Name of the organization or artist

Samir Kassir Foundation

Email

bsf@samirkassirfoundation.org

Country

Lebanon

Website URL

https://www.samirkassirfoundation.org/en/Home-Page

Missions and objectives

SKF was established in 2006 and has consistently held up its mission of promoting freedom of expression in both the media and cultural fields. Freedom of expression and the role of culture represented for the late journalist, historian and martyr of free thought, Samir Kassir, the crucial condition for any flourishing society, and specifically for Arab nations, to thrive beyond their state of despair. He envisioned a democratic and secular Lebanon, whose vibrant cultural and intellectual scene would ultimately extend to the region.
In order to materialize its deep-rooted commitment to democratizing access to culture and re-asserting Lebanon’s role as a cultural hub in the Levant region, it created and launched the Beirut Spring Festival (BSF) in 2009. BSF is a multidisciplinary performing arts festival that takes place in June, in various locations of Beirut, premiering Lebanese and international performances. Performances range from plays, concerts, dance shows, exhibitions to movies screenings, but also seminars and workshops. One of the significant highlights of BSF is the free admission to the festival, which provides all categories of the Lebanese society with unrestricted access to original, non-commercial art performances and aims to expand every spectator’s cultural scope. The social inclusiveness of our events remains the key element and one of the main pillars of our cultural mission in Lebanon.
The Festival supports contemporary local and international art creation to energize Lebanon’s cultural and artistic life, built on the belief that art is the ultimate way to tolerance. It also thrives on the young generation’s interest in maintaining ties with the vision and thoughts of Samir Kassir. While continuously remaining committed to promoting freedom of speech and access to culture, SKF is always eager to widen the scope of its activities on the ground, across all regions of the country, in order to respond to the needs of the country and pave a way for the renewal of the Lebanese cultural field through an international exchange with modern arts.

Main Activities

The Samir Kassir Foundation (SKF) is a non-profit, civic organization, working within the civil society and cultural circles to promote freedom of expression, spread democratic culture in Lebanon and the Arab world, and encourage new talents of free press to build the movement for a cultural, democratic, and secular renewal. It is also monitoring and reporting, on a daily basis, violence and repression to which journalists, media professionals, artists, intellectuals and activists in the Levant region are facing. Throughout the year, it holds and offers workshops and conferences related to culture, performing arts, and public freedom but also press and media development. It provides material, legal and safety support to persecuted journalists and artists.

Contact person

Randa Asmar