What inspires Al-Badil to engage in field support?
Belief in Cultural Justice: We are driven by the conviction that every region—no matter how remote or underserved—deserves equitable access to cultural expression, infrastructure, and opportunity
Power of Grassroots Transformation: Direct engagement with communities fuels our motivation, as we witness how creativity can ignite social cohesion, youth empowerment, and local innovation.
Alumni-Led Impact: Many of our team members are former program participants—returning to the field not just with skills, but with empathy and a shared journey that strengthens trust and long-term collaboration.
Bridging Beyond Projects
What We Are Testing
At Al-Badil, our experimentation plan is designed as a learning journey to test and refine sustainable models of cultural support in Tunisia. We are piloting two core experiments: (1) a series of five Networking and Exchange Meetings that will bring together alumni, cultural actors, and partners for co-learning and collaboration, and (2) an Internal Mobility Bag offering travel grants to 20 participants to encourage cross-regional exchange, exposure, and research. These efforts are supported by a third component: the Mapping of the Cultural Ecosystem, which will identify gaps, synergies, and new opportunities across Tunisia. The plan embraces participatory learning, iterative feedback, and collaboration between individuals, institutions, and regions. Through these actions, we aim to build a resilient, connected, and inclusive cultural infrastructure that lasts beyond individual programs.
Networking & Exchange
Organizing five gatherings where artists and cultural workers can meet, collaborate, share ideas, and explore new opportunities.
Cultural Mapping
Documenting who is active, where collaborations happen, and where more support is needed — to shape future initiatives
Mobility Grants
Offering 20 artists and cultural practitioners the chance to travel, meet peers, and engage in cultural opportunities across different regions.
As we carry out this experiment, we are asking ourselves:
- How can cultural workers and artists build lasting relationships beyond the formal duration of projects?
- What happens when cultural practitioners have more access to movement, exchange, and collaboration?
- What are the most effective ways to foster meaningful connections and knowledge exchange among diverse participants in the cultural ecosystem?
- How do we leave everyone we interact with—especially through long-term programs—with meaningful and lasting change?
- How can we exchange cultural practices and methodologies effectively with other institutions and practitioners?
- How do we turn evaluation feedback into actionable, applicable outcomes?
- What strategies can help us empower and enable cultural actors in their different roles more effectively?
Meet the team
Al-Badil – L’Alternative Culturelle is a Tunis-based non-profit organization founded in 2013. We work to democratize access to culture and empower young artists and cultural entrepreneurs across Tunisia, especially in underserved regions. Through flagship programs like Massari (cultural entrepreneurship), Tandem Amwaj (artistic co-creation), and Hors-Lits Tunisia (community-based performance festivals), we foster creativity, regional collaboration, and cultural innovation. Our team is diverse and multidisciplinary, composed of emerging professionals who were previously trained through our own programs and are now part of Al-Badil’s growing alumni ecosystem—bringing lived experience and local insight into our work. Fun fact: one of our festivals transformed an entire neighborhood’s rooftops into a contemporary performance stage!
Al-Badil was founded by Selim Ben Safia, a Franco-Tunisian Artistic Director and Choreographer. Initially trained in hip-hop dance at Sybel Ballet Théâtre in Tunis, he later transitioned to contemporary choreography, focusing on the role of art in Arab societies, creative resistance, and youth expression in the post–Arab Spring era.