try and find something

You can have a quick view of your MENA Arts profile and share this link with others Anchor 1 our directory: list view back single view grid view hold on please, we are working on it... xxx found. (and list) or no go clear filter Sale Sale Sale Sale bring to the top...* * by those who choose to self identify report προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα cf0db30d-bae7-461f-9231-d86944896d4a 101366 Aaron Kilercioglu Turkish Writer & Director for stage & screen. report director, dramaturg, videographer, writer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα cf7fc303-bd47-4f06-8028-63bf02f63557 898348 Abdulaziz Angaoi Abdulaziz Angaoi I am a teacher trainer, interpreter, subtler, content writer, voice actor, novelist, editor, script write, dialect coach. Cultural sensitivity trainer for Arabic-English. report actor, dialect coach, editor, educator, poet, translator, voice coach, voice over artist, writer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 92c868dd-e75f-4d20-95db-0877ab8b33fc 649751 Abi Zakarian Abi is an award-winning British-Armenian writer for stage, radio, TV and film. She is originally from the East Midlands and is now based in London. report writer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 6a65f2e3-df33-4177-8f1f-9e940169a213 942071 Kirill Kozlov Ada Burke Actress, Voiceover Artist, Performer report actor, performer, voice over artist προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα d43bc1f3-c6ec-4f00-a278-607b0a618892 536247 YellowBellyPhoto Adam Seridji Actor and Spoken Word Artist from South London. report actor, poet προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 2a8c6cfc-b2fc-4582-81b2-0489498d3c0a 237842 Hila Tomer Adi Gortler Adi is a London-based movement director (Royal Court, Jermyn Street, Park Theatre, LAMDA), teacher (LAMDA, RCSSD, W/S), and director (The Arab-Hebrew Theatre, Haifa International Children’s Festival) report choreographer, director, dramaturg, educator, intimacy director, movement director, performer, writer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα eb4bff6f-53fd-4ff8-ac44-76e5649b3a1d 850982 YellowBellyPhoto Afsaneh Dehrouyeh Afsaneh is a British Iranian actor, fluent in Farsi and based in London. report actor, voice over artist (+ home studio) προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 0a851f1c-5659-4778-a532-697fdf353d0c 521096 Rosemary Rance Afsaneh Gray Afsaneh is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter of dual Iranian/British Jewish heritage, born in the UK. report writer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 7edbb04e-a118-49c9-80dc-5b1ac8058ba1 539806 Michael shelford Ahmad Sakhi Ahmad is a British Afghan actor, fluent in dari and based in London/ Manchester report actor προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα befdf007-8781-4844-9681-d7ed7ce03fc0 584169 Steve Lawton Ahmed Hamad Ahmed was born in Saudi Arabia to Sudanese parents. Since moving to the UK at the age of 1, Ahmed trained at ArtsEd and is now an actor based in London. report actor, dancer, musician, singer puppeteer προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα 0221c610-4ab2-4018-9284-7f6b8f7c0b1b 253356 Katie Cotterell Ahmet Ahmet I am theatre and cultural leader working in both the UK theatre sector and education. report assistant director, co-ordinator, educator, movement director, producer Youth director προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα fc72972f-6d4a-487e-b04e-d7a318d5a937 521932 back up show more

You can have a quick view of your MENA Arts profile and share this link with others Anchor 1 our directory: grid view list view clear filter Sale go bring to the top...* Sale single view xxx found. (and list) or no Sale * by those who choose to self identify προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα film, radio, gaming, music, opera, dance, animation, theatre, tv report cf0db30d-bae7-461f-9231-d86944896d4a Ανοιξε 101366 Abi προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Zakarian Armenia, Iraq English theatre, tv, radio writer Abi is an award-winning British-Armenian writer for stage, radio, TV and film. She is originally from the East Midlands and is now based in London. report 6a65f2e3-df33-4177-8f1f-9e940169a213 Ανοιξε 942071 Adi προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Gortler Hila Tomer Israel Hebrew, English theatre, opera, tv, film choreographer, director, dramaturg, educator, intimacy director, movement director, performer, writer Adi is a London-based movement director (Royal Court, Jermyn Street, Park Theatre, LAMDA), teacher (LAMDA, RCSSD, W/S), and director (The Arab-Hebrew Theatre, Haifa International Children’s Festival) report eb4bff6f-53fd-4ff8-ac44-76e5649b3a1d Ανοιξε 850982 Ahmad προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Sakhi Michael shelford Afghanistan Dari Persian, Dari Persian - Herat, Pashtun, English film, theatre, tv, gaming, radio actor Ahmad is a British Afghan actor, fluent in dari and based in London/ Manchester report befdf007-8781-4844-9681-d7ed7ce03fc0 Ανοιξε 584169 Aida προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Golghazi Mark Hillyer Iran Farsi, English, German film, theatre, tv, music actor, voice over artist I'm a Persian actress and writer born in Hamburg and I speak fluent Farsi, English and native German. report 7fb4f8c7-e8d4-43b0-b951-bebff2e9ecc7 Ανοιξε 205412 Ala προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Buisir Libya Arabic - Libyan, English film, tv artist, assistant director, director, editor, lighting, producer, stills photographer, videographer I grew up in tough situations. I try to bring somewhat of a change through my art by telling stories. I am currently doing my PhD on breaking stereotypes of Muslim women through visual arts. report 2ddf38bc-7c8a-43a7-b60b-7e9e837a04c5 Ανοιξε 180488 Alex προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Kais Michael Carlo Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine Arabic, Arabic - Lebanese, English theatre, music, film, tv actor, artist, educator, performer, producer, singer Alex Kais is a Canadian born actor who is half Lebanese and half Jordanian. He has a passion for singing and acting and loves bringing art to life through the world of theatre. report 4770462d-c498-423a-9426-f2202f1b66ff Ανοιξε 270720 Alexandra προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Boulton Harry Livingstone Türkiye English, French Mandarin theatre, film, tv, radio, gaming, animation actor, voice over artist (+ home studio), voice over artist, writer, writer screen British-Turkish-American actor, writer & voiceover artist with home studio report 6b6a8ca7-0723-4864-961d-2c6401db6fd4 Ανοιξε 709279 Ali προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Taie Egypt, Iraq Arabic - Egyptian, Arabic - Iraqi, English theatre, gaming musician, sound An Iraqi-born sound designer from a music background, with interest and experience in electronic microtonal music, and experimental sound design report 28b5d819-4491-4bc3-8e0e-c863ae0b0f28 Ανοιξε 843168 Ali προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Azhar Anna Rakhvalova Morocco Arabic, Arabic - Moroccan/Darija, English, French, Spanish film, tv, theatre actor, dancer Hello, I hope this finds you well. I'm Ali Azhar, a French-Moroccan actor based in London. Looking forward to hear from you! Kind regards, Ali. report a5d9f211-2684-431a-8b15-a8b8c406699d Ανοιξε 130328 Aaron προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Kilercioglu Türkiye Turkish - Standard/Istanbul, English, German film, theatre, tv director, dramaturg, videographer, writer Turkish Writer & Director for stage & screen. report cf7fc303-bd47-4f06-8028-63bf02f63557 Ανοιξε 898348 Ada προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Burke Kirill Kozlov Türkiye Turkish - Standard/Istanbul, English film, theatre, tv actor, performer, voice over artist Actress, Voiceover Artist, Performer report d43bc1f3-c6ec-4f00-a278-607b0a618892 Ανοιξε 536247 Afsaneh προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Dehrouyeh YellowBellyPhoto Iran Dari Persian, Farsi, English film, theatre, tv, radio actor, voice over artist (+ home studio) Afsaneh is a British Iranian actor, fluent in Farsi and based in London. report 0a851f1c-5659-4778-a532-697fdf353d0c Ανοιξε 521096 Ahmed προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Hamad Steve Lawton Saudi Arabia, Sudan Arabic, Arabic - Sudanese, English theatre, film, tv actor, dancer, musician, singer puppeteer Ahmed was born in Saudi Arabia to Sudanese parents. Since moving to the UK at the age of 1, Ahmed trained at ArtsEd and is now an actor based in London. report 0221c610-4ab2-4018-9284-7f6b8f7c0b1b Ανοιξε 253356 Ajjaz προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Awad-Ibrahim Sudan English theatre, tv, gaming, film, radio actor, assistant director, dancer, director, singer, voice over artist, voice over artist (+ home studio), writer Puppeteer I am a mixed British and East African creative, born and raised in Brixton. When not making theatre, I love dancing flamenco/salsa and playing with my puppets. report ecdc1f3c-3143-4c96-b731-29c771c3d382 Ανοιξε 548920 Alaa προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Alsaraji Iran, Iraq Arabic - Iraqi, English, German theatre artist, educator illustrator, designer Alaa is a London-based visual artist, illustrator, designer and creative facilitator. report ac7fc319-cec7-4b8b-8814-c01601deacb1 Ανοιξε 867853 Alex James προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Nicola Tim Mowbray Cyprus Cypriot Greek, Cypriot Greek Modern Standard, Greek, English film, theatre, tv actor, educator, writer Over his 20 year career in the industry, Alex has appeared in over 80 productions, across film and stage. report 4068f529-5856-4001-a7b6-a94ab3f6fb44 Ανοιξε 478193 Alexandra προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Kambanella YellowBelly Cyprus Cypriot Greek, Cypriot Greek Modern Standard, English theatre, tv, film actor, performer, voice over artist Alexandra is British-Cypriot actor, born & raised in London and graduated from Rose Bruford College in 2021. report 739eb61d-76f7-45fe-a134-cce6a74161ec Ανοιξε 797002 Ali προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Barouti Frances Bell Morocco Arabic - Moroccan/Darija, English film, theatre, tv actor, voice over artist Actor born in London with a Moroccan Heritage. report 6192010f-3d28-43c4-94e6-b23165fad459 Ανοιξε 645567 Ali Cihan προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Yilmaz cihan Türkiye Turkish - Standard/Istanbul, English film, tv, music camera dept cinematographer Hello, I am a London based Cinematographer / Camera Operator with creative eye for detail and dedication to quality work. I have 20 years experiences as a camera ast., focus puller, camera opt.and Cinematographer report 88acc40a-065b-44fb-a5a5-61fb270f6a34 Ανοιξε 239892 Abdulaziz προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Angaoi Abdulaziz Angaoi Jordan, Palestine Arabic, Arabic - Jordanian, Arabic - Lebanese, Arabic - Levantine/Shami, Arabic - Palestinian, English film, radio, theatre, tv actor, dialect coach, editor, educator, poet, translator, voice coach, voice over artist, writer I am a teacher trainer, interpreter, subtler, content writer, voice actor, novelist, editor, script write, dialect coach. Cultural sensitivity trainer for Arabic-English. report 92c868dd-e75f-4d20-95db-0877ab8b33fc Ανοιξε 649751 Adam προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Seridji YellowBellyPhoto Algeria English theatre, tv, film actor, poet Actor and Spoken Word Artist from South London. report 2a8c6cfc-b2fc-4582-81b2-0489498d3c0a Ανοιξε 237842 Afsaneh προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Gray Rosemary Rance Iran English, French opera, radio, theatre, tv writer Afsaneh is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter of dual Iranian/British Jewish heritage, born in the UK. report 7edbb04e-a118-49c9-80dc-5b1ac8058ba1 Ανοιξε 539806 Ahmet προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Ahmet Katie Cotterell Cyprus, Türkiye Turkish - Cypriot, Turkish - Standard/Istanbul, English theatre assistant director, co-ordinator, educator, movement director, producer Youth director I am theatre and cultural leader working in both the UK theatre sector and education. report fc72972f-6d4a-487e-b04e-d7a318d5a937 Ανοιξε 521932 Akin προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Gazi Luca Teuchmann Cyprus, Türkiye Turkish - Cypriot, English film, radio, theatre, tv actor, voice over artist, writer Actor/Writer born in London with Turkish Cypriot heritage. report b0f4a4a4-d505-49df-9c3e-b35aa726e619 Ανοιξε 275600 Alan προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Mehdizadeh Andy Brown Iran, Kurdistan English film, theatre, tv actor, casting director, performer, singer, voice over artist, voice over artist (+ home studio) British-Iranian actor, and now agent. Having performed on stage & screen, I now run the agency Avenue Management report 551b4c91-9e1d-4c8a-80a0-51031de4e56c Ανοιξε 584148 Alexander προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Bittar Lebanon Arabic - Lebanese, English, French film, radio, theatre, tv actor, performer, writer stage Hello, I'm Alexander, a French-English-Lebanese actor/writer living in London. I love to collaborate with my work, and am very receptive to working on projects together so please do not hesitate to reach out! report bd08dfff-18a3-4add-b711-7355aa98962c Ανοιξε 342311 Alfred προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Clay Iran, Oman English film, theatre, tv actor Born in England to an English father. My mother, is rather polyethnic. She was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania and the blood she carries comes from Tanzania, Iran, Oman and Nomads. I am an Arab-Afro-Anglo. report 75750f92-c8be-4138-bbb9-4955c883dca7 Ανοιξε 110859 Ali προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Al-Jamri Ali Al-Jamri Bahrain Arabic, Arabic - Bahraini, English theatre editor, educator, poet, press & marketing, producer, translator, writer Poet, Producer, Editor, Facilitator, Writer, Translator. Bahraini. Manchester. Arabic/English. SWANA. report 91237c4a-60ea-4fbc-b731-706e05c605ae Ανοιξε 805891 Alistair προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα προσθήκη στη σύντομη λίστα Chekaoui Algeria English, French film director, producer, writer British-Algerian writer-director. Currently looking for Arabic/Middle Eastern ACTOR for lead role in feature film BIRDCAGE. Oskaar runs away from his repressive family life to join an all-accepting camp in the woods report 37ad6c3e-6720-47c0-b69d-82f004d8792c Ανοιξε 287131 show more back up

You can have a quick view of your MENA Arts profile and share this link with others Anchor 1 our directory: single view hold on please, we are working on it... back list view grid view xxx found. (and list) or no go clear filter Sale Sale Sale Sale bring to the top...* * by those who choose to self identify Kilercioglu Aaron Angaoi Abdulaziz Zakarian Abi Burke Ada Continue Continue Anchor 2 Continue film, radio, gaming, music, opera, dance, animation, theatre, tv . add to shortlist add to shortlist Share Link Copied recent credit: biography: training / skills: straight trans-male nuro-diverse Greater London Continue report linkedIn insta email back up

MENA Arts UK is an organisation that supports Middle Eastern and North African professionals and artists in the live and performing arts. This includes Theatre, TV and Film. You will find our MENA directory, our events and resources here. winners announced now booking lunchtime chats with the Arab British Centre book your free ticket here sound mixer lighting designer teacher fight director actor writer designer production manager singer director composer sound mixer lighting designer teacher fight director actor writer designer production manager singer director composer sound mixer lighting designer teacher fight director actor writer designer production manager singer director composer our free newsletter Every fortnight we’ll send info on upcoming opportunities, announcements and news of interest to MENA+ people in the industry. get our free newsletter * these fields are required submit I accept terms & conditions. View terms here. who we are A new arts organisation for UK-based professionals who are connected to the MENA+ region (Middle East, North Africa and the surrounding area). we celebrate the talent of our membership. strive to be at the heart of conversations around our identity. be our own support network. lobby for the appropriate representation. advocate for change to increase access and opportunities for employment. find out more our directory For too long people have said ‘If only we could find a (fill in the blank) from the MENA region. We are here and it’s time to be seen. Our directory aims to list the MENA+ arts professionals currently working in the UK live and recorded Arts. This includes - but is not limited to - creatives, technicians and academics. directory MENA+ explained If you like what we are doing, please consider making a donation. No amount is too small.

This is your unique MENA Arts UK profile page that you can share Share Link Copied members area edit your page first Heading 2 last name photo credit statement sector area of work other area of work recent credit latest jobb training skills craft biography Heading 2 languages languaages other languages region base class straight trans-male nuro-diverse agent name agent web agent email linkedIn insta email other contact

MENA Arts UK have events that support, develop and grow Middle Eastern and North African live and performing arts professionals. Here will will find workshops, industry talks and developemnt oppurtunities for our community. comingsoon premiere this friday book to watch the films here read more about our film makers here

MENA Arts UK are a support group for Middle Eastern and North African professionals in the live and performing arts. We support, celebrate and advocate for our community. who we are We have developed our Vision, Mission and Objectives, click through to read them. mission statement value statement our steering group see the full list here Laila Alj Laïla is an actor from Casablanca, Morocco. She moved to London 10 years ago to pursue an MA at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Prior to that, she lived in the States where she studied theatre at Northwestern University. The Steering Group Our excellence is rooted in our d iversity. The small steering group of six are diverse in age, experience and work in many different art forms as directors, writers, actors and producers. Some are recent graduates, and others are established cultural leaders . Scroll through to read more about us.

Add your support to what we do here. Join our Olive Friends Scheme. be a friend our Go Fund Me page Before we decided to call ourselves MENA Arts UK we spent a lot of time talking about the simple things that bring us all together, such as our culture, music and food. For all of us Olives evoked family, comfort and community. To grow and expand our community and to achieve our ambitious plans, we are excited to launch our Founding Friends’ Olive Scheme for 2023. A one off payment will make you an: OLIVE LEAF: £50+ 20 x donors keep our website up and running. 10 x donors would make our newsletter happen for a year OLIVE BRANCH: £250+ 5 x donors would allow us to host three town hall events 5 x donors would allow us to pay project managers for our next season OLIVE TREE: £1000+ 5 x donors would allow us to pay project managers for our next season Come and be part of our story right from the beginning! All of our donors will be entitled to the following: Advanced priority bookings to all of our events Invitation to an annual meeting with our chair and steering group Acknowledgement of your support on our website and digital programmes Friends Membership email updates Your support is crucial to help MENA Arts UK survive and deliver on our promise to our membership: to become an integral and important part of the UK live and recorded arts scene. We hope you can join us as a Founding Friend of MENA Arts UK. Donations can be made via our GO FUND ME page. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss alternative ways to make your donation. We thank you in advance. Our door is always open; please get in touch if there is anything you would like to share with us or discuss. Warm regards, Philip Arditti Head of Fundraising philip@menaarts.uk

Here is a collection of Middle Eastern and North African resources, information and articles for performing arts professionals information is key: connecting us together and building on what we already know. read past newsletters here and make sure you are signed up to our free mailing list. * these fields are required submit I accept terms & conditions. View terms here.

17 April 2024 Dear friends, colleagues, directory users and newsletter subscribers, MENA ARTS UK emerged out of an invitation during the first lockdown in 2020. It was a modest start: a tweet to see if there was enough interest among UK-based artists with ties to the MENA/SWANA region to come together and have a collective voice. The desire for connection and community in the midst of the pandemic was immediately palpable. At the time, an industry-wide conversation was taking place about the BAME (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) label, later to be replaced by Global Majority. For some of us, the “ME” was where we were just about visible, and there were fears about disappearing from view altogether. So, after more Zooms and town halls, MENA ARTS UK was formed based on the interests of those who were now in the room. We started out as a directory of MENA/SWANA talent working in the UK live and recorded arts but grew into a fortnightly newsletter with job opportunities, shout-outs and industry news. We collaborated to create a writer's group, secured ticket deals, produced talkbacks, film commissions, screenings, showcases and town halls and hosted creative huddles, interviews and networking events. We expanded quickly and made meaningful contributions to important conversations: Consistently categorising our communities as “Other” (e.g. “Other - Arab”) dehumanises us and erases our diversity, and this language is no longer being used by some major arts organisations in the UK. Spotlight’s “Appearance” section has been a long-standing barrier to authentic storytelling and is now being replaced. It’s been heartening to see our allies notice and take a stand with us when canonically MENA/SWANA roles continue to be miscast, though there is still much to be done. Three years later, we have made some wonderful connections, met many new friends, and found genuine allies. We have received consistent feedback about how our work has brought many of you together to be your own support networks and allowed you to be seen in a sector where we’re often asked to play everyone but ourselves. But it has also been challenging. MENA ARTS UK has always been led by a volunteer group of creatives. For many of us, this was our first experience of starting something new: leadership and decision-making. There aren’t many blueprints for how to run something like this, and so we’ve been coming up with processes and procedures as we needed them – often on the back foot, reacting to situations as they arose rather than planning proactively. We made many decisions by consensus, on the understanding that we were acting on our best intentions and that we would revisit these conversations once we had more capacity and stability. Since the beginning, questions have been asked of us, and our mission has been challenged. We are not complaining about that; it’s appropriate and correct. But sometimes, we have been too late with an answer, and even then, our answers have not always been clear. To do what we do, our values and processes need to be watertight and enforceable, but currently, they are not. So, we have made the decision to stop and take stock. We have found it very hard to make the necessary structural changes while still delivering our day-to-day activities. There is only so much depth you can go into when your time to think and have difficult conversations is borrowed from commutes, lunch breaks, bedtimes and weekends. If we continue on our current path, we will simply be tinkering endlessly around the edges when we desire a radical overhaul. In seven days' time, we will take down the website (24th April at 22:00) and cease all activity. We are in conversations with our funders about the small budget we have been given. The open town hall we announced for 21 April will not take place. This doesn’t mean that we won’t examine where things went wrong. Instead, we are exploring the feasibility of monthly blog posts and/or roundtable conversations where we share our experience, engage in research, and invite everyone to ask questions and give feedback, good and bad. Some topics we think would be useful to cover are: Where should the borders of the “MENA/SWANA region” start and stop? Do our communities need producing companies, membership organisations, lobby groups or political activists? How do we determine and uphold our values? How do we fund this work, and what are the ramifications of becoming a charity? How helpful has our name been? This is not simply a question of branding but understanding if we have been monopolising this label and thereby restricting others from entering this space. We may operate in the UK and for UK-based artists, but we are linked to a global community. In the three years that we’ve been active, our communities have witnessed devastating earthquakes, famines, refugee crises, annexation, violent state suppression, military coups, massacres and war. The pain and trauma experienced by the people we work with is real and relentless. As we write this, there is a genocide happening in Gaza and an occupation in the West Bank with no end in sight. How can we offer meaningful support and not make things worse? So, what’s next? We hope to find the right platforms and partners to host our resources and facilitate these conversations. We will share updates on this process through social media, though our accounts will otherwise not be monitored and remain inactive. If you have the interest, capacity or knowledge to contribute to - or even lead - conversations like these, please reach out. Please reflect on your engagement with us, respond to the research, read the blogs, and join the roundtables. The more of us that engage in these conversations about identity, policy and governance, the better. If we find there isn't the capacity or interest to support this work, then we will read the room and not return. We know there is enormous diversity - of culture, opinion and politics - within the region we are connected to, and we may not find enough common ground to justify another iteration of MENA ARTS UK. That may, however, mean that different groups emerge to take on those elements from what we created that excite them. We never set out to be gatekeepers to our communities and have no ambitions to monopolise this work or hang onto any intellectual property. A legacy of more activities by and for the UK’s MENA/SWANA creative community is a very valuable outcome in and of itself. Thank you to everyone who has worked with us, supported us, advocated for us, critiqued us, and held us to account. Whatever happens next, we are proud of our work to date and the change we have made so far. Yours in solidarity, MENA ARTS UK info@menaarts.uk admin

Find the latest, and previous, press releases for all things connected to MENA Arts UK; including our town hall and workshop events, our newsletter, and our professional, free directory for members. press releases

New Associateship with MENA ARTS UK and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Embargoed until 10.00 on Wednesday 27 March 2024 The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and MENA Arts UK Announce Associateship The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (Central) and MENA Arts UK are pleased to announce a new associateship which will work to promote and celebrate MENA/SWANA voices and to strengthen links between higher education arts training and the industry. The associateship will seek areas of collaboration between the two organisations, including celebrating the work of MENA/SWANA artists and practitioners including students and alumni. As part of the newly formed associateship, Central will host MENA Arts UK’s MENA/SWANA Celebration Performance Series at the School on 5 and 6 April 2024. The two-day celebration of the work of MENA/SWANA Central alumni and students will include an evening of performance and Q&As followed by a day of workshops and installations. Performers for the first evening include Youness Bouzinab, Fatima Serghini, Mai Weisz, Alia Lahlou, Mohab Kaddah, Laïla Alj and Lanna Joffrey with work presented on day two by Adi Gortler, Mohab Kaddah, Farokh Soltani, Amirah Samer, Lanna Joffrey, Lama Amine and Sepy Baghaei. Central’s Principal and Chief Executive Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE said: “We are delighted to announce our associateship with MENA Arts UK, and to plan for our future work with the MENA/SWANA artists and practitioners – many of whom are Central alumni – that make up this vast network. We are particularly pleased to celebrate this new relationship by hosting the MENA Arts UK Celebration and Performance Series here at Central, and to bring this important work to our student and staff communities. May this be the first of many more exciting collaborations to come!” Kerry Kyriacos Michael, MENA Arts UK’s Director, said: “We are so much looking forward to working with Josette and her team at the School. Our aim is for MENA/SWANA professionals to shape and thrive in live and recorded arts in the UK, and Central’s invitation to work with their students and alumni is an exciting way to do just that.” Lanna Joffrey, MENA Arts UK Community Producer and Central Alumni (MA Acting Contemporary 2014) said: “Central has become a home I come back to again and again, supporting me as a multidisciplined artist. It is a welcoming home, committed to lifting up and celebrating its graduates past and present and, therefore, their artistic futures. This celebration is an expression of this commitment to highlight and showcase Central’s incredible MENA/SWANA talent.” Laïla Alj, MENA Arts UK Steering Group Member, Event Producer and Central Alumni (MA Acting for Screen 2011) said: “Central helped shape the artist I am today, and it’s inspiring to see the great work that our alumni and MENA/SWANA community have achieved. This associateship is an opportunity to make those ties stronger, and I’m excited to see what lies ahead.” The announcement marks MENA Arts UK as Central’s second associate company, alongside New Earth Theatre and with more announcements to follow in the coming months. Central’s associate companies form part of a series of key, strategic relationships which bring the institution closer to industry partners and deepen and expand the work of the School. ENDS Notes to Editors The MENA Arts UK MENA/SWANA Celebration Performance Series will be hosted at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on 5 and 6 April 2024. To find out more about the event including a full list of performers and participants and to reserve a free ticket, please visit www.cssd.ac.uk/events/mena-swana-celebration For media enquiries please contact: Megan Hunter, Head of Press and Public Relations at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on: megan.hunter@cssd.ac.uk About The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is a higher education conservatoire – a specialist college of the University of London which nurtures creative collaboration. Courses include acting, applied theatre, movement, musical theatre, drama & movement therapy, theatre & live performance, scenography, actor & teacher training, voice, technical arts & production, and writing for stage & broadcast media as well as a doctoral programme. With over 60 academic staff, together with visiting artists and lecturers, Central has the largest grouping of drama/theatre/performance specialists in the UK, an active, award-winning research culture and is a hub of innovation and engagement for the theatre and performance industries. www.cssd.ac.uk About MENA Arts MENA Arts is a UK-based not-for-profit Arts organisation for professionals who work in the Live & Recorded Arts and are connected to the Middle East, North Africa or the surrounding area.

MENA Arts UK have events that support, develop and grow Middle Eastern and North African live and performing arts professionals. Here will will find workshops, industry talks and developemnt oppurtunities for our community. catch up with Abi Zakarian Abi Zakarian, an award-winning British-Armenian writer whose plays include Perfect Myth Allegory, produced by Jermyn Street Theatre; I am Karyan Ophidian, produced by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre; and Fabric, produced by Tremers for Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2016, winning a Fringe First Award. In conversation with Jessie Bedrossian.

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The MENA Arts UK competition to designed to support emerging Middle Eastern and North African professionals in the performing and recorded arts. It will celebrate and showcase their work. our competition is now closed winners announcement here We are thrilled to announce a competition alongside the launch of our online directory . We will be commissioning eight artists (or teams of artists) with a connection to the Middle East, North Africa and surrounding areas to capture their work on film. Each winner will receive £1000 to create a one minute (60 seconds) work that is filmed, responding to the question: ‘How should the MENA+ arts community celebrate what we have in common?’ This commission is open to MENA+ artists working in any field. You don’t have to be a film-maker: you just have to be able to capture your work digitally. We encourage applications from all artists working in the live and recorded arts, whether you’re a poet, playwright, performer, director, musician, sound designer, dancer, film-maker, animator, multimedia artist, puppeteer - or anything else that can be captured on film. Recordings can be done through any medium (eg smartphone, camera, or digital software), although we would expect them to be of broadcast quality. Submissions are open to members of the MENA Arts UK directory. Signing up is free, and can be done here . (Please note: if applying as a team, each artist must be signed up to the database). We have assembled a panel of industry professionals to serve as judges and select the winning applicants. These are: Sepy Baghaei Hannah Khalil Sabrina Mahfouz Saeed Taji Farouky Richard Saker Simeon Qsyeaa Greg Morrison Dan Milnor The winning commissions will be released digitally in March 2021, alongside a Q&A with the artists behind each film. Applying Applications are now open until 29th December at 12pm . We will inform all app licants of the result of their applications on 11th January, 2021. Selected artists will have from 12th January to 15th February to create their work and send it to us. The commissioned works will be released digitally in March 2021. If you are thinking of applying, we have created an application pack that should tell you everything you need to know: For a PDF of the application pack, click For a word document version, click Click on the play icon to listen to an audio version here here 00:00 / 07:17 You can apply by filling out an online form. We recognise that written forms may not be suitable for everyone, so you can also apply via a voice recording OR a visual presentation. Details on what is required for each format is in the application pack. To apply: Click here to submit a written application form Click here to submit a voice recording application Click here to submit a visual application Contact If you have any questions about the commission, or if you’re not sure if this opportunity is right for you, please get in touch with Sepy Baghaei, head judge and Co-Vice Chair of MENA Arts UK at info@menaarts.uk

The MENA Arts UK runs workshops, town halls, Q&As with MENA+ professionals. Rewatch and read about past events here. look back at our past events here or read old newsletters here Creative Approaches to Music & Sound Design 6 December 2021 Access Training with 'Stand And Be Counted' 18 November 2021 Storytelling from Queer Perspectives 22 October 2021 friday hangout 3 with Amir El-Masry 5 March 2021 Smashing Stereotypes: a Comedy Workshop 4 December 2021 Inclusive MENA+ Stories for Children 15 November 2021 new film commission launch 26 March 2021 friday hangout 2 with Abi Zakarian 19 February 2021 Writing a Successful Ace Application 30 November 2021 DIY Intro to Stop Motion Animation 2 November 2021 friday hangout 4 with Khyam Allami 19 March 2021 8 film competition winners announced 15 February 2021

Read our evaluation report by Gregory Nash on our first year of activity, including our launch, new film commission competition and new directory evaluation by Gregory Nash on our first year of activity

The MENA Arts Directory is a list of where you can find Middle Eastern and North African professionals in the live and recorded arts. This includes theatre, TV and film. for too long people have said: "If only we could find a (fill in the blank) from the MENA region." we are here and it’s time to be seen. Our directory lists the MENA+ professionals currently working in the UK live and recorded Arts. This includes - but is not limited to - creatives, technicians, and academics. You will be able to search for them under the skills they have, the country they are connected to and the language they can speak. You need to sign up first to join the directory or make use of the shortlist functions view the directory upload & edit your profile grid view grid view grid view what does MENA+ mean?

TOWNHALL Friday 23rd October We're really excited to gather everyone together again in another Zoom call for creative professionals in the live and recorded arts who identify with the MENA and surrounding regions. It has been a few months since our initial meeting where we came together to connect, share our ideas and raise concerns. Since then, we have formed a steering group from those who volunteered to help organize and enact what was discussed. We have created a mission statement, chosen a name and begun to create a website as a space for connecting and sharing with one another, but also for promoting our members and their work, and eventually leading to a searchable database of creatives. Our next meeting will be on Friday 23rd October, 1- 2.30pm. We'd like this to reach professionals across the UK and throughout the industry, so we encourage you to share this invitation with any MENA friends and colleagues you know. You will need to register beforehand by emailing us at members@menaarts.uk . Registration closes at 12noon today. We'd like to use this forum as an opportunity for you to share your experiences, concerns and questions. We intend to hold a meeting every month to create an ongoing conversation and space to drop in and connect. In the upcoming meeting, we'll be looking at how an organisation like ours could best serve its members. We'd like to hear about: 1) What would you like to see come out of an organisation like this one? 2) Who would you like to be in conversation with? 3) What topics and issues would you like to raise? If you have something you'd like to share during the meeting in response to any of the above, please drop us an email at middleeastmeeting@gmail.com . Alternatively we can share any thoughts or information on your behalf, just let us know in your email. We will be creating an agenda for the meeting, allocating time for a few members to share projects, ideas or experiences. If anyone has any access needs, other questions or thoughts, please let us know. Otherwise, we'll see you on 23rd October! MENA Arts UK head back