London College of Communication (LCC) PhD research student Joanna Choukeir’s ongoing project Imagination Studio is looking to encourage a new way of thinking to bring change to Lebanon’s embattled and divided society.

The Lebanese socio-economic landscape makes creative collaboration between certain individuals and groups nigh on impossible. It’s Joanna’s vision, through Imagination Studio, to create a space where the nation’s creative and enquiring minds can meet to achieve a less divided Lebanon.

Imagination Studio is a space supporting Lebanese youth from different regions, across different disciplines, and through different networks, to put their heads together and create better informed and actionable social interventions. The goal is for more young people to engage with others outside their social group at school, university, work, home and in the community.

The Imagination Studio community is a group of 30 young ‘Imaginers’ aged 18 to 30, who have creative, social, political, activist, entrepreneurial or journalism backgrounds and interests. The 30 pioneering minds have distributed themselves into five teams, with each team focusing on one particular barrier to social integration in Lebanon. The issues tackled range from marriage and politics to media, language and prejudice.

In the imaginers’ own words:

“Imagination Studio is a fun, creative way to interact, learn and imagine. It is a space to experiment and communicate without borders or limits.” Jana  Abou Reslan

“We are all devoted to bring about positive change, if not on a large scale, then on a smaller scale, beginning with ourselves.” Aisha Habli

“I am so happy to learn that so many are interested in this extremely important issue.  I look forward to continuing to participate in this initiative to produce something really vital for our country.” Zeina Saab

“I am delighted that I have met so many good and positive people.” Charbel Naim

You can follow the progress of Imagination Studio at: http://imaginationstudio.org/