Tatmin’s story begins in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. “At the time, I was looking for a gem to explore every form of creativity in Rabat’s art scene,” recalls Mohamed Ben Lamaizi. It would take him four years for the cultural and artistic association he founded to take over a former kissariat from 1947, later converted into a wine-bottling plant, and turn it into a hybrid cultural third-place spanning nearly 1,000 m², right across from the Medina.
“Tatmin brought a cultural breath of fresh air to the city. Artists needed a place in Rabat, and it was they who backed me so this place could come into being,” explains the former audiovisual producer, who then threw himself into renovation work while gradually opening the venue to the public. “The strength of Tatmin is that we didn’t wait for the place to be ready before welcoming artists.”
Faced with this enthusiasm, managing the project ran into structural challenges: the team was under pressure, the rise in demand at times outstripped its capacity to coordinate, and it became necessary to build a hybrid economic and partnership model capable of making the venue more self-sufficient and sustainable. These difficulties in establishing a lasting economic model became so severe that they pushed Mohamed Ben Lamaizi to consider ending the project, at least in its cultural dimension.
“The Mawjaat programme helped secure the future of the Tatmin project, at a time when I was almost ready to let go. It was one of the first instances of institutional recognition from a partner, which is priceless: before that, I was alone,” recalls the president, before continuing: “Mawjaat is what allowed Tatmin to take off, particularly thanks to the support and funding of the project.”
A profound structural shift: the importance of infrastructure and governance
Like the other organisations supported by the programme, Tatmin receives a grant of 31 000€, the first part of 16 000€ having been received on November, 1st. Within a few months, Tatmin changed scale: the spaces were transformed, programming became denser, the community grew, and governance gradually became more professional.
Priority was given to renovating the infrastructure, particularly the creative spaces: the Downstage, a 400 m² space dedicated to theatre and open-stage performance, and the Grande Friche, a 200 m² room devoted to dance. “Tango, swing, contemporary dance, modern dance — we welcome a very large number of dancers. The first, very clear need we identified was that these artists needed a suitable floor. We had a real wooden floor installed for them,” explains Mohamed Ben Lamaizi. As for the Downstage, it underwent a complete refresh: “It has become the only comedy club in Rabat hosting impro theatre, concerts and shows,” says the president, who points out that “there are very few rehearsal rooms in Rabat for musicians.”
The Tatmin creative hub, at the crossroads of different art forms, is structured around several categories of direct beneficiaries who make up the third-place’s living ecosystem. Notably, there are resident partners established on a long-term basis, such as Saphir Production (audiovisual production), the Galerie Myriem Himmich (visual arts), a future concept store, the Downstage run by Mehdi Maouche, the WIP run by Solène Leila Bourezma, and the Collectif Rassif.
“We understand it: Tatmin covers several different themes. It isn’t necessarily easy to frame things properly. Before Mawjaat, we wanted to have a say in every decision. We came to understand the limits of that way of managing things. Now, we rely on a professional for each project.” As proof of governance that is working within an increasingly defined framework, Tatmin’s five volunteer members will, starting this autumn, be working alongside a contracted coordinator.
A model built to last
The WIP Dance programme (Work In Progress), a new professional format for emerging choreographers launched specifically as part of the Mawjaat experiment, perfectly illustrates how the programme allowed Tatmin to move from operating through one-off events to genuine, regular, structuring programming. By happy coincidence, the programme arrived in a particularly favourable context, with the opening of a degree-granting dance school in Rabat. “Tatmin has become their home base, their workplace. Thanks to Mawjaat, we offer these choreographers a full cycle of selection, hosting and public presentation.” This programme is now a monthly fixture: every month, a dance troupe presents a show. Little by little, Tatmin has become an inclusive platform, welcoming students from Rabat’s art schools as well as emerging talent in dance, music, photography, theatre and stand-up comedy.
Beyond sustaining artistic activities such as WIP Dance, the first part of Mawjaat funding made it possible to rethink the economic model, which rests on renting out spaces, workshops, ticketing, partnerships and grants. “We introduced a differentiated pricing structure that adapts prices to artists’ resources and status: independent, backed by an organisation, or private. It’s clear that, thanks to the networking made possible by the Mawjaat programme, we discovered other funding models used by cultural organisations around the Mediterranean, which we were able to draw inspiration from.” This transformation also fits within an ecological logic: rather than building a new facility, Tatmin is rehabilitating an existing industrial building, gradually turning it into a shared cultural space.
Another beneficial effect: the Mawjaat grant triggered a real leverage effect, helping position them for other sources of funding: “The Downstage, built in part thanks to Mawjaat funding, allowed us to submit an application for further funding from the OIF (International Organisation of La Francophonie). We used the space to support our application. In this new version of Tatmin, we’ve been able to turn to funding programmes from AFAC or the British Council, for example.”
Naturally, all of this creates a virtuous circle, driving an increase in partners and activities, growing audience loyalty, an expanding community, and a strengthening ecosystem, reflected in rising visibility on social media: “On that front, we’re seeing a radical change. We’re gaining hundreds and hundreds of followers thanks to our new spaces: we systematically promote our exhibitions and shows like WIP Dance on our social channels. The numbers have gone up: we now have 8 400 Instagram followers, more than 1 100 of them since November 2025, and most of the views come from people who weren’t yet following the organisation.”
Finally, Mohamed Ben Lamaizi stresses the importance of sustaining the momentum set in motion by Mawjaat beyond 2027. Beyond the funding itself, the programme has helped build a network, professionalise venues, and give rise to shared tools (websites, programmes, resources). He therefore calls for this initiative to be extended over the long term, on a model close to a permanent fund like AFAC, with Marseille as a possible Mediterranean coordination hub. In his view, at a time when links between cultural third-places are beginning to form at a regional scale, “this is not the moment to break up the puzzle,” but rather to consolidate this momentum by opening it up to other Mediterranean territories.
By Emmanuel Khoury, August 4th, 2026