Whilst the full magnitude of the 4 August blast on Beirut’s already fractured creative community is still to be ascertained, help cannot wait.
The Beirut port blast broke through the windows and walls of the city’s homes, studios and workshops, destroying collections and stock, damaging expensive machinery, devastating the city’s cultural heritage and years of hard work. From the initial shock, anger and grief have arisen rebuilding initiatives driven by the design community to support their own.
Here are five initiatives that are aiming to help Beirut’s creative scene get back on its feat, while helping preserve the city’s heritage and rebuild lost homes.
House of Today
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Not leaving anyone on the Lebanese creative scene behind, the organisation that is committed to promoting Lebanese design talent on a global platform is looking to provide support to designers as well as artisans and design students. House of Today invites Beiruti creative entrepreneurs impacted by the blast to outline the extent of damage to their homes or businesses. Donations received will be channeled to help rebuild houses and ateliers so that Lebanon’s creative community can get back up on its feet as soon as possible. House of Today is also raising funds to help in-house designers enroll in international residency programs and create opportunities for Lebanese design students to study abroad.
Find out more about House of Today’s initiative here. To donate, please click here.
Follow them on Instagram for latest updates: @houseoftoday
United for Lebanese Creatives
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The neighborhoods of Mar Mikhaël, Saifi Village and Gemmayzeh not only hold great historic importance for Lebanon, they are also home to the country’s creative class – from couturiers and art galleries to interior designers and studios of product designers – all unimaginably devastated by the blast. With the support of Starch Foundation, Slow Factory Foundation, Fondation Saradar, Bureau Des Créateurs, Maison Pyramide, Faux Consultancy and Roni Helou, and complimented by a crowdfunding campaign, ‘United for Lebanese Creatives’ will provide assistance to 39 applicants. They include the acclaimed design duo David/Nicolas. With their entire show window destroyed, what remains of their atelier is currently protected only by a temporary board and the goodwill of neighbours.
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To find out more about the initiative and to lend support, please click here.
Follow them on Instagram for latest updates: @theslowfactory
Rebuild Beirut
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Established by Live Love Lebanon, an independent non-profit that was founded in 2012 with the goal of sharing, celebrating and helping the beauty of Lebanon, Rebuild Beirut is working across three critical platforms to drive community action to help those who need it most. Through their website people can request assistance or help locate someone in need, map families and houses that have been effected by the blast and corral volunteers who are then matched with relevant groups, families and people in need to ensure maximum effectiveness.
To close the circle, please donate here.
Follow them on Instagram for latest updates: @rebuild_beirut
Beb w’ Shebbek
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Mariana Wehbe is Lebanon’s leading design-focused PR guru. Nancy Gabriel is the co-founder the collectible design gallery, Gabriel et Guillaume. The blast of 4 August left Mariana’s office in ruins and Nancy’s home unrecognizably devastated. Rallying the skills and resources of their design industry friends and with the help of donations, the duo have launched Beb w’ Shebbek (translated as ‘doors and windows’). The initiative aims to do just that – install new doors and windows to help families start rebuilding their lives.
If you are an architect, contractor, materials suppliers, Beirut needs you. Please follow them on Instargram @bebwshebbek to find out how you can help.
To help Beirut rebuild its homes, please donate here.
Together for Beirut
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In partnership with Emirates Red Crescent for the Lebanon Relief Fund, Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue is running a donation drive till 29th August. Headlined by ‘A day for Beirut’ on August 15 that saw businesses at the Al Quoz based creative community donate 100 per cent of their profits of that day – matched by the Alserkal foundation – the initiative is accepting urgently required everyday items. From dry and canned food, to first aid kits, hygiene products, toys and even spare change, no donation is too small.
Alongside, Gulf Photo Plus and multi-disciplinary creative platform Ruwa have organized an online print sale, ‘For the Love of Beirut’, featuring contributions by independent Lebanese artists, the Beirut Center of Photography and works by artists from the region. The sale until 26 August, midnight Beirut time and 100 % of the proceeds will be donated to relief efforts.
For more information on Alserkal’s ‘Together for Beirut’, please click here.
For more information on ‘For the Love of Beirut’, please click here.
