Mycelium
Weaving Invisible Threads of Artistic Collaboration
Mycelium is a cross-border artistic residency presented as part of IDEA Festival 2025. Programmed by Studio 8 (Jordan) in regional collaboration with Danseurs Citoyens Sud (DCS) and INTERFERENCE (Tunisia), the residency is rooted in a shared journey that began in 2021. It aims to empower emerging Arab artists through an interdisciplinary environment that encourages exchange, experimentation, and co-creation.
Inspired by the biological concept of mycelium—the underground fungal networks that sustain and regenerate entire ecosystems—this initiative reflects an organic, decentralized model of artistic collaboration. Like mycelium, which connects soil and root systems, fostering resilience through shared resources, this residency seeks to cultivate a living web of artistic dialogue and translocal growth across the MENA region.
In 2025, nine artists from Oman, Yemen/KSA, Palestine/Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon, and Tunisia were selected to form a new creative cohort. Their work spans three focus areas:
- Performing Arts
- New Media & Projection Art
- Sound Design
The artists will participate in a 20-day intensive residency, engaging in collaborative research, hands-on labs, and co-creation processes.
The residency will culminate in experimental performances and showcases at IDEA Festival on September 25, 2025, celebrating mutual learning, shared authorship, and cross-border artistic expression.
Curator: Hadi Abunahleh
Co-Curators: Ayman Gharbi & Ahmad Guierfal
Produced by: Studio 8
Regional Partners: INTERFERENCE, DCS
Local Partner (Jordan): MMAG Foundation