Wrapping Up Phase 1 – NEST Palestine 2025
Written by Salma Mousa
Just like that, we have wrapped up the first phase of NEST Palestine’s second cycle. Over the past few weeks, 41 multi-genre Palestinian musicians, selected from over 100 applications received, have been deep in it. Rappers, instrumentalists, producers, and songwriters based all over from Lebanon and France to Chile and The USA, and working in a multitude of genres from hip-hop, folk, jazz, rock, and everything in between, attended workshops, joined masterclasses, connected with peers and experts both local and international, and built what we hope are lasting connections and collaborations.
Phase one multi-genre Palestinian musicians of NEST Palestine’s second cycle.
The first phase, Global Beats, NEST’s capacity-building phase, was all about the foundation. The idea was to equip this new generation of Palestinian music creators with tools that are often considered to be knowledge gaps in the music business: understanding copyrights, cracking digital strategies, figuring out how touring really works, and, maybe the hardest part, getting clear on who they are as artists. These subjects, making up the four main themes of NEST 2025, were addressed through 18 in-depth, practical sessions led by professionals representing some of the most active companies and institutions in the global music industry bringing real-world insight to the table.
Screenshots from the online sessions.
Our powerhouse roster of international and regional partners included Believe, TikTok, Anghami, META, Bridge Audio, Infini, Music Tech France, Groover, Shesaid.So, Scenenoise, MDLBEAST Foundation, and NU Agency. As most sessions were led by global industry experts, our sessions were held online, welcoming talented Palestinian creators in the diaspora, yet still, we created space for real-world insight, hard questions, and collaborative learning not limited to one physical location.
Ultimately, the goal is for NEST to support real and long-term connection and engagement. We are building a connected music community across the region with ongoing sessions, talks, and public gatherings including May’s community gathering that hosted Saint Levant, the global palestinian music sensation who spoke about his process, inspiration, and his deepcut knowledge gained following his breakthrough in the international music industry.
Saint Levant.
The feedback from our 41 participants remind us why we started this journey in the first place, with 77% of the artists finding the artistic identity theme to be the most useful, based on the evaluation. “The Artistic Identity sessions helped me ask deeper questions about my path and the clarity of my artistic voice, they were crucial in allowing me to articulate my vision more clearly”.
Ranked second most useful, the digital marketing and social media sessions were a crucial insight into today's era of metrics and engagements: “The TikTok and Anghami sessions offered hands-on advice and personalized feedback for digital growth, it helped me build confidence in using newer platforms and understand Reels, video hooks, and content strategy. All these sessions really changed how I approach the releasing of my music”
But we are not finished. The second phase of NEST Music Incubator, SoundLab, is more personalized, continuing with Manos, Lour, Organized Chaos, and Skeem, the four music creators selected by our jury: Composer Abed Hathot, rapper Wissam Khodur, artistic director Jan Ghazi, and cultural expert Imed Alibi, to proceed into the NEST Camp. While it was a hard elimination round, NEST is committed to community engagement and long lasting relationships. We will continue to host gatherings and sessions open to the wider community both in Palestine and in the region, and hoping to see you all in more industry events like this year's NEST’s participation in Babel XP in Marseille, Carthage Music Days - Tunis, and The Culture Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Before we get there, we want to pause and say: this phase was special. Since the first cycle in 2022, this second cycle shows a clear shift with more partners, stronger content and curriculum, and the growing experience of Jafra’s team, which is now even more diverse and international.
We extend our deep thanks to the mentors and speakers who shared their time and expertise, as well as to our ever-growing list of partners and donors. From Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Expertise France, our French partners whose support allowed us to maintain continuity to The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC). Your support continues to shape a sustainable and vibrant future for music in Palestine and the wider MENA region.
And of course to all participating artists: thank you for showing up fully, pushing boundaries, and believing in your craft. We can’t wait to see (and hear) what comes next.
We invite you all, creators and professionals from the MENA region, to join the NEST Community and be part of this growing space where we aim to build the future of the music scene together.
