Institute for Worldmaking × A.M. Qattan Foundation
FAHRAS (Futurist Arab Index) is the fourth and final module of the School for Arab Futures 2026 in Ramallah. It is a long-term research and indexing initiative of the Institute for Worldmaking dedicated to mapping futurist cultural production across the Arab world. The project investigates how artists, writers, architects, designers, and institutions imagine, prototype, and circulate futures through their work—often outside dominant archival and institutional frameworks.
Within this broader regional framework, the FAHRAS module of the School for Arab Futures in Ramallah focuses specifically on Palestine. It examines how futurist cultural practices in Palestine are produced, described, archived, and circulated. Participants are invited to map futures that already exist—in artworks, books, exhibitions, collections, and conversations that often remain scattered, undocumented, or institutionally invisible.
Rather than asking what the future might be, the module asks: where is the future already being rehearsed, and who is keeping record of it?
Participants are trained in research, interviewing, and indexing methodologies developed by the Institute for Worldmaking. They will work with artists, writers, and cultural practitioners whose work engages futurity, speculation, and alternative temporalities, contributing structured entries to the FAHRAS database. The module also engages directly with the A.M. Qattan Foundation library and lobby spaces, treating them as active research sites rather than static repositories.
Program Structure & Timeline
The module takes place in November 2026. It begins with a one-day intensive masterclass, followed by a more flexible period of independent and collective work, supported through mentorship and regular check-ins.
Throughout the module, lectures, talks and reading/writing workshops will be conducted in the A.M. Qattan Foundation building lobby, through which students will engage with artists, writers and art practitioners who will speak about their practices.
What You'll Work On
Participants are trained in research, interviewing, and indexing methodologies developed by the Institute for Worldmaking. They will work with artists, writers, and cultural practitioners whose work engages futurity, speculation, and alternative temporalities, contributing structured entries to the FAHRAS database. The module also engages directly with the A.M. Qattan Foundation library and lobby spaces, treating them as active research sites rather than static repositories.
Who Can Apply
FAHRAS is suited for participants interested in research, writing, archiving, art history, cultural studies, and future-oriented practice. Prior experience with databases is not required; curiosity, rigor, and care are.
Working languages: Arabic and English.
What You Gain
• Training in research, interviewing, and cultural indexing methodologies developed by the Institute for Worldmaking
• Hands-on experience contributing to the FAHRAS (Futurist Arab Index) database
• Direct engagement with artists, writers, and cultural practitioners working on futurity and speculation
• Practical understanding of metadata, classification systems, and archival structures
• Access to the A.M. Qattan Foundation library and spaces as active research sites
• Mentorship and feedback from local and regional practitioners
• Participation in public conversations and presentations during the module
• Contribution to a long-term regional knowledge infrastructure
• A certificate of completion
Expectations and Commitment
• Active participation across the full module duration
• Conducting recorded interviews (online and/or in person) with selected artists or practitioners
• Researching and indexing artworks, texts, and collections using FAHRAS tools
• Contributing written entries and metadata to a shared database
• Participation in workshops, discussions, and public sessions at A.M. Qattan Foundation
How to Apply
Submit:
• A motivation statement
• A portfolio (PDF or link)
Deadline: October 14, 2026. Selected applicants will be contacted. Short conversations with shortlisted candidates may take place during the selection process. Selection is conducted jointly by the Institute for Worldmaking and A.M. Qattan Foundation.
You can apply through the following link: https://system1.formstack.com/forms/school_arab_futures
Or by filling out the application form at the bottom of the page.
About the Institute for Worldmaking
The Institute for Worldmaking (IWM) is a global cultural research lab and public platform based in Lebanon, developing tools, frameworks, and experimental educational models to imagine and document future-oriented cultural production across the Arab world. Operating at the intersection of design, publishing, archival practice, and artificial intelligence, IWM builds long-term knowledge infrastructures that connect artists, craftspeople, researchers, and institutions into shared systems of cultural production.
Through projects such as FAHRAS (Futurist Arab Index), WRKBK (Craft Industries Index), and HEKMAT.ai, the Institute works to develop participatory, public-interest knowledge platforms that foreground local agency while engaging global conversations on culture, technology, and the future.
About the School
The School for Arab Futures (ScAFu) is an experimental educational platform developed by the Institute for Worldmaking and implemented across multiple cities in the region. Each edition is site-specific, responding to local conditions while contributing to a growing, cumulative body of research, documentation, and speculative design.
The School is led by Raafat Majzoub, Director of the Institute for Worldmaking—MIT alumnus, lecturer, editor, and author—whose work spans architecture, publishing, speculative research, and experimental education. Through ScAFu, he brings together students, practitioners, and institutions to collectively imagine new cultural, spatial, and technological futures rooted in the realities of the Arab world.