Tandem-Shaml_Arab_Participants_Overview.pdf

Abbara participants to Tandem / Shaml Partnership Forum in Tunis 29 August – 2 September 2012
List of Participants
1. B'chira Art Center – Tunis – Tunisia
2. Rezodanse Center – Alexandria – Egypt
3. Medrar for Contemporary Art – Cairo – Egypt
4. 7assala Productions – Cairo – Egypt
5. Ettijahat. Independent Culture – Damascus – Syria (or Lebanon or Jordan)
6. Mobaderoun Institution for Development and Media – Port Saiid – Egypt
7. Eltak3iba Center for Art and Development – Cairo – Egypt
8. Iskenderella Association for Culture and Art – Alexandria – Egypt
Short description of the participating organizations and cultural managers:
Organization Art sector Fields of
Interest
About the host town Culture manager/ artist
B'chira Art Center
Contemporary Art installation Sabelet Ben Ammar, Tunis B’chira Triki Bouazizi
Tunis – Tunisia
Art
A village situated 20 Km away from A distinguished Tunisian Artist that
B’chira Art Center is a contemporary
art center situated in Tunis, 20 km from
Tunis the capital of both
the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis
organized a lot of individual and group
shows in Tunisia and abroad. She was
the capital in a village called Sabelet
Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest present with her work in the Venice
Ben Ammar. B’chira Art Center orga-
city, with a population of 728,453 as Biennale of 2002. B’chira is founder and
nizes mainly contemporary art exhi-
of 2004; the greater metropolitan director of B’chira Art center created in
bitions, workshops and film projections.
area holds some 2,412,500 2011. B’chira Triki Bouazizi is very inte-
inhabitants.
rested in networking and especially in
www.bchirartcenter.com
collaborative programs with countries
that are developed in contemporary art.
Rezodanse Center
Alexandria – Egypt
Rézodanse is working on:
• Providing a convenient space for
local artists and young Alexandrians to
learn, rehearse, practise and develop
cultural projects in the field of the
performing arts
• Raising the standards in teaching
dance in Alexandria, with a focus on
ballet and modern dance
• Supporting local artists by
providing a workspace for their
rehearsals and connecting them with
our network
• Organising specific workshops to
introduce new techniques in the fields
of dance and theatre
• Supporting the development of
Contemporary dance creation
• Organising regular in-house
cultural events
• Organising festivals and street
culture events
http://rezodanseegypte.com
Dance,
performing arts
Theatre, dance
performance for
children
Alexandria
The second-largest city of Egypt,
with a population of 4.1 million,
extending about 32 km (20 mi)
along the coast of the Mediterranean
Sea in the north central part
of the country; it is also the largest
city lying directly on the Mediterranean
coast. It is Egypt's largest
seaport, serving about 80% of
Egypt's imports and exports.
Alexandria is also an important
tourist resort. It is home to the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Alexandria was founded around a
small pharaonic town c. 331 BC by
Alexander the Great. It remained
Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand
years, until the Muslim conquest of
Egypt in AD 641, when a new
capital was founded at Fustat
(Fustat was later absorbed into
Cairo).
Language: French/ Arabic
Hatem Hassan
An Egyptian theatre director and culture
projects manager. Following an extensive
training in theatre and several workshops
he took part in many projects in
Egypt and abroad, including working in
Avignon Festival in 2009 and 2010.
Besides his career in theatre, Hatem
shows many other talents as an artist,
with several participations in different
culture events as a coordinator, organizer
or providing technical support. He
continues to draw on that experience in
his work as a culture activist.
Languages: Arabic/ English/ French

Organization Art sector Fields of
Interest
Medrar for Contemporary Art Contemporary Multimedia and
Cairo – Egypt
visual arts Multimedia
Laboratories
Medrar for Contemporary Art is a
common cultural and philanthropic
platform for young emerging artists
based in Egypt. It aims to contribute to
the motivation of different means of
communication, developing experiences
and financial support for contemporary
praxis on the national, regional
and international level.
Medrar’s main objective is to drive the
interest of young emerging artists and
provide them with chances of
experimentation and accession by
encouraging their activities and the
intercultural exchange between them
globally, as well as creating a space for
dialogue between young art critics by
producing serial prospectuses and
critique researches and providing
database for curatorial based projects.
www.medrar.org
7assala Productions (Hassala)
Cairo – Egypt
In July 2010, Hassala production
house was founded by a group of
filmmakers and artists, who gathered
after independently producing their first
long fiction movie; it was the time
starting pass experience and help
other fellow independent filmmakers, to
produce their projects; despite of
economic, geographic factors, certain
abstraction or orientations, and despite
their lack of accesses to independent
filmmaking scene, and networks.
Our general goal is to contribute to the
development of the independent filmmaking
industry, to promote its market;
besides, detect alternative ways and
new forms of cinematic producing.
Furthermore, we aim to support fresh/
free filmmakers, in order to fight
stereotypes on the Egyptian screens,
and to stimulate knowledge exchange,
that serves community’s benefits and
protect it, from Platitudes, repetition
and cultural stagnation.
During the past two years, Hassala
assisted some directors to fundraise
and produce their long films.
Filmmaking
production,
training and
distribution
Interactive media
arts development
Audiovisual data
manipulation for
artistic creation
purposes
Documenting
(filming)
development
through art with
children that
have difficulties
About the host town Culture manager/ artist
Cairo
The capital of Egypt and the largest
city in the Arab world and Africa,
and the 16th largest metropolitan
area in the world. Located near the
Nile Delta, it was founded in the
year 969 A.D. making it 1,043 years
old. Nicknamed "The City of a
Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance
of Islamic architecture,
Cairo has long been a centre of the
region's political and cultural life.
Cairo was founded by the Fatimid
dynasty in the 10th century AD.
With a population of 6.76
million spread over 453 square
kilometers (175 sq mi), Cairo is by
far the largest city in Egypt. With an
additional ten million inhabitants just
outside the city, Cairo resides at the
centre of the largest metropolitan
area in Africa and the eleventhlargest
urban area in the world.
Cairo
The capital of Egypt and the largest
city in the Arab world and Africa,
and the 16th largest metropolitan
area in the world. Located near the
Nile Delta, it was founded in the
year 969 A.D. making it 1,043 years
old. Nicknamed "The City of a
Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance
of Islamic architecture, Cairo
has long been a centre of the
region's political and cultural life.
Cairo was founded by the Fatimid
dynasty in the 10th century AD.
With a population of 6.76
million spread over 453 square
kilometers (175 sq mi), Cairo is by
far the largest city in Egypt. With an
additional ten million inhabitants just
outside the city, Cairo resides at the
centre of the largest metropolitan
area in Africa and the eleventhlargest
urban area in the world.
Dia Hamed
Born in Cairo, studied Art Education in
“Helwan University”, lives and works in
Cairo as an artist. Used to explore
through wide variety of praxis like
theater (performing, creation and scenography),
and realizing creation of his
projects within the Contemporary art
scene of Cairo. Later on he took part
with live performances in “Salon El
Shabab” 17th & 18th as well as Sabeel
performance meetings in the Townhouse
gallery 2007/08, subsequently
redirected to experimenting interactivity
in public spaces with his latest projects
“situation-complication” & “Native
Tourists”. He co-founded Studio Moroni
Theater Company, Sabeel project and
Medrar for Contemporary Art, in which
he’s currently working as a projects’
director, and with Berlin-based Company
“Rimini Protokol” for documentary
theater production as assistant director.
Languages: Arabic/ English/ Spanish
Donia Maher Abdalla
33 years old Egyptian female, who
studied fine arts in Egypt and Market
management in USA through a Fulbright
scholarship.
Practiced many forms of expression
such as acting, stop-motion animating,
writing and digital arts; in addition to
fundraising and workshops coordination.
Played leading role in 7assla’s first
production film by Hala Lotfy; published
one collection of short stories and
received a grant from Al Mawred Al
Thaqafy and the British council to
publish two under publishing books, an
album and a novel. Co-wrote a grant
wining movie script by Muhammed
Rashad.
Instructed and created art programs for
teachers and children in Upper Egypt.
“it was a wonderful experience to touch
and follow changes that arts made in
those beautiful little souls”
Languages: Arabic/ English

Organization Art sector Fields of
Interest
Ettijahat. Independent Culture Independent Play writing and
Damascus – Syria (or Lebanon or culture in Syria. training for
Jordan)
Activation of
young writers
Ettijahat – Independent Culture is the basic Theater relation
currently under construction. It is relation with
preparing to start its projects and between contemporary
programs within the coming few cultural and reality
months (the most important ones of artistic action
highest priority are):
and Syrian
society.
Liqaa: literary events for young writers
between 20-25 years old living in small
cities and the Syrian countryside.
These are individual events, each
continues for three weeks in
Damascus.
Current needs and future
developments of cultural research in
Syria: the research project continues
over 14 months and involves a
research team formed of 8-10
professional and young researchers.
The professionals will train, guide and
supervise the young in implementing
the research project. The methodology
is based on capacity building, directly
(workshops and guiding sessions) and
indirectly (supervising, guiding and
assessing). The final product of the
research group is a written research
project covering “the current situation
and future needs of cultural research in
Syria”.
www.ettijahat.org
Culture policy
development.
About the host town Culture manager/ artist
Damascus, Amman or Beirut Mudar El Hejji
Born in 1981 in Idlib and graduated from
the Higher Institute for Theatrical Arts in
Damascus. Working in the Masar (Path)
project, as a designer for interactive
children projects and as trainer for
executive teams that have presented
these activities since 2005.
Attended a workshop in 2005, for
theatre writing under the supervision of
the Scottish play writer David Craig.
This workshop was like the launching
pad for a street workshop for new
theatrical writing that has come together
and started in 2007. Texts for theatre
that try to simulate daily reality of Syrian
citizens on the theme “Damascus
Today” were written. He wrote texts on
“Don Juan, Wissal, Bronze, Satan”, of
which Don Juan and Bronze were
published.
Prepared presentations (Enemy of the
People - Nothing more), directed by
Yasser Abdellatif in Damascus and
Dramaturge (Waq3 el Khatta)
presentation, on a text by Samuel
Beckett in Damascus in 2011.
Participated in 2010, in a program on
theatrical writing in London, granted by
the Delfina Foundation.
Participated in a street workshop with
writers on book publishing (Stories of
Spirit and Cement) that involved four
theatre texts on the city as its main
subject and that also involved his text
Bronze.
Participated in 2011, in a theatre writing
workshop in Alexandria as part of an
Arab theatre meeting (Nobet Sohian),
supervised by the Swiss writer Eric
Eltrover.
Languages: Arabic/ English

Organization Art sector Fields
Interest
of
Mobaderoon for cultural Cultural Documenting,
development and media
development reviving and
Port Saiid – Egypt
and activation presenting
existing and
Mobaderoon was established to adopt
vanishing
a youth initiative on the redefinition of
aspects of life in
the identity and character of the city of
coastal
Port Said in its modern history
cosmopolitan
throughout Egypt’s wars since the start
cities “ports” and
of commando operations against the
their impact of
occupation in the 1940s and 1950s
these artistic,
until the war of 1973. This will be
social, economic
achieved by helping the youth obtain
etc trends on the
skills in creative writing, photography
cultural scene by
and short films for cinema to register
storytelling,
the historic Port Said events and
photography
document them from their point of view
exhibitions,
by using these skills.
As part of the “Infra Media” project that
was implemented by the “Press Action”
group, Mobaderoon offered training to
civil society activists and young media
workers in Alexandria in the field of
developmental media, media monitorring
and analyzing and promotion campaign
and support winning.
performances of
folkloric art.
Mobaderoon members participated in
training civil society activists and media
workers in Mansoura and Qenna in
promoting impartiality, transparency
and corruption fighting.
Mobaderoon organizes a number of
workshops on creative writing for
creative youth on human rights issues.
Mobaderoon sponsors radio transit, an
internet radio seeking to make the
voice of the youth heard and develop
the active participation in society.
Mobaderoon sponsors the “Fil Midan”
band. It is an independent youth band
that revives the Simsimiya of Port Said
and links it to the events of the 25 th of
January Revolution.
About the host town Culture manager/ artist
Port Saiid
Lies in north east Egypt extending
about 30 kilometres (19 mi) along
the coast of the Mediterranean Sea,
north of the Suez Canal, with an
approximate population of 603,787
(2010). The city was established in
1859 during the building of the Suez
Canal.
Port Saiid’s economic base is
fishing and industries, such as
chemicals, processed food, and
cigarettes. Port Saiid is also an
important harbour for exports of
Egyptian products like cotton
and rice, but also a fuelling station
for ships that pass through the Suez
Canal.
Badr Elebidy
Mobaderoon’s manager since its
initiation in addition to managing and
developing various successful initiatives
and experimental projects.
Badr participated in the evaluation of the
Arab Youth Initiatives in addition to
participating in various workshops and
cultural exchange programs such as
“traditional buildings in Mediterranean
cities” that took place in Greece in 2007,
“Cultural exchange for youth from
Mediterranean cities” that took place in
Jordan in 2004.
Organized various performances and
festivals that took place within the Suez
Canal region in addition to being in
charge of the artistic activities within
advocacy campaigns focusing on art
and culture.
Languages: Arabic/ English (not very
fluent)

Organization Art sector Fields of
Interest
Eltak3iba Center for Art and Artistic and Children
Development
cultural expression via
Cairo – Egypt
development art (drawing)
Tak3iba has been working since 2007
in the field of artistic and cultural
development with a view to provide
opportunities to new individuals that
have not yet worked in arts and culture
in the downtown area. In 2012, the
Centre was established as a company
with limited liability in Shobra El
Khaima to work with children and
youths on educational, cultural and
artistic programs. The activities involve
the ‘Publication for All’, the “Bil Masri
Akoun”, the “Presentation Day” , and
“The Book Exchange Day” festivals,
and the “Yalla Poetry” meeting, the
competition on “Egypt in one Shot” in
addition to workshops on photography,
handmade products, training for acting,
writing comics and origami drawing.
The Centre has formed a theatre group
that adopts the interactive method and
a number of theatre performances.
Iskenderella Association for Culture
and Art
Alexandria – Egypt
With its activities, Eskenderella
Association aims to disseminate and
support cultural rights and freedoms,
obtain cultural justice by offering
cultural services to sectors and regions
that are culturally disadvantaged, to
activate the role of art as a social
driver, an archive for the collective
memory and a guide for reform and
enlightenment, through the inspiration
of human and civilization values that
were built in Alexandria and lived by.
Most outstanding programs:
The “Zorouni kol sanna marra” festival
(2006 – 2012), an annual artistic and
cultural street festival in the Kom El
Dikka district celebrating the anniversary
of Sayed Darwish in co-operation
with Eskenderella, the residents, coffee
shops, squares and young artists.
The “Qalbi alboum” (My heart is an
album) program: is concerned with the
personal heritage of people, collecting
old pictures and documents. Its activities
include documentation, exhibittions,
art work, seminars, publications
and memorial products.
Culture, art
preservation,
supporting
popular and
local cultures,
cultural and
societal
development
Underdeveloped
neighborhoods
Amateurs
Community art
Creative
interaction and
cultural search in
the memory of
coastal cities
through
personal
memory of the
original residents
or foreigners,
immigrants and
expatriates by
accounts,
stories, pictures
and personal
documents
About the host town Culture manager/ artist
Cairo
The capital of Egypt and the largest
city in the Arab world and Africa,
and the 16th largest metropolitan
area in the world. Located near the
Nile Delta, it was founded in the
year 969 A.D. making it 1,043 years
old. Nicknamed "The City of a
Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance
of Islamic architecture, Cairo
has long been a centre of the
region's political and cultural life.
Cairo was founded by the Fatimid
dynasty in the 10th century AD.
With a population of 6.76
million spread over 453 square
kilometers (175 sq mi), Cairo is by
far the largest city in Egypt. With an
additional ten million inhabitants just
outside the city, Cairo resides at the
centre of the largest metropolitan
area in Africa and the eleventhlargest
urban area in the world.
Alexandria
The second-largest city of Egypt,
with a population of 4.1 million,
extending about 32 km (20 mi)
along the coast of the Mediterranean
Sea in the north central part
of the country; it is also the largest
city lying directly on the Mediterranean
coast. It is Egypt's largest
seaport, serving about 80% of
Egypt's imports and exports.
Alexandria is also an important
tourist resort. It is home to the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Alexandria was founded around a
small pharaonic town c. 331 BC by
Alexander the Great. It remained
Egypt's capital for nearly a thousand
years, until the Muslim conquest of
Egypt in AD 641, when a new
capital was founded at Fustat
(Fustat was later absorbed into
Cairo).
Ahmed Hassen Mohamed
B.A. in Literature, Hebrew language and
literature, Ain Shams University
B.A. in Critique and Drama, Ain Shams
University
Theatre director and actor and cultural
activist
Participated in many artistic and cultural
workshops
Directed more than one play for
associations working in the field of
children, women and human rights
Participated in a workshop in cultural
management
Volunteers for the Egyptian Centre for
Women’s rights – the Choir Project
Languages: Arabic/ understands English
Hamdi Zedan Abdel Salam
Poet, dramaturg, and cultural activist,
founder of Eskenderella for Culture and
Art, previously chairman and executive
director and currently program director
B.A. in Law for Alexandria University
1994.
Publications: “Judge the Murderers”
translated into English “Everybody” a
book with literary texts by seven authors
from Alexandria. “The road is not
narrow...it’s me who is too much”
Egyptian vernacular poetry, “Wine of the
evening...milk of the day”.
Co-edited and written in “Khamasin” an
independent literary magazine from
1996-1999; “Ogarit” a literary cultural
magazine publication in French and
Arabic issued in Paris, “Mina” magazine
cultural literary magazine in English and
Arabic between New Orleans and
Alexandria.
Received different prizes: best theatre
writer at the national theatre festival, and
the Cairo festival prize for experimental
theatre for best team work.
Languages: Arabic/ understands English