- Our commitment
Why a social and cultural centre in Fraykeh?
Gilles A.D.
Lebanon is one of those countries on the fringes of global decision-making, overwhelmed by its formidable ambivalence. It is a small country, a mosaic of values, beliefs, diverse ideas and oppositions; in short, it is an accumulation of these differences and their contrasts.
Maison Fraykeh, a nineteenth-century silkworm nursery that has been the fruit of human endeavour and an exceptional artistic context since 1972, is a place for expressing these margins, these thresholds, these sides, these fields of turbulence, these experiences. Through its unique features, the Maison Fraykeh aims to express the ephemerality of the moment, the density of memory, the pugnacity of time or times of contradiction.
The aim of the House is to contribute to the development of Lebanese art and culture, in all its authenticity, its human dimension and its deep roots in the consciousness of the people and in all its diversity, whether traditional, modern or contemporary. This House will therefore be a place for exchange and debate between all categories of people, whether they are committed artists, professionals or amateurs, from the bourgeoisie or the more modest social classes. The principle is that these meetings take place around subjects of great quality and interest.
- Organization chart
Organization chart
Our team is currently made up of four founding members, some from the family, some from the theatrical history linked to M.A.D, and other artists and organisers from the Metn region.
Gilles Debs
Founding member. Born on 27 July 1961 in Fraykeh, he graduated in 1987 in Paris, where he founded POINT JAUNE Architecture in 1989. His main areas of practice are collective and individual housing, offices and cultural and other facilities, as well as interior architecture and fittings.
Alongside his professional activities, he is passionate about painting and drawing, which he has practised since childhood: he has gone through several stages, from figurative, realism to abstract, in different techniques (oil, acrylic, pencil, charcoal, pastel, etc.). He was greatly influenced by the work of Alphonse Phillips.
Corinne Skaff
Founding member Corinne Skaff is a Lebanese dance artist and pedagogue. She is the founder and artistic director of La Compagnie Éphémère.
Her Movement practice and teaching are informed by Contact Improvisation, Contemporary dance techniques, physical theater, and somatic practice principles. Her main interest as a pedagogue is to facilitate a holistic experience of learning: one that engages the learner physically intellectually and emotionally.
An active member of the Beiruty dance community, She has been teaching regularly and organizing communities since 2006. She hosts and organizes the different projects of L’atelier Cor.
Michel Samahah
Founding member, short bio goes here
Sophie Vautour
Founding member, short bio goes here
- Megaphone News portray Maison Fraykeh
Megaphone News portray Maison Fraykeh
🖤Five years after the death of playwright Munir Abu Dabas, the Beit Al Farika Arts and Culture Association is returning to his studio, his home and Beit Al Harir to establish an artistic space away from the ‘centre’ that contributes to the development of its environment.
- The Village
The Village
Between the 18th century and 1928, Lebanon’s main source of income was its magnaneries, or silk mills. Today, they represent a precious heritage. They bear witness to a very important period in Lebanese history and to a specific architectural style.
They were places of economic dynamism, popular gatherings and collective, and therefore social, work. Despite an astonishing investment effort on the part of the wealthy or noble families of the various regions, this activity was unable to develop or maintain itself, due to the very strong competition from Asian countries (China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand), which dominated the world manufacture of silk yarn.
Unfortunately, most of these silkworm nurseries have been abandoned or are in danger of being demolished because their owners are finding it difficult to find a new purpose for them. The few that are still standing are there purely by chance.
The one at Fraykeh, a Lebanese heritage site in Metn, is one of the few to have been saved; it was bought by Mounir ABOU-DEBS in 1972 and he very quickly embarked on successive basic restoration projects, even during the dark days of the civil war, which enabled it to remain standing. It was built around 1850. The vernacular style of its windows, doors and chimney bear witness to the historical importance of the architectural language of the period. Because of its layout and organisation, the silkworm nursery has a spectacular view over the Nahr-el-Kalb valley, Kesrouan and Sannine mountain.
Since 1983, a number of cultural events have taken place here, including the installation of the Modern Theatre School. And the organisation of an annual festival, now in its 11th year.
- Permaculture garden
Permaculture garden
An environmental dimension is inherent in the place, where the first encounter when the gates open and the pine, olive, fig and pomegranate trees, and the small garden, unfold under the tranquility of our walk along the path. The question of the environment stretches to include the stone house, an ancestral building that harmonises and almost dissolves with the valley where it took root over 150 years ago. All dreams, research, sharing and environmental concerns are welcome to be thought about, incubated and explored in the shade of the vaults and fruit trees.
Renovation of the pool and well.
Originally, these two water reservoirs were built to meet the needs of silk thread production from worm cocoons, which required large quantities of water. In the spirit of MaFk, our aim is to renovate and restore the entire site.So the pond, which has a considerable capacity of 200 m3, had emptied over time and was no longer filling up due to the deterioration of the rendering and its waterproofing.
As for the well, which is located under the theatre, it has always been empty, despite its capacity of 36 m3, because it has never been drained. As a result, in 2024, we are planning to hire masons to prepare the walls, clean them and re-coat them, and roofers to lay zinc pipes to direct the rainwater collected by the roof gutters to these two reservoirs.
Our aim is therefore to meet our environmental requirements; to use the water that nature provides to meet the watering needs of the trees, plants and vegetable garden during the hot summer months.