Note - Thanks to the support of DROSOS, The Festival Academy was able to support travels, accommodation and catering of 4 participants from DROSOS eligible countries and from within the TFA Alumni community.

Anas Abu Nahleh (Alumnus Atelier Beirut 2022) 

Anas Abu Nahleh is a self-taught multi-disciplinary performer and choreographer from Amman, Jordan. Together with his brother Abd Al Hadi Abunahleh and Xiaoman Ren he founded the contemporary dance centre Studio 8 and IDEA Festival, a bi-annual international multi-disciplinary dance festival hosted by Studio 8. IDEA aims to put Jordan in the global dance scene and to create bonds between dance professionals from Jordan and abroad. IDEA and Studio 8 are partners of the larger project “Festivals as Catalysts for Social Change” to hold a Global Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Jordan 2025. Anas was selected to participate in the Lab because of his profile that combines artistic practice with an in-depth expertise of the cultural scene in Jordan that is challenged by a lack of cultural and artistic mobility and access/connection to the global scenes. His perspective also includes the current experience of being strongly affected by the Israel-Palestine conflict as well as the need to raise awareness worldwide about the conflict and its impact in the region as well as to reflect in depth on which role festivals can play in this as platforms for freedom of expression and human rights.  

Maurine Kouba (Alumna Atelier New York 2024) 

Maurine is a cultural enthusiast, youth leader and activist. She is the Acting Director of Yabous Cultural Centre, one of the leading Cultural Centres in Jerusalem, where she is responsible for the artistic programs and also managed the “Jerusalem Festival 2023 - Rise up Jerusalem” that highlighted the importance of the various forms of freedoms, especially the freedom of expression and movement. She has been selected to participate with her perspective as a Palestinian cultural worker, sharing challenges like censorship/polarization as well as mobility/visa issues.  

Ireri Mugica (Alumna Atelier Montreal 2022) 

After ten years of dancing professionally in Mexico, Ireri has been fully immersed in performing arts management and production, fostering international cooperation and artists' mobility. She has extensive experience in developing international collaborations and coproductions with institutions and artists from all over the world, including artistic residencies, workshops and laboratories, exchanges among others. Ireri is currently interested in re-thinking mobility and ecological/social responsibilities that performing arts can impact in this transforming era which together with her perspective from Latin America makes her an invaluable voice to contribute to the Labs discussions.  

Aurelien Zouki (Expert Atelier Beirut, partner Festival Lab Lebanon) 

Aurelien is an actor, choreographer and performer. He is co-founder of the performance group Collectif Kahraba and co-director of Nehna wel Amar wel Jiran, a multidisciplinary outdoor festival organised by Collectif Kahraba. He was selected to participate in the Lab not only because of his expertise of the cultural landscape of Lebanon, but also because of his involvement in running Hammana Artist House. This residency space, which is 45 minutes away from Beirut, is dedicated to artistic creation and aims to be a safe haven for artists who want to escape stressors and the continuous sense of unsafety in the cities. At Hammana Aurelien has implemented activities with the goal to fight mental borders of a fragmented society, divided by communautarisme and politically related issues. 

Elsa Saadé

With a deep-rooted commitment to grassroots development and talent promotion as well as community building and music, Saadé currently managed Oaktown - home to Oakenfest - which she founded and directs. Saadé has garnered extensive experience in event management, and is dedicated to curating experiences that harmoniously combine music and community in a safe environment.  

Anas Salameh  

Anas Salameh is a visual artist, director and cartoonist. Born in Damascus 1979 Syrian Palestinian based in Oslo, Norway. Anas studied interior design and painting and sculpture at Adham Ismail centre in Damascus, Syria and also studied Media at Damascus University. Anas worked in various fields of art such as scenography, decoration, painting, sculpture, production, and cartoon drawing and gained good experience during his artistic career through the many fields and art projects he worked on, and his artwork focused on plastic art and visual art and the many medium which he worked that made him develop his artistic approaches and tools to implement his visual artworks with new templates and vision. 

External Advisor - Oussama Rifahi 

Oussama is a cultural management consultant based in Cologne and Beirut. Oussama advises cultural organisations in business development and philanthropy and provides consultancy services to foundations, private corporations and governmental bodies on national cultural strategies and governance. He is involved in the design and implementation of various artistic and cultural programs in Europe, the SWANA region and Africa. He is a board member of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and is supporting the development of similar regional cultural funds internationally. Knowing the work of The Festival Academy in depth, he has been invited to join the conversation in the Lab to contribute with his expertise and support the process of developing new and innovative funding and business schemes for the long term project..