What’s your story? Whether you’re an artist, a craftsman, a shop-owner or a designer you have experienced the need to connect with potential clients and stakeholders over a shared story. Sometimes it’s the story of your first big break, or simply describing how you create, but you are constantly attracting and engaging people who resonate with your unique work and creative approach.

During this workshop, we will identify the main elements in your story; uncover your authentic voice, and prototype new scenarios. After completing this workshop you will be able to engage your clients in new ways and reach a wider audience.

Join Diala Lteif and Joumana Mattar to explore the many chapters of your story and reframe the narrative that depicts your practice under its best light.

Facilitators:

Joumana is a continuously curious learner, investigating the intersection of design, business and people. She is a co-founder of Mirada Madrid and has a background in graphic design from the American University of Beirut and a Masters in Design Management from IED, Barcelona. Organizer of the Beirut Service Jam, she combines her obsession with to-do lists with her passion for coaching people, to ensure milestones are met and clients leave with clarity!

Diala is an information and process designer with experience in visualisation, community work and field research. She has an MFA in transdisciplinary Design from Parsons the New School for Design. She is currently part-time faculty in the design department at ALBA where she teaches the global design studio to first year masters students. She is also a design collaborator at Mirada Madrid, an information architect at Visualizing Palestine, a writer at the Outpost magazine and an avid podcast listener.

From 16 to 24 January, GAIA-Heritage is hosting a weeklong event of activities In Mar Mikhael within the EU-funded project MEDNETA. The event includes Toolbox: a series of free workshops for artists, craftsmen and designers.

Toolbox will be happening over 3 days: 22, 23 & 24 of January.

Day 1 will expose creatives to new technologies and innovative techniques

Day 2 will provide creatives with the needed entrepreneurial, and marketing skills to create their own businesses.

After the first two days of training artists, craftsmen and designers will spend Day 3 collaborating to create products and their respective business plans and present them to a jury. Members of the jury include: Kafalat, RDCL - Rassemblement de Dirigeants et Chefs d'entreprises Libanais, UNESCO, a design market expert and a design process expert.

To participate on Day 3, creatives need to have attended a minimum of 2 workshops on Days 1 and 2 and sign up at the IGA premises by 12pm on Day 2.

By the end of 2015, these products will be further developed between the artists, craftsmen and designers of MEDNETA’s partner cities (Athens, Tunis, Valencia, Florence and Hebron) and exhibited around the Mediterranean.

InMarMikhael