CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ARCHIVES – Tiro Association For Arts

International Cultural Heritage

Restoration of Historic Cultural Spaces

- Rehabilitation of abandoned historic cinema theaters into free, independent cultural spaces that function as living heritage hubs.
- These spaces host theater, storytelling, dance, cinema, and visual arts, enabling inclusive and intergenerational cultural practice.
- Decentralized cultural infrastructure ensures equitable access to heritage across Lebanon:
Al Hamra Cinema
Stars Cinema
Rivoli Cinema
Colisee Cinema
Empire Cinema

Documentation, Archiving, and Cultural Memory

- Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) through documentation and archiving.
- Cataloging of over 10,000 cultural event posters, programs, and visual materials reflecting Lebanon’s artistic history.
- A public cultural library housing rare theatrical books and reference materials.
- Documentation of oral heritage through the Lebanon International Storytelling Festival, preserving storytelling traditions across generations.

Education, Workshops, and Capacity Building

- Continuous workshops for children, youth, and women since 2014.
- Informal yet structured educational programs emphasizing experiential learning, intergenerational exchange, and community ownership.
- Workshops in theater, oral storytelling, traditional dance, handcrafts, cinema, and visual arts led by expert practitioners to ensure authenticity.
- Inclusive participation of children, youth, women, refugees (Syrian, Palestinian, Sudanese), and persons with special needs..

Living Heritage and Community Engagement

- Creation of inclusive spaces where ICH is actively practiced, shared, and reinterpreted through artistic expression.
- Programs allow communities to express identity, address social challenges, and reflect lived experiences while ensuring cultural continuity.
- Strong youth and volunteer engagement, bringing together individuals from diverse social, cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
- A participatory model that embeds ICH safeguarding in daily community life, keeping heritage living and evolving.

Festivals and International Cultural Exchange

- Organization of major national and international festivals celebrating living heritage and contemporary cultural expression, including:

Lebanese International Storytelling Festival
Days of Tyre Cultural Festival
Days of Palestinian Cultural Festival
Tiro International Arts Festival
Tyre International Music Festival
Lebanese International Theater Festival for Women’s Monodrama
Lebanese International Theater Festival of Contemporary Dance
Lebanese International Theater Festival for Storytelling
Lebanon International Theater Festival
Tyre International Festival for Fine Arts
Tripoli International Theater Festival

- Festivals provide platforms for local and international artists and promote intercultural dialogue, cultural diversity, and intergenerational learning.
- Community-oriented celebrations, such as Sudanese National Day, reinforce inclusion and cross-cultural exchange.

Heritage, Resilience, and Social Impact

- Cultural spaces have served humanitarian roles during conflicts by hosting displaced families.
- Provision of shelter, food, clothing, and medical support during emergencies.
- Demonstration of how safeguarding ICH can be directly linked to community resilience, care, and social cohesion.
- Establishment of a sustainable and replicable model for ICH safeguarding that combines cultural excellence with social impact.