What inspires Tajalla to engage in field support?
The belief that cultural spaces can be sanctuaries, not just venues.
The power of community-led design, where neighbors shape the space with us.
Our commitment to healing and creativity as forms of resilience, especially in turbulent times.
Compass
What We Are Testing
At Tajalla, we see experimentation as a practice of care. Rather than impose pre-set programs, we listen to the land, to our neighbors, to our collective emotional climate. Our approach combines physical activation (gardens, theatres, herb bars) with creative programming (voice, rhythm, movement), all guided by a vision of Tajalla as a living ecosystem.
Compass is, after all, a cultural space, and home to a unique outdoor theatre that will host diverse performances ranging from music and storytelling to talks and theatrical productions. This same space will also support original productions by Tajalla. Alongside it is an equipped podcast studio, and a series of unconventional, multi-layered spaces for audiences that don’t resemble any other cultural venue in Amman.
Workshop & Collaborations
Engaging artists, cultural workers, and local partners to co-create programs.
Space Activation
Transforming our headquarters into a community-driven cultural hub.
Regional Learning
Studying similar initiatives to inform Tajalla’s growth.
Sustainability Models
Exploring alternative funding strategies beyond external grants.
As we carry out this experiment, we are asking ourselves:
- Can Tajalla sustain itself with less external funding?
- Can Tajalla become the first cultural space dedicated to Spiritual Arts and Art Therapy?
- Can Tajalla gain legal freedom to diversify its resources?
- 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
Tajalla is a cultural space nestled in the heart of East Amman, incubated by a group of artists, educators, and community workers who believe in the transformative power of music, storytelling, and collective memory. Our work spans choral programs, music therapy, heritage-based workshops, and cultural mapping, all rooted in a desire to build safe, creative, and emotionally resonant spaces for people of all ages.
We are a small team with a big heart, and an even bigger network of collaborators across Jordan and the Arab region. Our name, “Tajalla”, comes from a word meaning “to manifest light”, and that’s exactly what we try to do, every day.
Meet our core team:
- Russol Al Nasser – Founder and Director of Tajalla
- Wasan Bayaidah – Project Manager of Compass, and Project Manager for other Tajalla projects
- Rawan Assaf – Social Media Consultant
- Mohammad Taher – Design Consultant