The "Al Badil" (Cultural Alternative) association has just launched a call for applications for the new "Dhekira" (Memory) project, financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) as part of the "Samim" Mediterranean support programme for civil society actors, managed by the "Lab'ess" social and solidarity economy laboratory, whose mission is to support the associative movement and promote social entrepreneurship as a lever for inclusive and sustainable development based on solidarity. Open to young people aged between 20 and 30 from the greater Tunis area, "Dhekira" is an opportunity to train in cultural management, financial management and communication. Once trained, the cultural managers will organise an artistic residency in a cultural or urban space, followed by a performance open to the public, under the supervision of "Al Badil" teams and experts. The project aims to enhance Tunisia's heritage through artistic creation and to reconnect the residents of five Tunisian neighbourhoods with their urban environment. Participants will also benefit from online and face-to-face follow-up sessions. The one-week residencies will take place between November 2023 and January 2024. The performances will be broadcast in February 2024. Candidates must apply before 1 September 2023 by filling in the form at the following link: https://forms.gle/X3R3Hs7eELbJSYa37 Based on the observation that civil societies in the countries of the southern Mediterranean are still fragile, the "Samim" project aims to strengthen organisations working for more sustainable and inclusive local development, with a particular focus on young people involved in these organisations. It is a multi-country civil society support project financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by Lab'ess in partnership with the French association PULSE (France) and four support structures: Ecodev in Mauritania, Bidaya in Morocco, TCSE in Tunisia and JYIF in Jordan. Through its many activities and various cultural and artistic programmes, the Al Badil Association works to structure the Tunisian cultural sector, create a cultural network of Tunisian citizens and creative initiatives, build bridges between the French-speaking and Arabic-speaking worlds to increase professional opportunities, and promote artistic and cultural education for all.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse