Designers in Lebanon are often restricted to a narrow choice of materials due to the relative shortage of resources and options in the MENA region, which forces them to settle for what's available.

This session aims to push the participants to embrace a more independent approach, whereby they will look to create their own production methods through exploring, mixing and transforming different unconventional materials in order to design their own textures.

Facilitator:

Tamara Barrage is a product designer based in Beirut, graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven with a Masters in contextual design. Interested in the way objects provoke our senses through their skins, forms and functionality. Constantly looking for ways to define a design process by manipulating, exploring and experimenting with a wide range of materials and textures.

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