"Art is a right for all" - Interview with Kassem Istanbouli, winner of the UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture

Any recognition creates a feeling of pride, and I am extremely proud to have received an award from UNESCO in particular, and created by a personality like Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Quasimi, as part of an international competition bringing together nominations from all over the world. It is an extraordinary feeling, especially since the value of this prize is linked to Arab heritage, culture and identity, and it aims to honor Arab culture. In fact, I really did not expect to win. I was in Oman when I received several phone calls from a number I did not know, and I kept hanging up because I was very busy. In the end, I picked up, a little annoyed, to discover that it was UNESCO on the other end of the line and that I had won this prize. A real surprise!

On a concrete level, we have rehabilitated and reopened 4 cinemas that were closed and forgotten. We have founded the Lebanese National Theater, the first free in Lebanon, which aims to create a public and independent cultural space open to all. Hundreds of people, Lebanese or non-Lebanese residing in Lebanon, have thus been able to take advantage of training workshops in photography, cinema and theater. It is a place that is not reserved for intellectuals and cultured people, and that appeals to all people, even those who live in environments that are not very fertile for culture. Many of them grew up to become professional actors, photographers and directors. As for our festivals, 6 of which are annual, they have so far brought together artists from 56 countries in Lebanon. The Tiro association has 323 members, all volunteers.

We started from zero, or less. We only had our passion for theater and cinema. We started performing in the streets, then in homes. Then we were able to create a small theatre. Then the group grew when we created the association, and all this without any financial support. Today, we are present on the ground and well anchored. We have the foundations to continue building, but we have to face daily challenges. Two of our cinema theaters have been closed and still are.

Art can contribute to change and can accompany social and intellectual movements. It allows to bring a certain education through capacity-building and an awareness also by reflecting our reality. The identity of a country begins with its culture and any reflection on the future of the country cannot be dissociated from it. Not to forget that culture can be an economic force. We just need real cultural policies to no longer rely on personal initiatives as we have done so far in Lebanon. At the same time, the role of UNESCO is crucial to achieve the desired change and all the UNESCO projects in Lebanon that I have been able to follow are very important. We need to support and preserve culture as well as our many craftsmen, masters of their art, because they are part of our heritage. And I am confident that we will work together in partnership with UNESCO to achieve more goals in the future, to empower youth, women and children and activate the role of arts in education, awareness, societal development, dialogue and the preservation of cultural and artistic heritage.

The important thing now is to dedicate ourselves once again to the creation of artistic productions. We have many stories to tell and things to say. Then, the ideal would be to transpose this experience to new regions, and even to another Arab country, to preserve our memory, our heritage, our identity. The dream must continue.