What inspires Beit Aam to support the field?
A belief in community-led solutions: Real change begins with the people most affected, so we trust their knowledge and leadership.
The urgency of the moment: In times of crisis, we feel a shared responsibility to act quickly and collectively.
The power of imagination: We know cultural spaces can do more than survive; they can heal, organize, and reimagine the impossible.
An alternative community space
What we are testing
Our approach is rooted in adaptability, responsiveness, and collective learning. Beit Aam has worn many hats in the past two years: a relief hub during displacement in times of war, a kitchen serving hundreds of meals, a storage site for in-kind donations, and, when the urgency subsided, a cultural and political gathering place again. We see this flexibility not as a compromise but as proof that the space can adapt to what the community needs the most. Today, Beit Aam is strengthening its role as a cultural, political, and artistic hub. We continue to expand our outreach, refine structures, and keep the space accessible to anyone seeking an alternative, safe, and open house in the city.
Outreach & financial stability
We are developing a structured outreach strategy to build long-term partnerships and strengthen our financial stability. This includes offering the space on a sliding-scale booking model to individuals, organisations, and collectives, broadening our network by reaching actors who need such services, and testing community-driven income streams while keeping accessibility at the centre.
Community support
Due to the volatile situation in our country, Beit Aam has had to remain flexible in its role - serving as a relief hub during crises, a coordination point for food distribution and shelter, and, in more stable moments, a cultural and political gathering space. We’re testing how one space can stay adaptive, shifting between urgent needs and long-term cultural programming while still responding to the community’s evolving needs.
Curating cultural programming
We are creating diverse programming that aims to strengthen Beit Aam’s cultural role. Plans include weekly events, such as exhibitions, performances, discussions, and community gatherings, as well as enhancing our digital presence through newsletters and social media.
Decision-making
We are refining our governance system and policies to make workflow smoother, transparent, and participatory. The goal is to build a durable structure that balances inclusivity with functionality, ensuring accountability and clarity as the space grows.
As we carry out this experiment, we are asking key learning questions:
- How, and to what extent, will the war in the region - and its direct implications for Beirut - affect our capacity to organize resources and bring in talent from different parts of the city?
- Can this space serve as a catalyst for social and youth engagement amid the heightened political polarization in the country?
- What role can this space play in providing room for marginalized and subaltern groups?
Meet the team
Beit Aam is an alternative community space in Beirut where art, politics, and everyday life meet under one roof. The space is home to a library, a common area that doubles as a small theater, and a space for rehearsals, screenings, workshops and conversations, and is home to multiple entities that operate from it. We keep the house running on collective care and governance.
A fun fact: Beit Aam has been many things depending on the point of time, from a film club and dance studio, to a relief hub cooking and storing food parcels during times of crisis.
Beit Aam