Artists, activists seek to create ‘cultural hub’ in Jabal Luweibdeh

AMMAN — Artists and activists on Saturday launched a new initiative to regenerate and create a cultural hub in an area of Jabal Luweibdeh, overlooking the old neighbourhoods of Amman. 

The “A Glance at the View” initiative aims to encourage cultural activities and local leadership to promote positive and critical thinking, in cooperation with Ma3mal 612 Think Factory, Karama Film Festival, Friends of Luweibdeh Cultural Association and the Greater Amman Municipality.

Director Sawsan Darwaza, who is one of the organisers, said initiative members will work with the municipality, activists, and residents to clean up the area and turn it into a “cultural hub” for future events.

She said the activists will contact authorities to improve the area, by setting rules and regulations and placing more rubbish bins to raise the awareness of residents on how to use the site.

“We are hosting an event dubbed ‘Cinema in Transport’, which was launched in Beirut first, to prepare the site for activities that encourage the values of social responsibility,” Darwaza told The Jordan Times. 

Activists were motivated to start the initiative after seeing the area turn into a “rubbish dump” in recent years, according to the director. 

“Many residents are coming out here and using the area in a way that humiliates the city. We aim to take care of this place...to preserve its historical significance,” she said.

Activists will encourage social responsibility through music, Arabic rap, dance and other forms of art, Darwaza added. 

GAM’s Fahed Bayari said the municipality supports cultural and social initiatives and the protection of historical areas of Amman. 

“Our role in social development lies within our support of the activists and their ideas… This spot can be improved and used for events that promote art and culture,” he told The Jordan Times.

Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji emphasised the importance of conserving old areas in the capital and finding ways to protect them.

“There has been a misuse and abuse of such areas, people gather in the evenings and make a mess out of it,” he said.

“This is not a public place. This is a private [spot] — in the sense of private for everyone to enjoy, have a look, but definitely not to come and make a mess, so GAM will definitely try to develop [the idea],” Biltaji told The Jordan Times.

“We have a school property here and we’d like to develop it to be a ‘view’ similar to the view in the Rainbow Street, so we can… bring life into the traditional areas of Amman,” Biltaji said.

Director and activist Ibrahim Khatib said the main idea of the project is to emphasise the existence of old neighbourhoods in the capital and preserve them and change the social behaviour of residents.

“As artists and activists, we like to spread awareness among people to refer the matter to decision makers,” he told The Jordan Times.

Khatib added: “By hosting cultural events and concerts from the local art scene in cooperation with centres, schools and associations, we can start working on protecting this spot.”