A Woman is a School — Celine Semaan and Slow Factory
Celine Semaan
Creative activist, founder of Slow Factory, war survivor, hakawati. Born in Lebanon, raised in Canada. She has spent her life making knowledge accessible, asking who gets to speak, and building systems that refuse to accept the ones we have.
"How can we translate these concepts for the general public so that they can understand what's going on and take action?"
— Celine SemaanBorn in Lebanon and raised in Canada, Celine Semaan's multicultural background gave her a particular lens on identity, social justice, and environmental stewardship. Her early experiences witnessing the impact of conflict and displacement fuelled her passion for advocacy and shaped everything she would go on to build.
"My background is in cyber arts and system design. Between 2000 and 2008, I was working on digital literacy and access to the internet in the Middle East with groups like Creative Commons. I was very much interested in making information — whether that's resources the government has or climate injustices — accessible for other people."
An organisation that merges fashion, activism, and education to drive sustainable and equitable solutions. Operating at the intersection of social justice and environmentalism — focused on the interconnectedness of these issues and the importance of holistic approaches to change.
Among Slow Factory's initiatives: Open Education — free, accessible resources on climate justice, human rights, and sustainable practices, built to democratise knowledge and foster dialogue.
Slow Factory now also serves as fiscal sponsor for Creative Space Beirut, a free fashion design school serving talented youth from underserved backgrounds across Lebanon, challenging extractive systems and protecting cultural futures.
"The organisation advocates for transparency, ethical production, and the reduction of waste and pollution — highlighting the urgent need for systemic change in the way products are made and consumed."
"Creative Space Beirut provides high-quality, free fashion design education and career support to talented youth from vulnerable backgrounds across Lebanon — dismantling socioeconomic barriers and fostering a sustainable, innovative ecosystem where every aspiring creative has the opportunity to thrive."
Rooted in shared values around equity in education, sustainability, and community-driven practice, this collaboration creates a framework for mutual support, shared learning, and long-term impact.
Support the work ↗Shared through the lens of a war survivor and child refugee, spanning stories from Lebanon between 1948 and 2023. Semaan revives the age-old tradition of the hakawati — from the Arabic hekaye (the story) and haki (to talk) — the Levantine storytellers who have preserved Indigenous wisdom through generations.
As a modern hakawati, Semaan captures the essence of her own life and the lives of her family, documenting the endangered and often discredited ancestral knowledge of the Global South. An intimate look at the resilience and strength of her people, offering a voice to those who have been marginalised and silenced.
With the current state of the world, there is finally a curiosity and interest for authentic Arab narratives. This book arrives at exactly the right moment.
Available September 9th. Pre-orders now through Slow Factory Press.
"This memoir is not only a personal account but also a cultural anthropological exploration, documenting the endangered and often discredited ancestral knowledge of the Global South."
— on A Woman is a SchoolDespite the challenges inherent in advocacy work, Celine Semaan remains unwavering in her pursuit of a more equitable and sustainable world. She understands that progress requires persistence and collaboration, and continues to challenge systemic injustices with determination. Her approaches have inspired a new generation of activists and changemakers.
Explore her work at celinecelines.com and follow Slow Factory at slowfactory.earth
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Read on Antakly Projects ↗ Voices for ChangeHazami Barmada, Medea Benjamin, Dr. Myriam François and others — the women who refused to be silent and the actions that followed.
Read on Antakly Projects ↗ Conservation · OceanUnderwater filmmaker and shark conservationist whose Project Hiu turned fishing boats into ecotourism. Using creative work to protect what matters.
Read on Antakly Projects ↗Antakly Projects — originally Ninu Nina — has been in conversation with artists, activists, photographers, designers and creatives from across the world since 2003. Celine Semaan's work sits at the exact intersection this platform has always believed in: creativity as a tool for justice.
And for the personal rants, opinions you didn't ask for, and the occasional existential spiral: follow me on Substack.
Making information accessible for other people. ✦
