Kulturnest at BINA’: Putting Lebanon’s Creative Micro-Businesses on the EU Reform Agenda
"It was interesting to take part in the BINA’ morning consultation session and share my insights on the current challenges and opportunities of the cultural sector in Lebanon, as well as recommendations for the EU. Within the track "Inclusive and Resilient Economy – MSMEs, innovation and social entrepreneurship", I spoke from the perspective of Kulturnest, our hybrid cultural space/ semi-nomadic creative hub working daily with over 250 individual creatives and micro/small/medium businesses in Lebanon and beyond.
I underlined that Lebanon’s creative economy is rich in talent but extremely fragile: most cultural and creative actors operate informally or semi-formally, with almost no access to finance, facing rising costs, unstable infrastructure and non-existent social protection. Women, youth, independent artists and first-time entrepreneurs are particularly exposed to insecurity and burnout. At the same time, this ecosystem holds enormous potential for inclusive recovery: creative MSMEs generate income and jobs, sustain local value chains, support upcycling and slow production, and create spaces where communities can meet, process trauma and keep public dialogue alive.
My recommendations to the EU and partners focused on five priorities:
- Finance and long-term support grants, emergency funds, basic business support, and financial incentives for investors.
- Lighter and fairer regulation so that creative actors can move gradually from informal to formal status.
- Spaces and infrastructure for cultural markets, studios, and small venues, including outside traditional cultural districts + addressing fragmentation through the expansion of collaborations (municipalities, State institutions, academia, NGOs, creative enterprises)
- Inclusion, well-being, and protection for women, youth, independent, and marginalized creatives in the sector.
- Transparent governance and co-design, involving micro/small/medium-sized enterprises in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programmes.
I sincerely hope that these recommendations – and those of diverse local NGOs – will be heard and taken into account in future EU strategies for Lebanon’s cultural and creative sectors."
Dr. Pamela Chrabieh
About the BINA’ Event
The national event “BINA’: Catalyzing Reforms Together”, held on Tuesday, 25 November 2025 at the Mövenpick Hotel Beirut, marks four years of achievements under the EU-funded BINA’ Project. Co-organised by the EU Delegation to Lebanon, Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S), Transparency International Lebanon – No Corruption (TI-LB) and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS), the gathering brought together civil society organisations, government institutions and international partners to review progress, share lessons learned and co-design future pathways for reform and transparency in Lebanon. The programme centered on three main tracks:
- a Morning Consultation between the EU and CSOs around three thematic clusters – Good Governance and Reforms, Inclusive and Resilient Economy, and Green and Sustainable Recovery;
- an Exhibition and Networking Space showcasing sub-grant initiatives and tools developed under BINA’;
- and an Afternoon Plenary highlighting how collective action has translated into practical reform processes and identifying priorities to sustain momentum beyond the project.