Carol Abi Ghanem (Ohair) (b. 1992) is a social psychologist, producer, sound designer, and performer. Curious about human behavior and embodied cognition, Carol experiments with sounds, experiences, and words to weave narratives, contextualize memories, and shared sense of collective identity. Over the last ten years, Carol has been integrating psychology with different artistic interventions in order to experiment with collective identity, radicalization, trauma and memory, and social change. Her performances are always conceptualized as a live human installation whereby the audience is just as involved as the performers in the shared experience.
Rana Al Baba (b. 1992) is a visual storyteller and independent researcher coming from the background of classical graphic design. She was very interested in cultural research and passionate about design; she pursued a Master of Arts degree (2015 – 2018) in Design at Notre Dame University Louaize – NDU.
Al Baba’s work tackles the ways we see and read the city, its visual language, layers, the architecture of patterns, and the various ways the city came into dialogue with its people. Inspired by the modern heritage of architecture and the city, she tells nostalgic stories of disquiet times through photography, illustrations, and visual collages. Her work has been shown in Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the United Kingdom.
Ali Al Samra (b. 1996) is an Arabic artist, born and raised in Saida, South Lebanon, a city of stories, culture, halal, and haram that has driven the thrive for visualizing stories to emphasize the importance of fiction in understanding reality. Having studied acting and directing at the Lebanese University (LU), he developed his interest in discovering the origin of fables and stories and merging multidisciplinary articulations for storytelling.
The social-artistic integration has always been his research and implementation spectrum. Ali joined The Red Bridge Ensemble in 2018, which specializes in Playback Theatre and Theatre of the Oppressed, and in 2021 the International Institution for Very Verry Serious Studies (IIVVSS), a performance training program for social engagement. He also works at Seenaryo as an Education Manager focusing on the play-based approach.
Sarah Almoneem (b. 1994) is a Syrian dancer and performer based in Lebanon. She started her dance path at the age of eight. In 2019 Sarah graduated from the Higher institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus (HITA) holding a B.A in Dance. After her graduation Sarah started teaching Contemporary Dance at HITA. At the same time, she participated in multiple projects in Damascus and Beirut. Sarah's motivation is driven from the constant movement-based research. Every time she starts new research, her body surprises her with what she can express. Sarah's passion lies in her questioning why she moves and what makes her move.
Melissa Ghazale (b. 1992) is a visual artist based in Beirut. In her work, she employs intimacy as a medium and foundation for personal and collaborative archiving, rooted in the intersection between memory and technology. Her practice stretches from video art and installations to curatorial work.
Hiba Najem (b. 1989) is a Lebanese performer interested in the theatricality of everyday life. She finds the daily practices and rituals enriching material for her research. Curious about stories and people, she loves to find ways to incorporate the social context into the stage. Hiba loves to bake and share stories over food, along with her love for theater. Therefore, she is keen on creating performances revolving around anthropology, theater, and food. In 2015 she wrote her thesis at Saint Joseph University-USJ, Lebanon, on the theatricality of food. She is now finishing her second master’s degree in Theater and Writing at Avignon University-France.
Kenny Rahhal (b.1997) is a multi-faceted performance artist, model and dancer.
With a background in theatre and fine arts, he started acting at the age of 17 taking major and daring roles at theatre stages like Gulbenkian and Irwin at the Lebanese American University. In 2019 he was working in production management for the Meshkal Festival that took place at Al -Madina Theatre in Beirut. He then continued his career collaborating with local and international artists mainly on projects that defy social norms and break stereotypes regarding gender. He works with his body mainly as a medium to advocate for freedom of expression, inclusivity and tenderness.
Marianne Salamany (b. 1993) is a theatre director and trainer. She holds a Master’s degree in Theatre Directing and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. program in Visual Arts. She co-founded FAHM, a theatrical troupe in the Bekaa and directed several plays that were performed in Beirut and different Lebanese regions. She also worked as an actor and assistant director in different Lebanese series. Being a psychology student, Marianne constantly tries to integrate the latter field into art and focus on the psychological dimension in an artistic work, believing that art is a serious platform where the psychological and social aspects of a society can be studied.
