Mentors & Guest Speakers

The following mentors and presenters were present at the Atelier Gothenburg to share their wealth of experience with the participants, guide them through the 7 days, and discuss the questions and issues raised by the participants, under the facilitation of Mike Van Graan (Founding President African Cultural Policy Network - South Africa): 

Mentors & presenters: (present for the 7 days)  

• Hjalmar Jorge Joffre-Eichhorn, Theatre activist, co-founder Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO), Theatre of the Oppressed and Playback Theatre - Germany/ Bolivia/Afghanistan
  
• Ruth Mackenzie, Artistic Director Théâtre du Châtelet, former Artistic Director Holland Festival - France/UK/The Netherlands
• Brett Pyper, Associate Professor and Head Wits School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg & former CEO Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (Absa KKNK) - South Africa 
• Oussama Rifahi, Board member and Executive Director 2010 - 2016 Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) - Germany/Lebanon 

 International Guest Speakers

• Christopher Crimes, Former Artistic Director of major French cultural venues; Consultant/Advisor to [N!A] Project and Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture –  France/Greece/UK 
  
• Angeliki Lampiri, Director of Cultural Strategy Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture - Greece 
• Trésor Nzengu Mpauni, Founder & Director Tumaini Letu Festival - Malawi
• Joyce Rosario, Interim Artistic Director Push Festival Vancouver - Canada
• Thuthukani  Ndlovu, Free State Literature Festival Assistant , Spoken words Artist - Zimbabwe/South Africa

 Guest Speakers from Sweden & the region

• Kai Amberla, Executive Director Finland Festival - Finland 
  
• Danjel Andersson, General director and Artistic Director MDT - Sweden 
• Marie Bäckersten, Culture strategist of Tjörn - Sweden
  
• Jan Ove Hafstad, Director Sweden Festivals - Sweden
• Kalle Karlsson, Integration Festival Gothenburg - Sweden 
• Isabel Lagos, Artistic Director Gothenburg Fringe Festival - UK/Sweden
• Sarah Melin, Curator and producer at Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival - Sweden 
• Jonte Nynäs, Pedagogical Leader Nordic Watercolour Museum - Sweden 
• Adam Potrykus, Co-Founder & Co-Director of Stockholm Fringe Festival (STOFF) and the Nordic Fringe Network (NFN)      
• Truls Sanaker, Norway festivals - Norway 
• Malin Schiller, Project Manager and Producer Gothenburg Dance and theatre Festival - Sweden 

Artists (related to ICORN) 

• Parvin Ardalan, Activist & Journalist - Iran/Sweden  
  
• Ashraf Atraqchi, Artist, Arts Critic, Curator - Iraq/Sweden
  
• Khaled Harara, Hip-Hop Artist - Palestine/Sweden

Observers

• Karin Hansson, National ICORN Coordinator - Sweden
• Angeliki Lampiri, Director of Cultural Strategy Eleusis 2021 – Greece
• Joyce Rosario, Interim Artistic Director Push Festival Vancouver – Canada

Mentors and presenters were also available for personal exchanges during more informal moments as lunches, dinners, cultural visits etc., as this is an essential feature of the Atelier.

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Executive Director Finland Festivals - Finland

You can find Kai Amberla's bio here 

General director and Artistic Director MDT - Sweden 

You can find Danjel Andersson's bio here.

Activist & Journalist - Iran/Sweden

You can find Parvin Ardalan's biography here.

Artist, Arts Critic and Curator - Iraq/Sweden

You can find Ashraf Atraqchi's biography here. 

Former Artistic Director of major French cultural venues; Consultant/Advisor to [N!A] Project and Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture - France/Greece/UK 

You can find Christopher Crimes' bio here 

Director Sweden Festivals - Sweden

You can find Jan Ove Hafstad's bio here 

Hip-Hop Artist - Yemen/Palestine/Sweden 

You can find Khaled Harara's biography here.

Theatre activist, co-founder Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO), Theatre of the Oppressed and Playback Theatre - Germany/ Bolivia/Afghanistan

You can find Hjalmar Jorge Joffre-Eichhorn's biography here.

Founder of Kultur 4ür Alle Göteborg  - Sweden 

You can find out more about Kalle Karlson here 

Artistic Director Gothenburg Fringe Festival - UK/Sweden 

You can find Isabel Lagos' bio here 

Director of Cultural Strategy Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture - Greece 

You can find Angeliki Lampiri's bio here. 

Artistic Director Théâtre du Châtelet and former Artistic Director Holland Festival - France/UK/The Netherlands

You can find Ruth Mackenzie's biography here.

Curator and producer at Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival. Sarah Melin has been a producer at Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival since 2012 and has extensive background in Performing Arts, both nationally and internationally. Sarah is qualified projekt manager and she has been working as a Performing Arts producer, a dance consultant and with programming.  Her focus as curator for next festival is contemporary Performing Arts in dance, performance and theatre.

 Free State Literature Festival Assistant , Spoken words

You can find Thuthukani Ndlovu's bio here 

Co-Founder & Co-Director of Stockholm Fringe Festival (STOFF)  and the Nordic Fringe Network (NFN)

Adam Potrykus' focus is to promote Swedish fringe talent globally while opening up the Nordics to emerging international talent. He is Resident at Transit STHLM creative. In August 2017 he was awarded a city Stockholm's cultural scholarship. He is passionate about democracy, equality, the LGBT communities and sustainability.

Associate Professor and Head Wits School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg & former CEO Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (Absa KKNK) - South Africa 

You can find Brett Pyper's biography  here.

Board member and Executive Director 2010 - 2016 Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) – Germany/Lebanon 

You can find Oussama Rifahi's biography here.

Interim Artistic Director PuSh International Performing Arts Festival - Canada

You can find Joyce Rosario's biography here.

Daily leader Norway Festivals – Norway

You can find out more about Truls Sanaker here 

Project manager and producer at Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival. Malin has been with the festival on and off since 2004 and in other cultural organizations in various positions, mainly with a focus on producing seminars, conference programmes and EU collaboration projects.

Founding President African Cultural Policy Network - South Africa

You can find Mike Van Graan's biography here.