Casa Árabe takes part in the final meeting of the European MOSAIC project in Malta 

From December 8 to 12, Casa Árabe took part in the transnational meeting of the European MOSAIC - Mediterranean Outreach program: Strengthening Arab Identity in Culture, held in Malta. 

This meeting marked the end of the project and allowed the partner organizations to share and evaluate the activities carried out during its implementation, which involved more than 60 young people from Spain, Italy, Malta, Turkey and Syria. Throughout the working sessions, the results achieved were analyzed, while experiences and best practices related to the dissemination and promotion of Arab cultural heritage in Europe were exchanged.

The program included several cultural tours and visits to local initiatives promoted by the host organization,Generation Change. Among these, the visit to the Gozo Archeology Museum was most notable, where a twelfth-century tombstone with Arabic inscriptions has been preserved. It is a piece of remarkable historical value that forms part of the museum’s permanent collection.

The partners also learned about one of Generation Change’s most representative projects: the restoration of an Egyptian ship built in Alexandria in 1950. After sailing the Mediterranean, it has been transformed into a community training space for hundreds of young Maltese people. This environment serves as a place for learning naval restoration techniques and as a venue for outdoor cultural and educational activities.

The event in Malta became the culmination of a year and a half of work with young people to learn about Arab identity, memory and heritage. Within this context, Casa Árabe organized a week-long intensive training course in Cordoba in February, focusing on the legacy of Al-Andalus, as well as hosting several workshops throughout the year with the cooperation of the University of Cordoba, the Mateo Inurria School of Art and Design, and the Algarabía Youth Association.

Among the most relevant initiatives in the project has been the production of video podcasts made by the participants themselves, in which they share their first-hand experience of MOSAIC and reflect upon those aspects of Arab heritage that have been most significant to them. This content will soon be made available through the communication channels of the partner institutions, thus contributing to a current, pluralistic, participatory vision for this shared legacy.

The MOSAIC project, funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, is coordinated by the Italian NGO AMAL for Education. The exhibition has received support from Generation Change (Malta), AIYD (Turkey) and Casa Árabe (Spain).