive environment? » was organized on 12 September 2024. The theme of the webinar was formulated as questions rather than assertions, in order to open up a space for dialogue and invite speakers and participants to actively share their ideas, experiences and perspectives on the subject.
The webinar provided an opportunity to present the diversity and complementarity of the project’s partners, and to share testimonials on new forms of mobilization and collaboration between young people and civil society actors in the face of current human rights challenges in the Mediterranean.
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