CREACT4MED launched a campaign in the Autumn of 2023 to collect examples of “Best Practices” to map cultural and creative entrepreneurship, ecosystem enablement, and local or regional cooperation in the Southern Mediterranean. We received a total of 102 applications across the 6 target countries and in Europe. After a thorough evaluation process, you can find the best examples below here in the Best Practices Repository. Filter by country, by theme, and by subsector to help you in your cultural and creative venture and learn from other people’s successful example. If you have a best practice you’d like to submit, please email creact4med@euromed-economists.org.
Theme
Country
Sector
QalebStudio
QalebStudio is on a mission to revolutionize the digital visual content industry by bridging the gap between the vast Arab-speaking online community and the availability of high-quality, culturally authentic Arabic digital content. As a pioneering platform, they empower businesses, designers, and individuals, irrespective of their digital literacy levels, with a comprehensive library of over 60,000 meticulously crafted templates and digital products that resonate with Arabic and Islamic aesthetics.
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Warm Home
Warm Home aims to address the economic marginalization and limited opportunities faced by youth and women in Palestine, particularly in the West Bank. These individuals encounter difficulties in accessing markets, lack necessary training, and struggle to establish sustainable businesses in the fields of culture and traditional handicrafts. Warm Home provides targeted support, training, and resources to empower youth and women in the field of handicrafts, enabling them to create sustainable livelihoods, preserve cultural heritage, and contribute to comprehensive economic development in the region.
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Culture Funding Watch
Culture Funding Watch is the destination for artists and arts organisations to access information and intelligence about Art and culture resources mobilisation. It is a network of people and content that supports equal access to information, provides services to facilitate access to resources as well as advocates for transparent and responsible financing for the Arts and Culture. It collects, sorts and disseminates funding opportunities, offers customised resources mobilisation services, builds long term sustainability capacity of cultural actors and organisations and promotes establishment of evidence based advocacy towards sustainable, transparent and responsible art funding.
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Tamer Institute for Community Education
Tamer Institute for Community Education is an educational non-governmental non-profit organization focusing principally on the rights to education, identity, freedom of expression, and access to information. Tamer works across the West Bank and Gaza Strip, primarily targeting children and young adults to encourage and deepen opportunities of learning among them. They aim to enhance reading, writing and all forms of expression among children and young adults by supporting Palestinian literature.
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Triiiza
Triiiza is a traditional handicrafts company based in Tunisia specialising in the weaving and embroidery of organic fibers. Founder, Jihene Souabni, started the initiative to work on promoting responsible consumption by reducing textile waste through innovative and sustainable practices and circular economy practices.
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Lo Designs
Lo Designs' mission is to save nature through art by up cycling fabric waste in to art pieces using the Egyptian folkloric art khaymya plus different ways of art schools to ensure every customer feels proud and unique in their role as a protector of nature by purchasing by an artistic and sustainable piece.
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Mirage Group
Mirage Group is a company specializing in new technologies applied largely in the cultural field. They are also known as Mirage 3D and their vision is to promote film culture and offer the opportunity to discover this 3D cinema technology for children and young people throughout Tunisia to fight against the centralization of cultural activities, and the cultural drought in these regions because we believe that access to culture is a right for all citizens without exception.
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KUVRD
Founded in 2018, KUVRD create meaningful Arab heritage streetwear rooted in tradition, culture, and history. They are an impact-driven lifestyle brand that speaks to the uniqueness of the Arab identity & culture with designs that pay tribute to the people who make them & the places where they are made, while supporting marginalized communities through sustainable employment & community-based projects. Their inspiration springs from a deep-rooted history that dates back to the family's textile factory in Palestine in the 1950s.
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SAWA for Development and Aid
SAWA for Development and Aid is a Civil Society Organization (CSO) initially founded in December 2011 working with refugees. After working with marginalized communities, SAWA realized the importance of preserving the dignity of families by creating a source of income, especially for women-led households. To meet this need, SAWA launched the Masterpeace project, which aims to preserve the heritage culture of Levantine families through fashion. The Masterpeace fashion line consists of sewing workshops where women produce modern-traditional clothes and home decor items that represent the heritage culture.
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Arzaak
Arzaak is a cultural and creative training platform based in Tunisia, aimed at women to empower them in the cultural and creative handicraft skills. They believe that everyone has a unique creative talent just waiting to be discovered and developed. They design courses that cater to individuals with limited formal education, ensuring total inclusivity of the course and high learning outcomes.
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CAS CREATIVE
CAS CREATIVE is a 5 month program for entrepreneurs in Sfax, Tunisia, with an idea, prototype or MVP in the CCI mainly audiovisual production. The program addresses economic growth challenges outlined in a thematic study on Tunisia's cultural and creative industries. CAS CREATIVE encourages innovation through partnerships and envisions geographic and stage-wise expansion. Successful collaborations with partners like KIDDO CHEF and the French Institute of Tunisia exemplify the program's impact on job creation and female entrepreneurship.
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FeMena
Focused on addressing the limited opportunities for emerging artists in the region, especially women and non-binary individuals, the project aims to enhance their skills and navigate the digital-dominated music market. Through immersive residencies, 1-1 sessions, and research papers, FeMENA promotes diversity and advocates for gender equality. Financially sustainable through partnerships and grants, the initiative not only contributes to economic development but also fosters a supportive network for participants. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, FeMENA has shown resilience, making it a transformative force in the electronic music landscape.
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South Band Association for Theatrical Performances
The South Troupe works to spread culture and media, and theater culture in particular, and provides specialized training in acting, writing theatrical scripts, and training related to creating cultural content and cultural management. The band works continuously and throughout the year to provide artistic works and qualitative training through cooperation with several local bodies and international organizations.
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Blue Line
Blue Line is one of the travel agencies leading the development of travel and tourism industry in Egypt. Their mission is to inspire visitors to explore the best destinations for their clients with excellent services, and innovative programs. They provide unique services and outstanding tourism packages. They have customised virtually every type of tour and group package, from desert safari trips and enticing resort holidays to special creative packages that highlight cultural, recreational and truly adventurous experiences.
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Tunisia Outdoors
Tunisia Outdoors excels in reconnecting individuals with nature and culture through its unique adventures, fostering a 30% increase in environmental and cultural awareness. The initiative significantly contributes to community development, youth empowerment, and gender inclusivity, with over 40% of its workforce comprising women. Financially sustainable, the project relies on diversified revenue streams, strategic partnerships, and innovative solutions, ensuring a positive economic impact.
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Menart Fair
After ten years of success of Beirut Art Fair in Lebanon, Laure d’Hauteville, founder & fair director, launched Menart Fair, international modern and contemporary art fair, dedicated to artists from the Levant, Arab-Persian Gulf & North Africa, selected by must-see galleries. Unique in the West, Menart Fair showcases a burgeoning art scene, whose dense and strong production is now supported by many renowned museums and institutions around the world.
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Gemini Africa
Gemini Africa are a One-Stop impactful entrepreneurial hub playing an integral role in leveraging the lives of bright youth and bolstering startups through innovative flagship programs, investment options and exceptional offerings backed up by their ever-growing partnership network. Their reach extends to the African continent as well to support African youth and entrepreneurs in conquering developmental challenges & building the capacity to create sustainable businesses.
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Studio Madane
Studio Madane, a dynamic Beirut-based youth-led collective, targets intersectional reform by addressing issues at the crossroads of socioeconomic disparities, urban development, and progressive political change. It acknowledges that addressing one aspect alone cannot lead to comprehensive socioeconomic and urban transformation.
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Sougui E-shop
Sougui is a recently established online platform with a twofold mission: to empower artisans to thrive in the digital economy, and to provide consumers with a convenient and meaningful way to discover and support authentic Tunisian craftsmanship. Through the platform, they aim to create sustainable economic opportunities for artisans, revitalize the Tunisian artisan sector, and preserve the country's rich cultural heritage.
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Meteor Airlines
Meteor Airlines’ mission is to rekindle and preserve the vibrant Amazigh cultural heritage of Morocco, addressing cultural erosion and disconnection among Amazigh communities through disruptive Amazigh rock music. They believe that by infusing traditional Amazigh cultural elements with contemporary influences, they can make this heritage relevant and appealing to younger generations. This fusion can serve as a bridge between the past and the present, ensuring that Amazigh culture not only survives but thrives, and that the sustainable practices its people have promoted for centuries can be rekindled to face the current climate emergency.
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MENA Women’s Business Club
The MENA Women Business Club is sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in partnership with the Union for the Mediterranean within the framework of the PWE II Programme funded by the Government of Italy. The aim of the club is to empower females, whether they are executives or promising female founders who are seeking awareness, networking, training, opportunities for new businesses, introductions, and access to funding.
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Couscous Publishing House
Couscous Publishing House Couss et Co publishing house is a social company, co-founded in 2012 by Tunisian artist Rym Jâafra and author Yassine Ellil. They are specialized in the publication of comic books and magazines and have recently launched the comic book series “The Door of the Sea”. The aim of the series is to manage tolerance and improve the acceptance of cultural diversity in children, battling against the challenges posed by technology and quick access to information.
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Help Mariage
Help Mariage is the first mobile application for planning a serene wedding in Morocco, and they plan to expand to the whole MENA region. They help brides and grooms to be solve the puzzle of planning their wedding. They have a large-scale impact on more than 40 professions with over 5.000 professionals in the creative and cultural wedding industry by enabling them to develop their business by digitizing their activity.
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iCulture Creative Industries
ICCI is an online platform for creators and independent artists to promote their talents. It's open for free to all artists in the MENA region and gives the opportunity to connect talents with sponsors, producers and art experts. The platform aims to facilitate networking and collaboration through live events. It serves as a bridge between artists and industry professionals, offering networking opportunities and connections to potential sponsors.
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Kilim
Kiliim is an Egyptian social enterprise and lifestyle brand that aims to revive and sustain local, Egyptian crafts and their communities by introducing modern designs to time-honored techniques. The kilims are manufactured in Fowwa, a small village situated along the lush Nile Delta. The craftsmen come from a long line of kilim artisans who consider the craft as part of their heritage. Since 2016, they have partnered with almost 40 artisans, providing them and their families with stable incomes that are 50% higher from the industry average in environments and conditions compliant with World Fair Trade Organization guidelines.
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MYTINDY
MyTindy is a marketplace designed to introduce the world to Morocco's talented craftspeople. Each of their makers producers their goods entirely in Morocco. They work with each brans to reivew their items, understand their process, and ensure they are producing high-quality pieces. MyTindy's community of makers is able to reach a worldwide audience and they have built a successful, flourishing business.
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Hoopoo
Hoopoo is an online slow fashion startup that sets itself apart by offering a distinctive combination of comfort, boho chic designs and captivating prints. Hoopoo embraces a mindful approach in production focusing on timeless pieces that prioritize quality and sustainability over fleeting trends, contributing to a more conscious and sustainable fashion industry. This unique value proposition gives Hoopoo a competitive edge in a crowded fashion market, attracting concussions customers who are looking for something different and extraordinary.
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Creative Industry Summit
Creative Summit is on a mission to revolutionize the creative economy landscape in Egypt. Their mission is to lead a creative revolution that transcends borders, uniting and empowering individuals across the creative economy spectrum. They are committed to educating, connecting, and inspiring creatives while providing a vibrant platform for all stakeholders to thrive. Their vision extends beyond Egypt, encompassing the broader region, but our core belief is that creativity knows no boundaries. They began as a humble community of 200 creatives and expanding exponentially to a thriving network of more than 30,000 in just nine years.
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Jedo
Jedo is an on-demand local guide to plan, book, and navigate your trips. See it as a trip planner, a private guide, and a personal concierge, combined in one. Jedo's mission is to free explorers from the shackles of meticulous scheduling and high costs. It's designed to be a local concierge, offering unique AI-guided trips like a Spotify library. No more scrolling through endless posts and articles, or emptying your wallet for prepackaged tours. Jedo offers AI-generated trip ideas and an AI-guide for free, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace.
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Hors Lits Tunisie
The Hors-Lits project was launched in Tunisia in 2014. They combine project management training programme with a travelling performing arts festival, free for spectators. The festival takes place in the heart of people’s neighbourhoods or in unusual venues, including culturally and artistically diverse performers in order to reach the widest possible audience. Whether they are dancers, musicians, actors or poets, hundreds of artists have been able to showcase their work, connect with other artists, get to know the hosts and develop their professional network. Their key aim is the democratisation and decentralisation of art and culture
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Smart Art for Entrepreneurship, Training and Development
Smart Art focuses on entrepreneurship, graphic design, and marketing training. Their beneficiaries include aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, marketing professionals, graphic design enthusiasts, students, educational institutions, career-focused professionals, and local communities. Smart Art equips these individuals with essential skills to advance their careers, promote business growth, and foster economic development in their regions.
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Jar of Jam
Jar is a forward-thinking social enterprise dedicated to embracing sustainability while preserving our rich cultural heritage and elevating the essence of our food specialties and culinary traditions. They strive to harmonize tradition with innovation, crafting a brighter and more inclusive future for all by promoting sustainable practices and a diverse range of engaging experiences and delectable food offerings. They are developing a new line of jams that maintains the authenticity of the traditional taste, but uses natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar, and incorporates a higher content of natural antioxidants to enhance the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of the traditional jam.
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Kemet Incubator
Kemet embodies best practices in the creative industry by fostering innovation, empowering local communities, and promoting inclusivity, especially for women and youth. The project strategically utilizes technology, such as virtual reality and cloud platforms, to enhance artistic experiences and broaden accessibility. With a commitment to education, Kemet invests in skill-building programs and actively engages with diverse forms of art, contributing to a vibrant cultural landscape. By measuring its societal, economic, and environmental impact, Kemet demonstrates a dedication to sustainability and responsible business practices. Collaborations and partnerships further amplify Kemet's influence, making it a key player in nurturing Egypt's creative economy.
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AlQalam
Al Qalam, is a community project to spread and teach Arabic calligraphy arts and Islamic decoration in the heart of the historic Cairo. It is a unique learning atmosphere, and encourages students to unleash their creativity by providing a learning spaces, a design studio, a shop to buy calligraphy supplies and art gifts, and a meeting point for creators and artists. Through its various programs, Al Qalam seeks to promote linear movement through training and education, creating new generations of calligraphers and forming a supportive system, organizing exhibitions and educational seminars, providing tools and written products, marketing and promoting and digitizing art works.
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Dawar El Fnoon
Dawar el-Fnoon is an arts and culture center in El Minya, which promotes the performing arts in Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt is a region where there is a clear lack of cultural infrastructure and Dawar aims to change that by preserving heritage, providing a cultural space for all artists to share their experiences, providing artists with the appropriate environment to develop their skills, and bridging the gap between artists and their audiences. This is done through organizing cultural meetings, art festivals, and workshops.
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Au Grain de Sésame
Au Grain de Sésame, an ecological art and design social enterprise, is an initiative of Moroccan artist Asmaa Benachir. Based in Rabat (Morocco) since December 2007, Au Grain de Sésame works to promote sustainable development and respect for the environment. In 2013, using an innovative paper recycling technique, Au Grain de Sésame launched a training programme in ecological and sustainable design to empower women in difficult circumstances in the Rabat and Salé medinas.
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Film My Design
Film My Design (FMD) is the first and only design-film in the MENA region, taking place in Cairo, Egypt. Leveraging Egypt’s strong, long-standing connection to the film world, FMD’s mission centers on telling inspiring, engaging, and thought-provoking stories on design, architecture and city life using film; the most universal language of visual storytelling. Through film screenings, exhibitions, talks, masterclasses, workshops, and educational tours, our mission is to inspire, educate, and foster collaboration in the global creative landscape.
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Puppets 4 Kids
Puppets 4 Kids is a puppet theatre based in Palestine creating an enabling environment for the Palestinian children and youth so they can be self-dependent, contribute to the development of Palestine, and be active participants in the development effort of a just and equal society. 88% of Palestinian children are traumatized and afflicted by fear. Puppets can break down barriers and provide an effective means to initiate communication. Puppets 4 Kids have created sustainable jobs whilst contributes to reducing social issues and developing an environment that supports initiatives and artistic projects.
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Askadar for Culture and Arts
Askadar is a creative cultural centre in the city of Nablus in the Northern West Bank. The centre opened its doors in March 2017 and has been providing much needed culture and arts activities to the children and teens (5 to 15 years old). Askadar was founded by a group of young artists and entrepreneurs with a goal of educating children in music and dance and giving them a safe, family-friendly environment for them to explore their creativity. Now, Askadar is engaging 150 students in art activities such as: Ballet, Dabka, Music and Drawing.
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San3aTech
San3a Tech is a social enterprise, kicked off by young Egyptians with the goal of democratizing technical innovation and personalized manufacturing, and building a platform to empower the community of makers and innovators. San3a Tech is on a mission to democratize technical innovation, ensuring that it is accessible to all through their Maker Diploma programme: a hands-on training program designed to empower people with the knowledge they need to take ideas from concepts to prototypes.
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DOWIT
Dowit is an impact startup that supports intangible heritage by organizing immersive and original experiences. They design and implement local, ethical, fair trade and authentic cultural tourism formats: craft workshops, cooking workshops, themed guided tours and atypical treasure hunts. For half a day or several days, enjoy authentic heritage experiences that will delight the heart and senses, in little-known corners of Tunisia, and through encounters with enthusiasts rarely seen elsewhere.
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Hebron Rehabilitation Committee
The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) is dedicated to preserving, restoring, and celebrating the important cultural and social history of the Old City in Hebron. The HRC aims to preserve cultural heritage, revitalize the Old Town through building restoration and infrastructure projects, improve living conditions for residents, promote economic activity, and resist external influences that could disrupt the urban continuity. The focus is on rehabilitating historical buildings, encouraging residents to return, boosting local and international tourism, and enhancing economic, social, and cultural aspects within the Old Town. The overarching goal is to ensure the preservation and vibrancy of Hebron's historical center.
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DALL By NET-INFO
Digiart livinglab, a creative platform for social and open innovation certified by ENoLL (European Network of Linving Labs). The D.A.L.L is located right in the centre of Nabeul, next to the Jarre (a symbol of the town's heritage). The D.A.L.L. is a space for talented people from the region who want to develop their creative spirit and produce creative, innovative projects that have a social impact and use creative and digital technologies (3D, video games, virtual reality, augmented reality, IoT, etc.). The project is supported by NET-INFO, the School of Art and Technology (https://3dnetinfo.com) and the Tunisian creative technology association CREATEC.
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Puppets World for the Development of Children
Puppets World is the first and only company in Jordan that aims to educate children and raise their awareness of social, behavioral, emotional, and cultural issues through the interactive mobile puppet theater. Being mobile, the theater reaches remote communities and targets locals, refugees, and disabled children from 4 to 12 years of age, regardless of their regional background. The plays are performed by International certified puppeteers in a fun and enjoyable way using puppets with different shapes and colors, also translated into sign language too Puppets World theater has received many global awards including the Austrian Intercultural Achievement Award 2022.
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Almah
ALMAH is a local Egyptian sustainable fashion brand that repurposes virgin vintage material into up cycled contemporary high end fashion pieces, curates unique items for resale and produces up cycled fabric swatches for luxury fashion houses. ALMAH is a social enterprise (project of the Egyptian Clothing Bank, an Egyptian NGO) with a business model set for high profit margins - depending on the competitivity of the ECB collected material sourcing - dedicating all profit to the sustainable provision of functional fitting clothes to deserving children.
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Ideasgym (Alsearag Co.)
Ideasgym (Alsearag Co.) provides training and training content on digtal skills and STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for students, teachers and schools that motivates them to learn, tinker, gain & build skills in STEM fields using the power of Hybrid learning. Their mission is to revolutionize STEM education by merging education and entertainment through captivating and interactive edutainment content. They aim to make learning engaging, accessible, and relevant, fostering a generation of curious and empowered individuals who can shape the future through STEM innovation and bring STEM interactive Edutainment content and learning experience to Video on Demand Platforms, T.V Channels, Educational websites and schools.
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