Nestled in the heart of Zouk Mikael, near the Roman amphitheater, the fruit of one of the most dynamic municipalities in Lebanon, the Youth Culture Center (MJC) took on its prestigious community role in the fields of art and culture.

Founded in 2009, MJC lives up to its name, it is a warm and cozy “house”, perfect to gather around to discuss different subjects, both artistic or cultural. The MJC is the ideal place for obtaining new ideas and establishing various activities, bringing together the youngsters of Zouk Mikael.

On one hand, MJC is also a space dedicated to others. Organizations, charities, schools, NGOs, scouts … profit of its premises and work there together in order to achieve their humanitarian missions and goals. Indeed, the MJC constitutes the central meeting place of several NGOs, in particular “Toastmasters” which have been a faithful member for over three years.

On the other hand, the Youth Culture Center encourages artistic and socio-cultural exchanges at international levels, given the fact that it plays a key role with various embassies in Lebanon by organizing conferences, round table discussions and presentations on historical, scientific, political, heritage, and social subjects …

The MJC is a building divided in three components:

– The Library, which has more than 30,000 multilingual volumes, suitable for all age groups. One of its goal is to promote Arabic, French, American, Spanish and Italian literatures, as well as to fight illiteracy, and to ensure written and digital documents for researchers and PhD students. This multifunctional space hosts various weekly, monthly and seasonal activities: story time for toddlers, language courses (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish …), painting lessons (for both kids and adults), scientific academy, round tables, board games, fun evenings and cultural, summer activities for teenagers: “Let’s Move It” …

– The Theater: which can accommodate up to 110 people, fitting to host: concerts, plays, dance lessons, piano lessons, film club as well as NGO awareness campaigns presented to the public.

– The Literary Café, a glass room located on the roof with a picturesque view of the bay of Jounieh and of Mount Harissa, where painting and photo exhibitions usually take place.

The MJC challenges the traditional image of a library closed in on itself and reserved for an elitist public. It maintains links between different communities and constitutes a space for research, study, reflection, invention, and entertainment; a place that combines business with pleasure while giving young people the ability to develop their leadership and forge social bonds between them.