Nima Dehghani is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in San Francisco, Tehran, and the Internet; specialises in experimental theatre, digital media, and video projection design. He founded the Re-Connect online performance festival in 2019 and the Ctrl+Z theatre group in 2008. Currently, he is working on designing virtual and physical communities and developing collaborative initiatives that serve as alternative platforms for connecting and empowering independent artists and social activists.
Giuliana Grippo is an Argentinian artist and project manager, currently based in Spain. She collaborates with non-profit cultural organisations in designing art residencies, group activities and cultural events. Her main interest is supporting independent, usually off the radar initiatives. She has helped set up residencies of this kind in Spain, Argentina and Colombia.
Inge Ceustermans is the general director of The Festival Academy (an initiative of the European Festivals Association). She also consults different artists on their general strategy and international relations, as well as teaching occasionally at Sciences PO Paris. Previously, she was the general manager for the international artists company Needcompany/ Jan Lauwers from 2003-2012. She has also been a member of the advisory committee for the Agency of Arts and Heritage in Flanders. Inge has a master's degree in languages and literature with a specialization in theatre sciences.
Berna Kupeli is an award-winning photojournalist, visual story-teller and videographer. She has been a freelance artist with focus on local stories and capturing beauty in the most unexpected places since 2012. She has worked in film productions, photography in fashion, journalism, and has volunteered for various NGO’s and organizations including our Flying Carpet festival 2018 and 2021. She is co-founder of an independent art initiative and artist-in-residence, in Canakkale, Turkey that aims to provide a safe space for youth in the region to explore their inspirations and empower their creativity. She is currently working as communications officer for a project on the Syrian border, and for Re-Connect offline. Being a local resident of Boczaada, she was the host for the Island Lab.
Naghmeh Manavi is a writer, performer, and theater maker from Iran. She studied theater at the University of Art in Teheran. Over the past five years, Manavi has explored the form of lecture-performances and documentary theater as both writer and director. Manavi’s research as a director, writer, essayist, and performer carefully traces the intersections between political and personal issues. She enjoys approaching her artistic research topics broadly, working within different registers, and discovering performative experiences along the way. Her current work focuses on invisible oppression, decolonialism, and the study of political issues of everyday life.