Mountains of Hope: Sharing the stories and dreams of the communities along the Lebanon Mountain Trail
The Lebanon Mountain Trail winds through more than 80 villages and towns, connecting people, places, and stories across a 450 kilometres of stunning terrain – with an additional 150 kilometres of side network trails to explore. From ancient cedar groves and sacred valleys to wildflower meadows and mountain peaks, it’s a route rich in biodiversity, history, and culture. Kinetika is now working in collaboration with the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA), to bring these stories to life in an entirely new way – through designing and making a set of illustrated silk flags.
Across the trail, schools and communities are coming together to co-create 34 hand-painted silk artworks, each one capturing the spirit, identity, and environment of their region. Measuring 1.2m², these silks will form a vibrant, visual tribute to the people who live along the trail – and to the landscape that sustains them.
This is Mountains of Hope: a creative journey that honours the past, celebrates the present, and imagines a shared future.
Workshops with schools along the Lebanon Mountain Trail.
34 Silks. Countless Stories. 1 Trail.
The LMT is divided into 27 linear trail sections, along with protected areas, 7 side and network trails – each with its own personality and story to tell. This project will produce a unique silk panel for every one of these places. Each design will be shaped by local participants and reflect what makes that stretch of the trail meaningful.
Themes we’ll explore include:
- Connection to the land
- Intergenerational memory
- Cultural resilience
- Dreams for the future
- Environmental guardianship
The result? A bold, moving visual tapestry that brings the full beauty and complexity of the trail to life.
Empowering Creative Participation
To help communities get started, we have developed a resource pack, designed to spark imaginations, honour local identity, and build confidence in self-expression. Live, interactive online sessions with Kinetika’s artists will further support community leads and creatives, giving them everything they need to guide their community through the design journey.
Creative Residency in the UK
In Autumn 2025, Kinetika will host a creative residency in the UK for LMT artists. The programme includes training in silk-making techniques, collaborative walks and workshops with various partners and co-creation of the silk panels. After the residency, final production – including silk finishing and installation prep – will take place at Kinetika Studios.
Will you support a voice from the trail?
DonateA Trail-Wide Celebration
In April 2026, the project culminates in a celebratory Thru-Hike of the Lebanon Mountain Trail, where the completed silks will be revealed at key points along the route. Each section will bring local stories to life, offering a moving tribute to the natural and cultural richness of the trail.
Courtesy of Lebanon Mountain Trail Association.
Workshops with community groups along the Lebanon Mountain Trail.
Help Make it Happen
This project is powered by people – by their time, their stories, their creativity, and their hope.
With your support, we can:
- Provide workshops to schools and communities to design their silk
- Train local leaders and artists, bringing LMT leaders to the UK for the residency
- Fund materials needed for the silks
- Sponsor a village or community to design their own flag
Previous Kinetika projects, various locations.