How does one mend the rupture between human influence and the natural world?

This was the topic of debate at this year’s Creative Dialogues 2025, a festival bringing together local and international creatives for talks, workshops and installations exploring innovation, culture and sustainability.

The first day of the festival was hosted by the Foundation Program at LAU’s School of Architecture and Design (SArD) on September 12, 2025. Together with a vibrant community of designers and art enthusiasts, LAU’s own faculty, staff, alumni and students explored the role of creativity in both shaping cultural expression and reimagining how one can design, build and live responsibly within current ecological systems.

In her opening speech, Program Director Silia Abou Arbid expanded on the university’s role in strengthening the bridge between academic inquiry and professional practice, stating that “the bold, ethical imperative for design that we seek to advance at LAU is not merely to save nature, but to envision ways of life that no longer demand its sacrifice.”

The conversations, added Arbid, sought to heal the breach between nature and the manmade, opening pathways where creativity becomes an act of care, and design a gesture of responsibility toward the future. “From this perspective, the imperative emerges with urgency, emphasizing the need to learn to design not at the expense of earth, but in dialogue with it,” she said.

Throughout the day, a series of panel discussions stressed the urgency for creative fields to respond to contemporary environmental challenges, wherein speakers highlighted the role of art and design in addressing the planet’s ecological limits and the ethical choices we face in using its resources.

With a total of five panel discussions, each speaker pointed to the premise that the natural environment is as much of a backdrop for human innovation as it is an active partner in it. Among the speakers was architect Karim Nader, who spoke of how materials can take on deeper meaning when tied to stories, myths and cultural traditions, in turn shaping the way communities perceive them through heritage and memory.

Another key discussion by multidisciplinary artist and architect Nadim Karam focused on the role of architecture in preserving the culture of a place, stressing that buildings should reflect rather than erase the identity of the communities they inhabit.

The sessions were moderated by Instructor Soumar Al Kamand (BArch ’21), Assistant Professor of Practice and Associate Chair of the Department of Architecture and Interior Design Ramona Abdo, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Art and Design Chahid Akouri and Practice Lecturer Jalal Moghraby.

The discussions were followed by hands-on workshops exploring how nature’s shapes, sounds, textures and rhythms can inspire creative thinking.

The day concluded with an exhibition at Bossa Nova Beirut Hotel featuring textile works created by students from Majal Design School—a school founded by LAU Interior Design graduate Nour Tannir (BFA ’17) and former assistant professor Yasmine Dabbous. The works addressed different dimensions of Beirut’s landscape as interpreted by the artists, and reflected on the city as it exists today and as it could be imagined in the future.

The event extended over three days in various venues, and was organized by the founder of Creative Dialogues Yasmine Trofast and her team, LAU graduates Julia Aridi (BArch ’19; MA ‘22) and Reine Nasr (BS ’24), as well as Creative Strategist at YVT Consultancy Alaa Sawaf.

“Collaborating with LAU on Creative Dialogues was truly inspiring,” said Trofast. “Their support allowed us to engage young creatives and students throughout the program so that we can nurture future talent and foster the next generation of leaders in MENA’s evolving creative industry.”