Litehouse Gallery evolved from the Art Residence Aley (ARA), an NGO founded by Raghad Mardini in 2012 in Beirut. Many Syrian artists who had fled to Lebanon were unable to continue their practice due to trauma and financial hardship. At ARA they were given bed and board for a month, alongwith space, freedom, and all the materials to enable them to make art again. Litehouse Gallery continues the work and ethos of the residency by serving displaced Syrian artists.