MA3MAL 612 - THINK FACTORY

Since the Arab World is experiencing vast changes, Ma3mal 612 – Think Factory seeks to combine film as a medium to address issues of political, social, and economic rights by creating a cultural platform for artists and citizens. The platform aims to stimulate dialogue, debate, and awareness of human rights and development issues in the Arab world.

The arts, by definition, are individual or group creations that cater to a public; a heterogeneous public whose relationship with art is based on varying modes of discourse, analysis, and interpretation.

Ma3mal is a collaborative pool of thinkers and workers from different backgrounds and disciplines who innovate projects that are considered a priority for our region. The word Al Ma3mal means the “Factory’ (in English). It is designed to produce and enhance the production of films, documentaries, video art, installations, and other visual and artistic projects of an Avant-Garde nature, that have the ability to make an impact and create change in civil societies in our region and across the globe. Ma3mal 612 is backed up by a think tank comprised of practitioners and thinkers from various fields; artists, social scientists, architects, designers, writers, politicians, philanthropists, technicians, and others from around the Arab world.

Ma3mal 612 has adopted the collective approach in which all stakeholders are appreciated as main actors in order for them to reach a high sense of ownership and passion for their different projects. In this foundation, and given that it is a Factory, Ma3mal 612 attracts visual art workers to work under a common theme agreed upon by the collective working team. Each specific project starts by designating its raw material, its research elements, and the findings of the think tank. The team members alternate roles to engage and contribute to each other’s projects including their contribution to the project’s production line process.

Ma3mal 612 is a metaphor of the ideal planet that the “Little Prince” was looking for , this “planet” is a society and an incubator of an art movement that companies ethics with creative arts. Where artists will become the supreme visionaries in the globe for the good of humanity.

Ma3mal 612 is a think factory and collaborative pool of artists and thinkers, Our shared commitment is to:

  • Propagate and share knowledge in various art disciplines
  • To produce and enhance the production of films, documentaries, video art, installations and other visual and artistic projects that have an Avant-Garde nature that creates positive change in the society
  • Using informal education to leverage the technical and creative tools of artists
  • Push towards a collaborative projects between artists to create lobbying forces
  • Ma3mal 612 defends freedom of expression and freedom of creation.
  • Ma3mal 612 encourages collective work, exchange of expertise, and passing on knowledge- as well as exchange of roles to complement each other’s projects with passion and transparency.
  • We assert that Arts and Culture should be at the very heart of local sustainable development and the emancipation of populations. We assert that bio-diversity, cultural diversity, and democratic pluralism are key to humanity’s shared global agenda.
  • In a global context where many conflicts are provoked by cultural divides, ma3mal 612 considers that enhancing intercultural dialogue is key to the resolution of these conflicts.
  • Ma3mal 612 supports reasoned and meaningful initiatives led by civil society that are socio-politically engaged.
  • Ma3mal 612 considers that local and international mobility and/or dialogue of artists and cultural operators is a collective process of learning, a shared investment for our common future, and that it contributes to stability and justice.
  • Ma3mal 612 action is in line with the principles of cultural policy agendas and texts of references of which the most important are:
    • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Fribourg Declaration of Cultural Rights, UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, European Agenda for Culture, Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media – UNESCO. & for anti-corruption and anti-harassment policies we subscribe to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct – WHO

The Hub facilities

the technical and creative Hub is an accessible and operational intimate set of spaces and rooms that can receive young men and women with different interests

This first space includes a professional hotel kitchen, attached to a reception suite with a spacious living room. The kitchen studio is equipped with a large oven, industrial gas for cooking, a food unit for salads and cold dishes, a large refrigerator for storing food items, as well as a microwave. In the kitchen studio, there is a meeting and dining table used for informal meetings where the hosted group can cook, discuss, share a meal and move around in the reception suite attached to the kitchen. This space has the capacity to host 15-20 people.

This second space consists of a small room equipped with a medium-sized cinema screen, a high-quality Hitachi CP-X705 LCD projector, a seating area for relaxation, and many electrical sockets. This room serves as a safe space for collective creativity and can accommodate 6-8 people.

This third space is an isolated and acoustically treated 4×4 meters studio, ready to host artists and musicians for recording, mixing, and broadcasting. The studio is equipped with an iMac system, Apollo Interface, Adams Speakers, and several Sure microphones.

This fourth area is 5×5 meters comfortable space that is equipped with two editing stations and can cater to 6 working artists. The editing room is equipped with several editing suites including; Adobe, Premiere, Davinci, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro and 3D Max. The montage room is equipped with 2 PC monitors as well as an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) and a MacBook Pro (M1 Pro 16-inch).

The fifth space is a medium-sized room that provides a quiet and comfortable environment for thinking, creative writing, and typing. The bright room is equipped with a printer, a flipchart as well as all necessary written supplies, and has the capacity to host 8 people.

The sixth space is the biggest area of the Hub (12×6 meters). This space can host all types of performances on its stage (3×4 meters); from theatre plays to film screenings, training and workshops as well as music performances. With its separate entrance, big terrace, and private bathrooms, this space is very convenient to gather and organize meetings, seminars, and events. It is equipped with a Christie LW555 Projector, a Sony Soundsystem, and a basic adjustable lighting system. The multipurpose room is available for rent to the public and provides an independent and well-equipped space with a capacity to host 30-50 people.