The 9th edition of the Urban Art Week Festival (Tangier | 3 – 7 September 2025) brought together a vibrant mix of street culture, youth engagement, and artistic collaboration. Spanning six days of dynamic programming—from graffiti and dance battles to workshops and concerts—the festival highlighted the depth and diversity of the urban arts scene in Morocco and beyond.

With activities designed for children, youth, and the wider public, the event fostered creativity, inclusion, and cultural expression across all generations. The festival knew the participation of over 40 artists and had +1000 visitors.

Program Highlights

Day 1: Welcoming Day (Tuesday, 02 Sept)

The festival kicked off with a meeting of the team manager, the volunteers and the artists who had a fun evening preparing the LABO space for the exhibition and the activities.

Day 2: Vernissage Expo Graffiti & Shops (Wednesday, 3 Sept)
The festival kicked off with a vernissage of the collective Graffiti/urban art exhibition, including a market for small local creative businesses. The event was animated with music jam and networking sessions, setting a warm, communal tone for the days ahead.

Day 3: Kids Day (Thursday, 4 Sept)
A day dedicated to the very young raising talents featuring workshops in Graffiti; Popping dance; Acrobatie; Rap writing and Flow. The day was closed by a fun-filled Game Room for Kids, providing safe, engaging entertainment.

This day emphasized play, learning, and early exposure to urban art forms in an inclusive and welcoming setting.

Day 4: Youth Day (Friday, 5 Sept)
Focused on teenagers and young adults, the festival offered workshops in Bleach art on fabric and a Contemporary dance Masterclass. The workshops were followed by a Film Screening exploring urban culture and migration. The day was closed by a Game Room event, encouraging interaction and relaxation through console games, board games, social games and martial art Battles.

These activities fostered artistic experimentation and critical thinking, with youth as active participants and creators.

Day 5: Dance Day (Saturday, 6 Sept)
One of the most energetic days which featured a national 1vs1 all style battle in partnership with Detours festival Bruxelles. Over 40 dancers from all Morocco participated in this competition and whom warmed up the numerous public who was present. Two others “Work-in-Progress” contemporary shows competing for a residency in Belgium and offering sneak peeks into emerging projects were also showcased in the Battles’ breaks.

Finally, the night was closed with a DJ Gig of the famous Disco Atlas, specialist in Retro Maghreb and rai mix music.

Day 6: Street Art Day (Sunday, 7 Sept)
The final activities day was held in a public open space (Park of Mendoubia) and programmed

• A live Graffiti Competition and Painting Jam themed on women’s empowerment.
• The showcase of two Work-in-Progress Shows in competition for a residency in Belgium.
• Awards Ceremony for the winners of Graffiti and dance competition.
• An Open mic of Rap and Hip-Hop music.
• A powerful Hip-Hop Concert animated by the best local and national rappers.

Conclusion

Urban Art Week – 9th Edition successfully celebrated the spirit of urban creativity, community, and collaboration. Tangier once again affirmed its place as a cultural hub for street art and youth expression. The event not only entertained but empowered—laying the foundation for an even more ambitious 10th edition. Thanks to our engaged public, to all the amazing artists participants, to our great team and volunteers who helped especially the two ESC Italian volunteers who supported the festival’s team during two weeks, and finally to our partners and sponsors especially AIDA, UAF Detours, LINK Associazione, European Solidarity Corps, ALC, Lerchunndi, Ministery of culture.

Article by Jihan Mrabet.

This August, Tangier witnessed an inspiring initiative for its choreographic scene: the Professional Contemporary Dance Training Program 2025, led by dancer and choreographer Karima El Aidaoui. The 13-day program supported by the American Language Center and which took place at the Live Room’s LABO studios from August 11 to 23, and concluded with a public showcase on the final day.

Karima is closely linked to Live Room’s journey—she was once a participant in LABO’s dance program, then become a trainer herself and went to international tour with her creation “Mektoub”, and this time returned as a mentor to guide a new generation of dancers. Her trajectory perfectly reflects Live Room’s mission: to nurture emerging talent locally and see it grow into professional careers on national and international stages.

The program blended both theory and practice, from building artistic dossiers and portfolios to improvisation, creation, and stage performance. With only eight selected dancers, the training offered close mentorship and a strong sense of community. During the final showcase, one participant was chosen by Karima to continue working with her toward their first solo creation in 2026.

Through this initiative, Live Room once again reaffirmed its role as a platform of support and opportunity for Tangier’s youth, using art to build long-term impact in the city’s cultural landscape.

Urban Art Week Tangier 2025: 9th Edition Celebrates Diversity and Equality

From September 3 to 7, 2025, the city of Tangier will once again become the stage for urban culture and creativitywith the 9th edition of the Urban Art Week Festival (UAW). Organized by the Live Room association, this year’s festival will take place in two emblematic venues — the Mendoubia Gardens and the LABO Cultural Space — under the theme: “Equality in colors, in actions… Equal faces, equal places”

The 2025 edition highlights diversity, inclusion, and the fair representation of women in urban arts, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to creating an open and equitable cultural space for all.

---

A Rich and Multidisciplinary Program

Urban Art Week offers a diverse, accessible, and free program designed for all audiences — young people, families, art enthusiasts, and curious newcomers alike. With a mix of concerts, painting, body performances, masterclasses, and film screenings, the festival promises to transform Tangier into a hub of artistic energy and collaboration.

Highlights of the Week

• Wednesday, September 3 – LABO Cultural Space

  • Opening of the collective exhibition (indoor)

  • Meet & greet with participating artists

• Thursday, September 4 – LABO Cultural Space

  • Networking sessions

  • Children’s workshops: Graffiti, Circus Arts, Slam/Rap

  • Gaming & interactive activities

• Friday, September 5 – LABO Cultural Space

  • Networking sessions

  • Youth workshops: Choreography, DJing, Painting/Visual Arts, Dance Masterclass

  • Social film screenings

  • Gaming activities

• Saturday, September 6 – LABO Cultural Space

  • National urban dance competition (Detours Fest Brussels Prize)

  • Work-in-progress dance performances

  • Live music performances

• Sunday, September 7 – Mendoubia Gardens

  • Collective painting on a giant canvas

  • National street art competition on removable canvases

  • Rap battles

  • Work-in-progress dance performances (Detours Fest Prize)

  • Closing music concerts

---

A Festival for Everyone

More than just an artistic event, Urban Art Week is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged festivalthat turns Tangier into a space for free expression, inclusivity, and intergenerational exchange.

With an expected audience of over 1,000 participants, this edition once again promises to be a highlight of Morocco’s cultural calendar.

📍 Free entry – Open to all ages
📲 Follow updates on social media: @liveroomproject | #UAW2025

Children are always the future of every nation, and that’s why at Live Room, we are deeply committed to helping them build character through meaningful activities and creative workshops. This commitment inspired the Solidarity Club to take things even further this year by launching an outreach initiative in three public schools, where they organized in-school workshops throughout the academic year to connect with children who often have limited access to such opportunities.

As part of this growing effort for the second consecutive year, the Art and Technology Week returned in 2025 with a special edition. Typically reserved for participants of our children’s programs, this year’s event was opened up to include students from partner public schools. This was made possible through the collaboration of the American Language Center, La Estación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología de Burgos, and our own Solidarity Club.

Throughout the week, five engaging training programs were offered:

• Drawing and Painting: Two groups of 12 children competed over five days to create two large collaborative paintings, which were later showcased in a public exhibition. The creative energy and teamwork made this a highlight of the event.
• Handcraft: In this program, two groups of 8 children worked with two teachers per group across four days to produce original handcrafted pieces using recyclable materials, clay, and mixed techniques. The results demonstrated patience, precision, and personal expression.
• Voiceover: This fun and imaginative workshop gave children the chance to re-voice a famous cartoon. Each group of 6 participants, led by a coach, selected a character, wrote a short script in Arabic or Darija, and recorded their voices in our studio. The final edited videos were shown during the closing event, where the audience voted for their favorite team.
• Theatre: Two groups of 10 children each were invited to create and perform an original theatre piece. Over five days, and with the guidance of two theatre coaches per group, the children developed stories, characters, and staging. The performances were presented in front of families and friends on the final day.
• Robotics: Each group of 6 participants, led by a teacher, spent the week designing and building robotic fighters for a final robot wrestling challenge. The goal? Build a robot that could stay in the ring the longest. The matches were exciting and demonstrated just how much innovation and teamwork can happen in just five days.

Final Showcase: A Celebration of Talent and Teamwork

The Art & Tech Week came to a close with a vibrant public showcase event, where all participating children presented the results of their hard work. Family members, school staff, and community partners gathered at LABO to witness the performances, exhibitions, and screenings created throughout the week.

Each program had the chance to shine: the paintings were unveiled, handcrafts displayed, voiceover cartoons screened, theatre pieces performed live, and the robotic wrestling tournament held the audience in suspense until the last match…
A winning team was selected from each program, based on creativity, collaboration, and audience engagement, but the real victory was in the confidence, joy, and pride shown by every child who took part.

The final day didn’t just celebrate artistic outcomes — it celebrated the power of opportunity, inclusion, and shared achievement. It was a reminder of how far young people can go when they are given the space, support, and encouragement to express themselves.

I’m Elina, a member of Moving Mountains, a contemporary dance company from Switzerland. We had the chance to perform and present our documentary film last April in a festival in Tangier.  Here’s a Little story that inspired us and made us dream of a better world. It’s About Live Room, a sociocultural project based in Tangier. In the upcoming 28th of June 2025, we are having an exhibition IN VIADI in Kasheme Space – Zurich, and we wanted to reserve a little space in the exhibition to showcase the Live Room’s work and link them with people who will support.

Introduction to Live Room’s corner by Moving Mountains: “On the way to the Live Room Project we followed walls covered in graffiti that told loud stories of the neighborhood.
We were greeted by Abdul, a young man with a disarming smile that spoke of doors forever open to all. We entered the space with initial modesty, but it was instantly broken by the storm of children’s voices. Each corner was filled with energy: friendships, care, and a shared life that had grown naturally with the space.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKryz9-K52f/?igsh=OTVjYzJuM2o4OWQy
It is a hub built for impact — a place where creativity meets community.  Since 2016, it has provided free access to artistic, cultural, and educational opportunities for young people in Tangier and the surrounding region.
The vision is clear: the space operates as a recourse that responds directly to the needs of the youth. Their concerns, their joys, their highs and lows. With a strong focus on community, gender equality, and empowerment, it has become a home to many.
During our stay, we met Omar Mok’s, one of the key figures behind the Live Room Project and the central voice in the touching short documentary Amongst Devils. As both mentor and artist himself, Omar organizes many of the dance-based projects that have become central to the space’s expression. 
If you’d like to support Live Room’s work – especially its initiatives connected to dance – you’ll find ways to do so below…”

Elina Kim.

Strengthening Youth Engagement through Volunteering and Cultural Exchange

Over the past few months, Live Room has continued to deepen its commitment to empowering young people through international volunteering and youth exchange programs, especially within the framework of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).

From April to June, a structured training and mentorship program was designed to prepare young volunteers for ESC and Erasmus+ opportunities. These sessions covered everything from understanding the core values of ESC, developing personal growth, building strong online profiles, to mastering the application process via the EU portal. Particular attention was given to writing compelling CVs, motivation letters, and producing personal video presentations — all key elements in standing out in the competitive selection process. The initiative has already led to a surge in applications and growing motivation among the youth to engage in long-term volunteering across Europe.

As a continuation of this work, Live Room is preparing to support even more volunteers in accessing meaningful opportunities abroad and will soon launch a second wave of mentorship and application support for those who couldn’t join the initial round.

Looking Ahead: Building Bridges Across the Mediterranean and Beyond

In parallel, Live Room is actively developing international partnerships that will further extend the reach and impact of its youth programs. Among the key upcoming projects:

• A strategic visit to Link Youth in Italy is scheduled as part of a larger vision to co-create cultural and youth-led initiatives between Matera (Italy) and Tetouan (Morocco) — both of which are set to be celebrated as Capitals of Mediterranean Culture in 2026. This collaboration will include creative residencies, volunteer exchanges, and joint actions in both cities.

• In June 2025, Live Room will host a group of young Italian volunteers from Link Youth, offering them an immersive experience in Tangier’s vibrant community and cultural life.

• Additionally, Live Room is working with Crooked House (Ireland) on an ambitious theater-based youth exchange project. Over the course of this initiative, more than 20 young participants from Morocco will take part in training sessions and artistic residencies across Poland, Finland, Turkey, and Spain, using theater as a tool for intercultural dialogue and youth empowerment.

These projects reflect Live Room’s growing role as a bridge between North Africa and Europe, fostering creative collaboration and meaningful learning experiences across borders.

Stay tuned — the journey is just beginning.

Ramadan is a time of reflection, generosity, and community spirit, where people come together to embrace core values of kindness and support for those in need. In Tangier, thousands of children and families struggle with basic necessities, and many of them belong to our direct community of Live Room members and their families.

In response, Live Room, through its Solidarity Club, joined forces with local collectives Yed F’Lyed and Tanger Lumière to organize two impactful initiatives aimed at alleviating hardship and spreading joy during this sacred month.

The first initiative focused on providing essential food baskets to over 50 underprivileged families, primarily from the neighborhoods surrounding LABO. These baskets, filled with staple goods, helped ensure that families had access to nutritious meals throughout Ramadan.

The second initiative saw the return of Jootia Fabor on Thursday the 26th, an event now in its second consecutive year, designed to bring smiles to disadvantaged children by offering them new clothes for the Eid celebration. In preparation for the event, our Solidarity Club launched a donation drive at the beginning of Ramadan, collecting clothes, accessories, and monetary contributions from generous community members.

Jootia Fabor transforms the traditional concept of a market into an inclusive space where anyone in need can pick out an entire Eid outfit—for free. More than just a charitable event, it fosters a sense of dignity and belonging, ensuring that every child can celebrate Eid with joy and confidence.

Beyond its direct impact, these initiatives also serve as an opportunity for new volunteers to engage in social work, deepen their connection with their community, and experience the true spirit of solidarity. By bringing people together for a shared cause, Live Room continues to promote values of generosity, empathy, and mutual support—making Ramadan not just a time of fasting, but a celebration of humanity.

The Sadaqah – Friendship project is a dynamic, community-driven arts initiative that explores and celebrates the universal theme of friendship through storytelling, dance, music, and film. This initiative brings together a group of young performing artists who will embark on an immersive 40-day creative journey. This work-in-progress project is led by renowned Irish artist Ki McBride while the residency is directed by Omar Mok’s, the artistic director of Live Room Project and is mainly taking place in LABO center – Tangier.

Together, they will guide participants through a process that encourages self-expression, artistic exploration, and deeper interpersonal connections. Drawing from the rich socio-cultural programs of Live Room’s Artistic Clubs, the project provides a platform where young performers will blend movement, music, and visual storytelling to craft a unique artistic experience.

At the heart of this initiative, is the creation of two powerful artistic works: a live theatrical performance and a documentary film. The performance will explore the complexities of friendship through an engaging narrative that incorporates acting, dance, and music. The documentary will offer an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, capturing the personal and cultural significance of friendship from the perspective of the participants. Through a collaborative and open-ended approach, the project will focus on three essential themes:

• Connections & Making Friends: Exploring how friendships begin and what draws people together.
• Conflict: Addressing the challenges that friendships face, including misunderstandings and disagreements.
• Reunion & Acceptance: Showcasing the power of reconciliation, empathy, and the importance of overcoming differences.

Beyond the creative aspect, Sadaqah – Friendship is a project that aims to foster social and cultural exchange, strengthening the bonds between Tangier, Morocco, and Waterford, Ireland and Europe in General. By engaging local and international artists, the initiative builds bridges between different artistic disciplines and communities, promoting long-term collaboration and cross-cultural understanding. The project is designed to empower young creatives, providing them with a platform to express themselves while learning from experienced mentors in the fields of performing arts.

This project is not just about creating art—it is about building connections, sparking dialogue, and strengthening the social fabric of the community. By delving into the topic of friendship, Sadaqah encourages participants and audiences to reflect on the nature of human relationships, the challenges of maintaining connections, and the power of reconciliation and understanding. Through this initiative, young artists will develop skills in collaboration, creative expression, and performance, all while contributing to a larger conversation on the significance of friendship in society.

By Ilias Temsamani.

JAPOREA Club Brings China to LABO with “Spirit of China” Event

On February 8, 2025, the JAPOREA Club hosted the “Spirit of China” event at the LABO center of Live Room, attracting over 80 participants of all ages. The event aimed to bring people closer together while introducing them to the richness of Chinese culture. Attendee feedback was largely positive, though some challenges related to organization and venue capacity were noted—important points to improve for future editions.

The event featured a theater performance and a dance show, alongside an array of Chinese food, calligraphy workshops, and social games designed to entertain and educate. The goal was to build cultural bridges, foster social connections, explore new flavors, and introduce attendees to the Chinese language, all while providing exposure to artistic performances and personal growth opportunities.

Looking ahead to March, in addition to running the board and social games section at the “Aji Njibo S7or” Game Room events, JAPOREA will host a cosplay workshop on March 16, open to all and completely free. Stay tuned for more updates!

Live Room actively supports human rights by creating opportunities for individuals to grow, learn, and contribute to their communities. As an association, we provide a platform for self-development and community engagement through its programs and initiatives. 

Human Rights and Children’s Programs

Education and creative expression are basic human rights, and Live Room is committed to ensuring that every child has the chance to develop their skills and discover their passions, especially those with less opportunities. Through our engaging programs, children are empowered to explore and unlock their full potential:

• Robotics: Our hands-on robotics workshops introduce kids to logical thinking, group work and problem-solving, preparing them for a future where technology is key.
• Painting and Crafts: Art classes at Live Room inspire creativity and self-expression, giving children a safe space to build confidence and share their unique perspectives.
• Theater: Our theater programs help children improve their soft skills and develop self-assurance, all while exploring important social themes through performance.
• Rhythm: Our Rhythm (Batucada, Chaabi, Percussion) workshops represent a vibrant environment for the most active and energetic kids to transform their collective force into beats.

The Live Room Solidarity Club: Making a Difference

The Solidarity Club, a core part of our association, is all about giving back to the community. Through our initiatives, we aim to support those who need it most, promoting social good, charity work and making a tangible impact by:

• Providing Essential Resources: we run campaigns to distribute food, clothing, and other necessities to those in vulnerable situations.
• Environmental actions: to protect the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by organizing field awareness events.
• Human Rights Awareness: Through workshops and community campaigns, we work to raise engagement about fundamental human rights and foster a sense of inclusion and respect.

A Space for Growth, A Community for Change

At the heart of Live Room is a commitment to human dignity, equal opportunities, and the power of community. Our mission is to create spaces where creativity and knowledge flourish, while also addressing the social needs of our communities through the Solidarity Club, and exploring the societal challenges through our artistic and cultural production. In doing so, we empower individuals to shape better, brighter futures because as we say here: Help is Life!