Aman Space Next Generation Partnerships The activities proposed as part of the Next Generation partnership include a residency programme for young, predominantly local artists, allowing them to grow and to work collaboratively with older mentors in a safe environment, a podcast which will be developed out of a discussion group, and a travelling diary book, to be entitled Hdoud, which will be produced with activists, artists and writers working together and published at the end of its journey. There will also be workshops, held at the organisations new space, in storytelling, theatre and filmmaking. The filmmaking workshops will eventually produce a series of short films to be shared on their social media platforms. Since the current publishing activities of My Kali have such a strong regional reach, these will also be supported through the partnership.

Linking all activities together will be the inauguration of a semi-public space that participants and artists can use. This space in Amman will offer a safe place for members of the LGBT community and it will be the location for workshops, podcast recordings, artistic residencies and exhibitions. While each activity will be overseen by a project manager, in practise the structure of the organisation is highly networked. The close bond between the various team members was also observed by the researcher during the visit. This means that, despite the relatively large number of activities, there will be close ties between the various projects, with participants and leaders engaging in multiple projects and binding them together. While homosexuality is not technically illegal in Jordan, social attitudes are extremely conservative, with high levels of discrimination and prejudice. Homosexuality is often seen as a Western import and a sign of foreign meddling in society, a perception My Kali has worked hard to combat, for example by using Arabic instead of Western terminology. Their Arabic language ABC of terminology and Frequently Asked Questions are two of the highest read pages on their site, and they explained during the meeting with the researcher that they are gradually starting to have an effect on the terminology and language used in mainstream discourse about homosexuality. It is therefore important that PCF’s involvement not be too widely publicized in My Kali’s public communications to avoid misinterpretation. 

Each of the core team members and project managers, as well as the vast majority of the rest of the team, is under the age of thirty, and they have a proven track record of opening up space and providing opportunities for young, particularly LGBT, people in the arts. This impact would be expanded with the inauguration of their semi-public space through the Next Generation programme, which would allow both safe meeting spaces for their readership and a physical space for the creation and exhibition of artistic work. Especially with the artistic residency programme they will provide young artists with opportunity for creation, exposure and mentorship. - Raising awareness among youth about art, gender and sexuality
- Longevity of an available safe physical space/s for artists, activists, students, is secured
- Improved alternative media practices when it comes to LGBT+ and gender related issues
- LGBT+ individuals’ stories and experiences are documented
- Higher inclusion for marginalized groups (within marginalized groups) is achieved (through focus groups, media, arts, support groups… etc.)
- A space, physically and virtually to students, artists and writers is secured.
- A space for sharing stories, networking and youth engagement on topics of arts, gender, sexuality is created.