Project Steering Committee
The Project Steering Group brings together Arab and UK experts to advise the project team on events, publications, policy recommendations, and our dealings with practitioners and policy-makers.
Members
Our network
Mohamad Abotera
Mohamad was trained as an architect. In his career, he worked in the fields of academic teaching and research, cultural project management, and architectural design. He finished his MA in Architecture, Globalisation, and Cultural Identity at the University of Westminster in 2007. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at the University of Antwerp with a project on hegemony and tactical urbanism. In his work and research, he is generally interested in arts and culture in public space, representations, informalities, and grassroots’ movements. Since 2014, he has been managing the arts and culture program at the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute – DEDI; an intergovernmental organisation working on cultural exchange and understanding. One of DEDI’s larger projects is concerned with cinema where children’s films is a main component. Since 2017 DEDI has been working with and for children hoping to encourage the production of children’s films with local content in Egypt.
Nasser Alissa (Atallah)
Atallah, 49 years old, from Deheisheh refugee camp, Bethlehem, OPT. He holds a BA in Social work and Minor in Psychology from Bethlehem University.
He is working as MENA Regional Director since 2010 with Child Rights International Network (CRIN). He is the co-founder and Chairperson of Shoruq organization which works with Refugee children in Palestine. He is also General Assembly member of Ibdaa cultural Center in Deheisheh Refugee camp.
After graduation in 1995, he began working with Defence for Children International / Palestine Section (DCI/PS) as Programmes Coordinator for their Socio Legal Defense Centers in the West Bank, specifically working with children in conflict with the law.
The scope of his work at CRIN is tackling child rights violations issues in the MENA region including children in armed conflict, child soldiers, inhuman sentencing and children in conflict with the law. This includes cooperating with a broad range of NGOs across the region.
Rihab Azar
Rihab is a Syrian Oud player and music educator. She graduated from the conservatoire of Damascus in 2014 where she taught music theory for the following academic year.
In 2014, Rihab became the first woman oudist to play accompanied by the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music and she was the oud player of the “Syrian Female Oriental Takht” between 2006 and 2015.
In 2015, Rihab was awarded a full Chevening scholarship by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to study an MA in Music Education at the Institute of Education –University College London.
She was recognized in December 2016 by Arts Council England as a musician of “Exceptional Promise” and has performed at several iconic places such as SOAS, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall (UK) and The National Museum (Denmark).
Rihab is a musician, academic and social advocate with special interest in the social and cultural matters of the Arab region.
You can also visit Rihab's website.
Marek Beles
Born in 1975 during the cold war in the Czech Republic, my parents escaped from communism with the big dream of living in Canada. But the first stop was Switzerland, the country where my father wanted to earn the money for the trip overseas. After two years of hard work, we were ready to accomplish the dream of endless forests and mountains, but my mother preferred to stay. So I grew up in Zurich, Switzerland.
My father’s other dream was to become a film director. But because of his mother, he had to study first to get a decent job and became an engineer. While working in this job, he built his own studio, where he began to create short films and commercials. I was a little boy surrounded by the option of using a camera and having the machines to edit my own film, and so it also became my dream to become a film director one day.
And here I am. After college in Zurich, I studied at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Ludwigsburg), Germany. I finished the school in 2005 with my first feature Stages.
Today, I am working for the Swiss TV Channel SRF, creating series for the children’s channel, and partly working for my own company Essence Film as Producer and Director.
You can also visit Marek's website.
Alexandra Buccianti
Alexandra has been working on the MENA region at BBC Media Action since 2011. She manages and designs media development projects with a focus on governance, humanitarian programming and youth engagement. Alexandra recently managed the “Voices of Refugees – Information and communication needs of refugees in Greece and Germany” research project which included award-winning vertical video “Your phone is a refugee’s phone“.
Alexandra will be managing upcoming pilot project “Acting now for their future” funded by the Madad Trust Fund. The project will produce learning video content to build resilience and develop the life skills of Syrian refugee and displaced children in Lebanon (3-16 years old). The project will have a strong focus on psycho-social support and social cohesion, especially for the older age groups.
Alexandra has a MA in comparative politics and Middle Eastern studies from Sciences Po Paris and is a published author on Arab media and culture.
Metka Dedakovic
Metka Dedakovic was born in 1957 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. After graduating as a dramaturge at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in 1982, she started her TV career at the Slovenian public service broadcaster RTVSLO, Ljubljana. She worked as a dramaturge and producer: first at the Drama Department, then at the Children and Youth Department. She was the author of scripts for fiction and magazine programmes for children and youth.
Between May 2009 and December 2011, Metka was Head of the Children and Youth Department. In December 2011, she joined the TV Development Department with a focus on multimedia (until 2015, she still worked on Eurovision children’s exchange series, both drama and documentary).
In November 2016, Metka moved to the TV Archive and Documentary Department, working as festival coordinator, archivist, analyst and dramaturge in some projects.
Between 1996 and 2000, she was a board member of the CIFEJ (Centre International du Film pour l’ Enfance et la Jeunesse) board of directors. From September 2013 until December 2016, she was on board as a vice–chairperson Eurovision Children and Youth Group.
Metka has been a jury member in multiple International Festivals, including:
- YOUTH MEDIA ALLIANCE, Montreal
- PLURAL + – UNESCO 2015
- PRIX JEUNESSE 2016
- PRIX ITALIA 2017
Maya Götz
Maya Götz, Ph.D., is Head of the International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television (IZI) at the Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting Corp.), Munich, Germany, and of the PRIX JEUNESSE Foundation. Her main field of work is research in the area of “children/youth and television” and gender-specific reception research. She conducts empirical studies such as, “Gender representation in children’s TV and its meaning for girls and boys”, “Fear and nightmares from TV” or “What’s so funny?” and over 180 studies to foster quality in current TV programmes. She published more than 240 articles and 14 books in the field of children, young people and television.
Her newest she has edited with Dafna Lemish: Beyond the stereotypes? Images of Boys and Girls, and their Consequences. Göteborg: Nordicom 2017. Her publications include among others: “TV-hero(in)es of boys and girls” (Peter Lang, 2014), Together with Dafna Lemish: “Sexy girls, Heroes and Funny Losers” (Peter Lang, 2012), “Children and media in times of war and conflict.” (Cresskill: Hampton Press 2007), “Media and the make-believe worlds of children – When Harry Potter meets Pokémon in Disneyland” (Mahwah, NJ: LEA 2005).
More Information: www.maya-goetz.de, www.izi.de, www.prixjeunesse.de
Nathalie Habib / Partner @ Blink Studios
Nathalie is deeply immersed in the development, execution and delivery of engaging media content driven by the belief that strongly developed visual storytelling can inspire change and positively impact perception of the Arab world and its people. In close connection to understanding today’s powerful tech-driven solutions, her mission is to ensure that original content is produced to positively engage and resonate with today’s young audiences. She carries a proven portfolio of creating and developing original IPs, as well as, leading the production of internationally commissioned projects. Nathalie holds a BA in English Literature with a minor in Child Education from the American University of Beirut, and has recently completed MIT’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. She holds talks and meetings with regional and international entities that engage on the latest advancements that can accelerate positive impact through the power of media, education and technology.
Sulafa Hijazi
Born in Damascus, Syria, Sulafa Hijazi is a Visual artist, Director and Producer based in Berlin, Germany. She studied at the Higher Institute of the Dramatic Arts in Syria where she majored in dramatic studies, and at the Städelschule Art Academy in Frankfurt Am Main, Germany, under Judith Hopf.
In 1997, alongside her artwork, Sulafa began working professionally as a writer and director of animation TV series and other film and media production, with a particular focus on children’s education and social development. She was a member of the founding team of Spacetoon, the first free-to-air Arabic satellite channel for children launched in 2000 and, since 2012, she has been a board member of the International Center of Films for Children and Young People (CIFEJ). Sulafa has received more than 12 awards for her work, among them the golden prize (Hollywood, Russia, India, Cairo, Iran) for her latest feature animation The Jasmine Birds.
At the beginning of 2010 she established Blue.dar, a digital art production house. Hijazi’s artworks and illustrations have been exhibited in several galleries in Europe and featured in social media newspapers and internet websites. Items of her artwork have been acquired by the British Museum in London, Barjeell Art Foundation in Sharjah, and International Media Support (IMS) In Copenhagen.
http://bluedar.net/about.html
Suzanne Kanso
Suzanne Kanso, Lebanese Canadian war child, holds a postgraduate specialization in Children’s Media. She moved back to Canada when she was fifteen years old and identifies as a resilient immigrant and storyteller. She spends her time facilitating the Storytelling Club (STC), keeping current with latest trends and technologies in digital storytelling (VR/AR) and conducting qualitative and quantitative research. Suzanne is on a mission to promote inclusivity, identity and representation through her work and travels on a local and global level.
She is a TEDx organizer, 1 of 4 selected global children’s media judges for Japan Prize, receiver of 3 presidential Canadian awards, winner of My Hero International Film Festival “The Day I Became Strong: When I Confronted the Teacher from Lebanon” and Reel World Film Festival “Listen to Me” as co-director and researcher, and featured as one of the Top 50 success stories in 50 Years in Toronto, Canada. Suzanne is also the President & Co-Founder of Echoed: Yalla, Speak Up! – a Non-Profit Foundation aimed at amplifying the unheard voices of kids and youth who have been subject to all forms of trauma as refugees, orphans and marginalized communities by fostering a safe and empowered space. Furthermore, Suzanne holds public engagements, workshops and meetings with presidential, governmental, and influential stakeholders to sustainably advance positive impact through compelling narratives, to disrupt negative stereotypes and to reduce stigmatization.
Publications
Mirjam Marks
After her studies Theatre Studies, Mirjam Marks started working at VPRO Youth Television (Dutch Public Television Channel). Through her experience in research and production Mirjam became specialised in content creation for youth documentaries and series. Through a television programme she visited Suriname and immediately fell in love with the country. She moved there with her family and stayed for six years. In Suriname she made several documentaries for Dutch television ,she initiated several workshops for kids and she also founded and became Creative Director of the children’s museum Villa Zapakara, (www.villazapakara.com) which recently celebrated its 8th birthday. When she moved back to the Netherlands she continued her work as a documentary maker and since 2014 she joined Cinekid media festival as Head of Television.
Director's note
For me every-where children are the same: the most important, the most open, unspoiled and honest people in the world. That’s why I like to work with them. My main motivation to make documentaries with and for children is to give children a podium, a place to be heard and seen. In my films I don’t want to judge or create the feeling by the audience that children are pathetic, on the contrary , I show the power and flexibility of children, unless or thanks to the situation they live in. I think sharing stories is essential in the world we live in to get to know each other to create the possibility to understand and respect each other. I think a personal documentary is a very suitable way to share stories.
Filmography
- Heijplaters (Harbourboyz), 15 min, The Netherlands, Dutch
IFFR Rotterdam January 2018 premiere
- Pride & Prejudice, 17 min, The Netherlands, Dutch/French
Movies that Matter film festival 2017; MAS 2017, Nicaragua; Olympia International Film Festival 2017, Greece, competition; Tiff Kids 2018, Toronto; Cinedoc Tbilisi 2018, competition; Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) 2018; Docaviv 2018,Telaviv/Israel.
- Spotlight on Merna, 16 min, Beirut 2016, Arabic/English, documentary
IDFA 2016 Youth competition; IFFR 2017 Education programme; JEFF 2017; Cinedoc Children’s festival 2017, Athens;Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2017; Kurzfilmfestival Oberhausen 2017, competition 12+; South Korea PMZ 2017; MAS 2017, Nicaragua.
- The Girl of 672k, 18 min, The Netherlands, Dutch/English, Cinekid
Cinekid, Amsterdam 2016; KUKI 2016, Berlin, competition; Interfilm Berlin 2016; Doxs! 2016, Duisburg/Germany, competition; Chicago International Children’s Films Festival 2016, nomination; Thessaloniki Film Festival 2017, Greece; OneWorld, International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague; CHP DOX 2017, Copenhagen; REGARDs 2017, Canada; Tiff Kids 2017, competition; Little Big Shots Children’s film festival 2017, Australia; Kiki Croatia, competition; Kuki Wanderkino; DMZ Docs 2017, South-Korea, family competition; Carrousel international du film de Rimouski 2017, Canada, competition; International Human Rights Film Festival 2017, Albania; Helsinki IFF 2017; Astra Film Festival 2017, Romania; KUKI 2017, Berlin; SPARK – Competition for media education 2017.
- Closer to Sarah, 15 min, 2014, Dutch, documentary
- The Qi of China, 17 min, 2013, China, Chinese, documentary
- Kidz in da City, 22 min, Mumbai , Brazil and Suriname, Hindi, Portuguese, Dutch, documentary
- Jong!Suriname, 58 min, 2010, Suriname, Dutch/Sranantongo, documentary
- B.E.T.O.N., 28 min 2006, Dutch, documentary
- Valerie, 58 min , 2005, Dutch, documentary
Cinekid Jury award 2005
Katia Saleh
Katia Saleh is the founder and director of Batoota Films, a Beirut-based production company specializing in documentary films and web series productions. She is the Producer and driving force behind Shankaboot, the first Arabic web drama series and the winner of the 2011 International Digital Emmy Award®. She has produced and directed a number of documentaries in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, primarily for Channel 4, BBC World Service and Al Jazeera English. She has been for the past few years working in partnership with BBC Media Action, producing and directing various television, radio and web programmes targeting young audiences in Syria, Libya, Lebanon and Cambodia.
Katia also works as Media Consultant and Tutor. She holds an MPhil in Documentary Studies from Royal Holloway, University of London and an MA in Film and Television Production from the University of Bristol.
Maha Taki
Maha Taki is currently Director of Projects for Lebanon and Syria at BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international charity, where she has developed and ran a number of multi-platform and multi-format programmes, including drama, documentary, PSAs, radio drama and radio discussion programmes.
Maha has a PhD (awarded a full scholarship) from the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster completed in 2010. Her thesis explored how cultural, political and socio-economic factors influence how people use the Internet in everyday life, with focus on Lebanon and Syria.
Maha is also an independent documentary filmmaker – her first short documentary ‘On the Bench’ won first prize in the My Street award at the Open City Documentary Festival, London, UK. It documented the lives of 4 old gentlemen living in Hackney, East London.
She has been living and working in London since 2004.
Hala Zureiqat
Hala Zureiqat is Media and Communication Consultant at Roya TV, which she helped to launch in 2011 and which has since become Jordan’s leading private TV station. She is also a board member of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, and the fund’s community radio station, Farah Ennas. A graduate of Lyon II University in France, Hala joined Jordan Radio and Television (JRTV) in 1983 as head of French Programmes, before being promoted to Director of Foreign Programmes and then, in 2001, head of JRTV’s International Relations. In the latter post she initiated JRTV involvement in various projects for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and consolidated partnerships between JRTV and international broadcasting unions in the fields of co-production, training and preserving archives. In 2007 she was appointed Director of Jordan TV, leading the channel through its coverage of major events to face up to competition from other with other popular regional and global TV stations.
Hala is a regular speaker at international forums on media reform and development and is one of three mentors appointed in the P2P project funded by the European Union for Southern Mediterranean countries. In 2009, in recognition of her support for cultural cooperation between Jordan and France, she was awarded the Medal of Merit by the President of France.