Cells 02

CELLS is a two year project launched in 2019, to establish ‘creative cells’ in place of the so-called ‘terrorist cells’ across Tunisia. Fanni Raghman Anni identified ten priority areas of tension in Tunisia, in which a terrorist attack has occurred or which has a high number of violent extremists: Douar Hicher, Seliena, Beja, Kasserine, Kef, Gafsa, Sidi Bouzid, Bizerte, Kairouan, Ben Guerdan. The programme engaged young people based in these regions with voter education to support good governance and democracy in Tunisia around the legislative elections and presidential elections of 2019, and to create innovative artistic campaigns/ projects to engage voters and hold elected officials accountable. CELLS consisted of training and production in alternative cultural youth expressions including hip-hop, rap, theatre and dance, graffiti, mobile cinema, digital platforms, street poetry, resulting in cultural and civic movements or alternative spaces for artists and young people.

Thirty young people participated in the academy, with three further supported with funding, mentoring and technical support by Fanni Raghman Anni to deliver their own creative initiatives. The supported initiatives enable young people embedded in the regions to transfer the knowledge and skills they received to their local communities and involve them in the organisation and implementation of creative cells, in order to use culture as a weapon against violent extremism, and to improve resilience and critical thinking for youth.

CELLS also enabled FRA to analyse the effectiveness of various artistic means to encourage citizen participation and increase community participation especially young people in the electoral process.

Project team:

Director and lead trainer – Seif Eddine Jlassi

Assistant coordinator – asma kaouech

trainers – yousef mars/ seif eddine jlassi/ mohsen adab

Administrative Coordinator : makrem ben khamis