Libraries & Storytelling Workshops for Resilience

A Season of Reflection & Storytelling: Winter 2025–26 at lilipad.

The final months of the year and the beginning of a new one offered a moment to pause and reconnect. Across lilipad’s work in Morocco, Germany, Italy and France, this quarter was shaped by storytelling in many forms - through sound, writing, images, and shared spaces - and by care for the people behind the work as much as the programs themselves.

As we closed 2025 and stepped into 2026, we were reminded that sustained, grassroots work is built not only through moments of visibility, but through consistency and showing up, again and again.

Germany & Europe: Stories, Sound, and Solidarity

Narratives of Hope: First Workshops in Sicily and Paris
In January and February, we hosted the first workshops of Narratives of Hope in Sicily and Paris, marking an important milestone in our Erasmus+ project focused on migrant youth, storytelling, and digital media. In Siracusa, through listening exercises and audio experimentation, young children aged most 8 to 12 explored how sound can carry memory and meaning. In Paris, children worked mostly on creative writing as an art form.

Early story ideas began to emerge, touching on friendship, belonging, and dreams for the future. As Narratives of Hope continues across Berlin, Paris, and Sicily until the end of summer, we remain committed to creating spaces where young people can express themselves and be heard on their own terms.

Zine-Making for Children’s Rights (Gaza Biennale)
As part of the Gaza Biennale, the lilipad team hosted a zine-making session reflecting on children’s rights through creative expression. Using simple materials (paper, pens, collage) participants created handmade booklets exploring what every child deserves: safety, joy, freedom, and voice. Each zine became a small but powerful act of solidarity and reflection.

Sharing Our Story: Exberliner Feature
This winter, lilipad was featured in Exberliner magazine in an in-depth article about our work in Berlin and the origins of the organisation. The piece included an interview with our founder, Sara Arsalane, highlighting the importance of cultural access and creative spaces for children from migrant and asylum-seeking families.

Morocco: Public Voices & Collective Presence

‘Our Stories, Our Power’ Exhibition
We began the year in Casablanca with the opening of Our Stories, Our Power, a public exhibition showcasing writing, photographs, and collages created by girls residents of the Child Protection Centre Abdesslam Bennani. The works were developed through a series of lilipad workshops and residency sessions led by Moroccan artists Mourad Feddouche and Hajar Chokairi Azell.

Organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication of Morocco and in partnership with the American Arts Center, the exhibition created a space for dialogue, visibility, and community gathering. More than a showcase, it became a meeting point for people committed to equitable access to culture and creative expression. The exhibition remained open through February and welcomed a wide public audience.

Get Involved

1. Become a Monthly Donor: Ongoing support allows us to sustain libraries, workshops, and safe creative spaces—especially during challenging periods. Monthly donors in Berlin are invited to join our book club, BOOKED FOR GOOD. To join, email info@lilipadlibrary.org. 
2. Volunteer With Us: If you have a few hours to spare and feel connected to our work, we’d love to hear from you. We welcome support across reading sessions, events, and communications, both in Berlin and remotely. Email info@lilipadlibrary.org to get involved.

Thank you for being part of this journey. With your support, we are all making the world a little bit more fair.

With gratitude,
The lilipad team

Links:

• A Refuge for Vulnerable Children, The Berliner