Delegates

Amani Semaan

Beirut and Beyond

Lebanon

Amani Semaan is the co-founder and director of Beirut and Beyond, a Lebanese organization that promotes and develops independent music from the MENA through a showcase festival, professional programs and European tours. Besides her work in music, Amani was a line producer and casting director for international non-scripted TV shows such as The Voice of Arabia. Currently based in Paris, she is also an independent consultant for arts & culture projects.

Andrea Lamount

Sound Earth Legacy

Spain

CEO & Founder of Sound Earth Legacy, a Sustainable Creative Agency aiming to preserve the sounds of the earth.

Ansar Bakir

Cultural Department City of Malmö

Sweden

Ansar Bakir is the founder and creative Director of Shako Mako Kultur, a cultural plattform in Malmö since 2018 showcasing and celebrating contemporary art and culture from South West Asia and North Africa. He’s also the producer for Malmö Sommarscen at the cultural department of Malmö.

Anthony Tawil

Beirut & Beyond International Music Festival

Lebanon

Anthony Tawil is a Lebanese musician, creative director, and producer based in Beirut. His work explores the relationship between past and present by using memory and space to re-question identity and evoke a new understanding of history. Currently, Anthony is producing a music film centered on the unfinished dome of the Rachid Karame International Fair in Tripoli. A remnant of the civil war, the film collaborates with artists to perform acoustic improvisations within the space, adapting their approach to suit its particularly long reverb, and in the process evoking similarities between the state of the dome and that of a Lebanon in crisis. The film is in post-production with a release expected in August 2024. Additionally, and continuing with his interest in exploring the relationship between space, sound and identity, Anthony has developed his musical practice around improvising in abandoned man-made spaces that exist as a result of wars, or due to man-made consequences pertaining to socio-economic or political changes. He is the producer and co-creator of "Maabar," a podcast docu-series that examines the Lebanese civil war through individual memories and personal testimonies, aiming to present a multi-perspective narrative of the conflict. Following the release of its first season in 2022, work is underway on two new mini-series set for November 2023, with a second season anticipated for fall 2024.

Aya Nabulsi

King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture - Ithra, Ithra Theater

Jordan/ Saudi Arabia

Aya Nabulsi is a dynamic cultural programmer, practitioner, and accomplished manager, curator, and producer of music festivals. With over 14 years of dedicated experience in the arts and cultural realm, particularly in the vibrant fields of theater and music festivals. Aya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts with a specialization in Theatre, TV, Radio, and Film from LAU Beirut. Her journey as a cultural practitioner and festival manager has taken her to diverse locations, including Amman, Beirut, Tunis, Rabat, and Saudi Arabia. Presently, Aya serves as a Cultural Programmer, Theatre and Music Producer at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia. In her pivotal role, she focuses on forging new paths for independent artists to showcase their talents in the region. Additionally, Aya acts as a vital link between local talents, providing support to enhance their skills through training, networking, and fostering international collaborations with artists worldwide. Aya previously held the position of Executive Director at the Al Balad Music Festival in Amman, Jordan, until it's last edition in 2019. Her contributions extend globally as she has participated as a music professional in numerous international festivals across various regions. Notably, she delivered a keynote address at Womex 2021 and moderated a panel during the Amman Music Talks in February 2023. Her panel discussions often revolve around topics such as women's roles in the music industry, gender equality, and freedom of expression. Aya's influence extends to the formulation of cultural policies, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping strategies. She maintains close collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Culture and other cultural institutions deeply invested in Jordan's cultural policies and strategies. Aya Nabulsi is a driving force in the world of cultural programming and festival management, constantly contributing to the enrichment of the global arts and music landscape.

Batoul Ibrahim

963Hz

Jordan

Co-Founder and Managing Director of 963 Hertz, a music booking agency specializing in Indie Arab music in the GCC, contributing to the cultural momentum sweeping across Saudi Arabia. Batoul Ibrahim is a multifaceted professional in the fields of film, television production, music, entrepreneurship, and brand content strategy, renowned for her impactful contributions to the industry. Batoul possesses a distinctive skill set and an unwavering commitment to excellence, which has established her at the crossroads of business and the arts. She continually explores and implements innovative approaches to the creative process. Her ever-evolving portfolio encompasses producing the upcoming narrative short fiction "Sukoun/Amplified," directed by the acclaimed Dina Naser. She also serves as the Narrative Producer for the Emmy-Nominated Show 'Ahlan Simsim,' a Sesame Street production featured on MBC3 and YouTube. In addition, Batoul has made significant contributions to a wide array of local, regional, and international productions, assuming various roles within the production teams. She has also lent her expertise as a Script Doctor at the esteemed production company 'Revelations Entertainment,' founded by the legendary Morgan Freeman. A distinguished graduate of the University of Chicago with honors in Political Science and Cinema & Media Studies, Batoul is a proud fellow of the Producers Guild of America's 'Masters Diversity Workshop' in Los Angeles, further exemplifying her resolute dedication to excellence and innovation within the entertainment industry. Her career trajectory continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of entertainment and entrepreneurship.

Benedikt Jaster

Prime Tours & Promotion GmbH

Germany

In over 25 years of work experience Prime Tours has become a boutique agency for our carefully selected artists to establish them on the music market and allow for a sustainable career. From individual shows to complete tours and their production, Prime Tours & Promotion offers a wide catalogue of services. In collaboration with managements, labels, promoters and the artists themselves, we continuously work hard on achieving the best outcome for everyone involved. With our wide network of venues from small clubs to philharmonics, music halls and a variety of festivals, we have been working we ensure our artists to reach a broad audience. Recent examples of artists we worked with are Mariza (PT), Carminho (PT), Lila Downs (MEX), Diego el Cigala (ES), Rosanne Cash (USA), ZAZ (FRA), Brushy One String (JAM), Lisa Simone (US), George Dalaras (Greece). Also we’ve been working with Jarabe de Palo (US), Al Jarreau (USA), Manu Chao (FR), Goran Bregovic (BA) and Lhasa de Sela (USA) in the past.

Benjamim Taubkin

Nucleo Contemporaneo

Brazil

Musicais, curator, cultural management Worked in public and private institutions directing the music department and organizing programs. Among them, Itau Cultural, Mercado Cultural da Bahia, Cultural Department of the state of Sao Paulo, Projeto Memória Brasileira , ao Direct the label and Cultural Center Nucleo Contemporaneo As a musician has recorded 20 albums and participated in around 150 as a musician and producer.

Carles Sala

Fabra i Coats, Ajuntament Barcelona

Spain

Director of the "Mercado Musica Viva de Vic" 1993 - 2001 Head of Music Area in the Regional Government of Catalonia 2001 - 2004 Since 2004 director for several areas in the Culture service of Barcelona City Council Member of the Forum off Worldwide Music Festivals.

Christina Hazboun

Keychange

UK / Palestine

Christina Hazboun is the UK project manager of Keychange under PRS Foundation. As a global movement aiming to increase gender diversity and equity within the music industry, Keychange works with artists and innovators from Europe and Canada. Christina is also an independent writer, researcher, curator and music industry professional focusing on music matters from the Arabic-speaking world and the global south, founder of The Sonic Agent and radio producer and host of "Musical Musings" on Stegi Radio. Her multifarious adventuring through music and sound manifest through an intersectional web of activities aimed at amplifying the voices of the underheard through texts, radio/audio, talks, artist management and live event curation.

Claudia Pereira

Somos Fuego Music / Festival Chilean Wey

Chile

Claudia Pereira studied Management and Communications of Cultural Enterprises in Paris and is an international developer of musical projects for artists, organisations and venues. She supports artists through touring and strategic positioning across various territories, and generates pan-national alliances and new business opportunities around North and South America and Europe as well as between different companies and institutions. She has considerable experience in the production and artistic programming of festivals and in the development of catalogues for French touring agencies and recording companies. In 2013 she started “Somos Fuego”, an agency offering musical services featuring an eclectic, quality catalogue of artists from Europe, Canada and South America, and she also provides consulting services for a range of projects. Currently she also is the Director of the Internationalization and Professionalization at Musap, an organisation which promotes Chilean music, and is a Keychange Latam ambassador. She is also the Official Representative in Chile of the BIME PRO Festival, International Delegate of Corriente, mercado internacional por la música in Perú, and Director of the ChileanWey Festival in Chile and México.

Danka Van Dodewaard

Amsterdam Roots Festival

Netherlands

Danka van Dodewaard has been working in the cultural sector for 20 years. Starting as a (creative) producer, she then developed into a groundbreaking music programmer for various venues (RASA, MELKWEG, KORZO) and festivals. Since 2017, she has been the artistic and business director of Amsterdam Roots Festival. Under her initiative, Amsterdam Roots Festival has undergone an important transition from music festival to a multidisciplinary festival. With many new partners, programs and a super diverse audience, the festival has celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. Since 2020 Danka is chairman of the board of Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals.

David Ibáñez

Auditori de Girona

Spain

David is the director Auditorium and Congress Center of Girona (Catalonia / Spain). He has a degree in Economic Sciences and a postgraduate qualification in Cultural Management. From 2012 to 2019, he was the artistic director of Fira Mediterrània Manresa (Catalonia/Spain), an international trade fair based on traditional culture, performing arts and world music. Previously, he worked as the co-artistic director of Girona World Sacred Music festival and Girona Auditorium. David has also collaborated with numerous world music events as a member (EFWMF), showcase selection panel (BabelMed) or mentor (Womex) and has been co-curator of the Catalan Programme at the Smihtsonian Folklife Festival 2018.

Elisa Brolli

Keychange

France

Brö stands out and cultivates her singularity. On stage, she outclasses rappers in old-fashioned battles, a glass of chardonnay in her hand and a coat slung over her shoulders. On record, between singing and rapping, she evokes without complexity, her sexuality and woman desire. Elisa Brolli - her real name - likes to think outside the box. "I’m making an effort not to define my style but rather be who I am, which is a mix of several identities". A Berber mother from Algeria, and an Italian and Savoyard father is what makes up the DNA of this young woman. With the heritage of the Mediterranean and the Alps, she has a burning heart and a cool head. A duality that we find in her texts, which mixes fear of love and carnal passions. This is also one of Brö's specificities. Her crude writing using male codes describes her conquests and pleasures. If the tone is voluntarily cynical, Brö's universe is also full of humor. Holding a master's degree in law and criminology, Elisa enjoys flirting with morality and deconstructing good morals. To live freely, once again, and break the norms.

fabien lherisson

Le Metronum / Festival Rio Loco

France

Fabien Lhérisson has been appointed director of the Metronum and the Rio Loco Festival in January 2023, with the main task of overseeing the Metronum music venue (2 concert halls with 600 and 200 seats, 3 rehearsal and support studios, artist residencies and the Women Metronum Academy) and the Rio Loco Festival, which has been bringing world music to Toulouse for 28 years. Between 2013 and 2022, Fabien Lhérisson was at the helm of Le Plan, the largest SMAC (Scène de Musiques Actuelles) in the Paris region. Under his tenure, the venue was awarded the SMAC label by the French Ministry of Culture in 2020. For almost 30 years, Fabien Lhérisson has dedicated his life to music and culture, managing, creating and participating in innovative, long-term initiatives on a regional, national and international scale. Whether it's coordinating national projects such as "Culture quartiers" as part of the Festival et Ville de Saint-Denis, artistic programming in historic, contemporary and industrial heritage sites for the Festival d'Ile-de-France or the creation of his "Factory" event (an emerging music event), Fabien Lhérisson works to break down the barriers between music and audiences. He has a degree in History and Geography from the University of Paris 8 (Regional Planning / Urban Planning and Internal Geopolitics), has been a lecturer on the Master's degree in Musicology - School Humanities, has worked as a music expert for the DRAC Ile-de-France - Ministry of Culture and has been a jury member for numerous national music competitions and springboards (Concours National Jazz à la Défense, Festivals Jazz en Avignon, Chorus des Hauts de Seine...).

Gela

Keychange

Spain

Devourer of sounds, restless DJ and a unique voice on the Spanish scene, Gela’s musical journey has been continually imbued with the musical influences of the different corners of the world to which she’s travelled. It’s no wonder disco, cosmic funk, Brazilian music, acid house, dark 80s new wave, low bpm techno, electro, ambient and 90s breaks all co-inhabit in her sets. Gradually, Gela has carved out a well-deserved place in the Spanish club scene and in recent months she’s greatly expanded playing out in several places around Europe as well as international festivals such as Sónar in 2022.

Gina Perier

Lapee

Denmark

Gina Périer is the CEO and founder of Lapee, the revolutionary urinal for festivals and outdoor events. She founded Lapee together with Alexander when they were both working as architects for Roskilde Festival. Designing and building installations gave them a good insight to the logistics and handling behind the scenes of such a big festival. They became aware of the limited access to sanitation for women and the consequences of it. After some reflections involving the direction of Roskilde Festival, a big toilet rental company and plenty of women, they came up with Lapee. The product was launched with great success in 2019 and now is available in 16 countries, including Norway. Finally women and people who squat to pee can relief themselves quickly, safely and hygienically at events.

Gonçalo Oliveira

d'Orfeu AC (Águeda)

Portugal

I'm the co-programmer of festivals at d'Orfeu AC: Festim (world music), O Gesto Orelhudo (music and humor), festival i (music and theater for young public / families). I'm algo represent our own creations at this situations/events.

Habib Achour

SACEM

France

Habib Achour has more than 25 years of experience in the music sector. He started his career at EMI, promoting labels such as Blue Note Records and Emi Arabia. Later, be it in his capacity as manager or booking agent, he has represented artists such as Erik Truffaz, Anouar Brahem and Dhafer Youssef, to name but a few. In addition, he has experience managing and/or programming festivals in Morocco, Lebanon and France (among which the Festival d´Île-de-France in Paris or Plage de Rock in Saint-Tropez). Following on from Marseille-Provence’s tenure as European Capital of Culture in 2013, for which Habib was Head of Music and Urban Cultures, he joined the New Morning in Paris as Deputy Director. Today, he is the Director of International Development at SACEM, one of the world’s leading Collective Management Organization. He particularly focuses on the development of Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) and associated author’s rights legal framework in Africa and the MENA region.

Irene (IRuna) Montesi

Keychange Artist

Italy

Italian-Latin American Songwriter, musician and producer based in Rome. Since 2018 active in the independent Italian music scene with a contaminated and cross-genre sound and style. With a sustainable development background, she advocates for social and environmental justice also through her conscious and ironic lyrics. Active and interested in mental health awareness and co-op music labels and bottom- up collaborative approaches in the music industry.

Kobe Leestmans

Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals // Sfinks Mixed

Belgium

Kobe works at the office of the Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals (FWMF). The FWMF is a global festival network. Collaboration, inspiration and exchanging innovative ideas are the core activities. Next to that, he's also managing communications for the Sfinks Mixed festival in Belgium. Additionally he's handling artist production and advancement, as well as some involvement in programming.

Laia Canals

Roots Music Denmark :: Tempi

Denmark

Laia Canals is Tempi: Roots Music Denmark director whose primary objective is to promote Roots Music in Denmark and internationally. Internationalization as a core, diversity as a motto, Laia’s work is behind projects all over the world, from Nordic partnerships such as the showcase conference Nordic Folk Alliance to European projects, North America, South America, Australian and Asian initiatives. Aside, Laia participates in several Boards of Directors as Folk Alliance USA, The Nordic Folk Council, Nordic Folk Alliance and Lux Boreal Festival. Laia’s experience is vast in handling export activities for artists and industry, as well as being an advisor in internationalization strategies and project development for governments and companies.

Lama Hazboun

Amman Jazz Festival/ OrangeRed

Jordan

Lama Hazboun – Jordan A Music industry professional, festival director, event producer, cultural manager and consultant, has been operating in the music and cultural field for the past two decades in Jordan and the Middle East. Founder of the first independent music and cultural event management company OrangeRed, 2004 in Amman – Jordan, seeking to enrich the cultural scene, to promote contemporary music in all its forms, and spread awareness towards the important need of making diversified quality music available, as well as making events and festivals accessible to the local audience. All in which a platform and a space for representing, promoting, and supporting Jordanian artists has been successfully created enabling them to communicate their talent and experience regionally and internationally, through creating and maintaining cultural exchanges, and networking opportunities within the Arab world and initiating partnerships, all in collaboration with key cultural institutors, promoters, and funders, whether in the private or public sectors. In 2012, she established the Amman Jazz Festival which annually celebrates diversity and cultural fusion, featuring International and local artists to present and work together to produce a vast variety of jazz expressions and fresh new sounds. In 2022/2023 Lama served as the Project Lead of the EU Cultural Events Contract in Jordan. Currently Lama serves as the Vice Chair of the Internationl music network MusiConnect Asia, the producer of the annual Asia Music Summit, and the Vice Chair of the MedeArts The City of Artists Network Association in Jordan.

Lise Lotte Uttakleiv Dahl

Lapee

Denmark

Lise Lotte Uttakleiv Dahl is Head of Partnerships at Lapee, the revolutionary urinal for women and people who squat to pee. With her experience in enterprising leadership, project management and sales, she has always been advocating for gender equality. Originally from Norway, Lise Lotte has a broad background from working in truly value-driven companies. Having worked in the field of sexual health, and the event and music-industry, she is now a vital part of Lapees mission to make the event industry more inclusive for everyone.

Lídia Hinojo Rojas

Fira Mediterrània de Manresa

Spain

Since 2007, Lidia Hinojo has been working at the Fira Mediterrània de Manresa where she currently is the executive manager. Fira Mediterrània de Manresa is the strategic fair for artistic proposals which use root sources, tradition and popular culture as the drivers of creativity.

Martin Longley

Freelance

England

Immersed in a stinking mire of dense guitar treacle, I'll tremble across the bedsit floorboards to rifle through a curvatured stack of gleaming laptoppery, picking up a mould-speckled avant jazz platter on the way, all the while attempting to translate these worrying eardrum vibrations into semi-coherent sentences. Right now I'm writing for Songlines, Jazzwise, Downbeat, All About Jazz and The Brooklyn Rail. I've also contributed regularly to The Guardian, The Independent, the BBC Music website, Mojo, Q, The Gramophone, The Wire, The Quietus, The New York City Jazz Record, The Arts Desk, London Jazz News and Amazon.co.uk.

Marwane Fachane

Visa For Music / Hiba Foundation

Morocco

Marwane Fachane is the Executive Director of Hiba Foundation. The Hiba Foundation is an organizing partner of Visa For Music since its creation in 2014 as the largest professional market for the music industry in Africa and the MENA region. Hiba Foundation is a Moroccan non-profit organization working for the development and promotion of the cultural and artistic field in Morocco. Its main mission is the structuring and professionalization of the cultural and artistic field and this through several high-impact programs and spaces : The Hiba Studio in Casablanca, Renaissance concert hall, La Scène cultural café, and the Hiba Lab in Rabat, Morocco.

Matyáš Hradil

Colour Production, spol. s r. o.

Czech Republic

Matyas is currently a student of Palacký University Olomouc, head of the production of Czech Music Crossroads, and a member of the production team of Festival in the Streets and Colours of Ostrava.

Mohamed Aly Ansar

Festival au Désert

Mali

Mohamed Aly ANSAR (known as Manny Ansar) was born into a family of Tuareg nomads in the Sahara Desert, north of the city of Timbuktu in Mali. With a master’s degree in International Public Law, he has worked extensively in humanitarian projects before turning to what has always been his passion, music. Manny managed the premier Tuareg music group, Tinariwen, and in 2001, he co-founded the world renowned “Festival in the Desert” of Essakane / Timbuktu. As Executive Director of the Festival Au Desert, he organized the last live version in 2012. When violent extremists banned music in Timbuktu, the Festival was reborn as a “Festival in Exile”. Ansar’s fight for the promotion of Malian music has earned him the “Freemuse Award” for the role played by the Festival in the Desert in the fight for freedom of expression by artists in the crisis in Mali." Since 2014, Manny has been a co-president of the Timbuktu Renaissance whose aim is to support Mali’s recovery from conflict through a focus on her culture. The Timbuktu Renaissance brought live concerts back to Timbuktu, and organizes concerts for peace throughout Mali and in neighboring countries. The Timbuktu Renaissance partnered with Google Arts and Culture to create the Mali Magic web platform.

Nick Anderson

Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Cultures

United Kingdom

Nick Anderson is Senior Producer at Shubbak, which is the UK's largest festival of SWANA cultures. He has produced many performance, music and nightlife festivals for the last 12 years, on 3 continents, with a particular focus on creating new and more equitable modes of working in the sector.

Patrick Daniel

Keychange

Germany

Patrick Daniel lives in Berlin and has been working in the music industry for 13 years, having previously completed a degree in sociology with a focus on gender studies as well as unconditional basic income. Label and artist management as well as festival social media and sponsorships were some of his stations. On the side, he has been volunteering in various social organisations e.g. SOFRA, a cooking and meeting group for female, trans and non-binary refugees as well as Kreuzberg Hilft and Berliner Tafel. He is also part of the diversity committee of the VUT (the German association of independent musicians and music companies), after having been in the project management team before of the so-called VUT Music Industry Women* Programme which has evolved into the MEWEM mentoring programme. For almost 5 years now he has been working for Reeperbahn Festival and Inferno Events, currently he is part of the following teams : Keychange, Reeperbahn Festival International, Partnerships & Sales, Wunderkinder – German Music Talent, B2B Matchmakings and he is part of the project team for Music Moves Europe - Strenghtening the dialogue on music as well as Music Moves Europe Awards and FOMC (Federation of Music Conferences).

Petra Hradilova

Czech Music Crossroads

Czech Republic

Petra Hradilova: Director of music showcase festival "Czech Music Crossroads" and the festival " Festival in the Streets/ ART&LIFE" Czech Music Crossroads is an international conference and a showcase festival with 9 years of history. The event offers a music platform attended by the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Carefully selected bands focusing on local roots, acoustic music, folk, fusion, and jazz music are presented to an international audience of invited professionals, promoters, and journalists. Historically, bands from Hungary, Austria, Serbia, France, South Korea, Spain or Slovenia had been introduced. Besides concerts, you can find the conference part based on networking and speed meetings, with the participation of foreign-based professionals and delegates. www.crossroadsmusic.cz Festival in the street/ART&LIFE is an international multi-genre two days festival, held in Ostrava City, Czech Republic. It has an twelve year's history with an audience more than 20 thousand people. The programme of the festival is rich and contains dozens of artists not only from the Czech Republic but from the whole world. Also jamming musicians, street theatre, a drum parade, kid’s programme, science shows and many other different acts or performances can be found there. One of the highlights of the festival is the parade of performers created by dancers, giant puppets and actors on stilts with special guests. Everything mentioned above makes the Festival in the Streets something special not only for people in the city but in the region or republic. Whole two days programme is free for everyone and last year’s festival drew huge interest of visitors which speaks clearly about one of the best summer festivals in Czech Republic. www.artandlifeostrava.cz

Preethi Nallu

Report for the World

Iran / India

Preethi Nallu is the executive director of Report for the World. She is a writer, researcher, filmmaker and advocacy specialist from India. She was founding editor at Refugees Deeply. Born in Iran, raised in India, Preethi's career spans 14 countries across the global north and south. She has researched, reported and campaigned about humanitarian and media development issues. Her films and reports won two Webby awards, two Migration Media awards, and a Human Rights Press Award. Preethi has worked for mainstream media outlets such as Al Jazeera English and Foreign Policy, global think tanks such as Chatham House, and led multimedia campaigns for the UN and global NGOs such as the Norwegian Refugee Council. Preethi also practices Bharat Natyam, an Indian classical dance, and she has trained to teach yoga.

Samantha Rise Roberson

United States

Sam Rise (they/them) is a black, gender-expansive performer, teaching artist, activist, human-amplifier, and relentless optimist. Sam’s passion for music and community are the heart of their work, feeding spaces that are inquiry-driven, participant led, and abundant in joy. In addition to their work as a songwriter, arranger and performer, Rise aspires to facilitate creative direct action in collaboration with community organizers and leaders shaping change from the socio-political margins. They are dedicated to social justice interventions that embrace the challenge and the opportunity of reimagining our world. Sam is a 2023 Pew Fellow, and a WXPN artist to watch as a Black Opry Residency Artist. They live in Southwest Philadelphia.

Sarah Jane Nicholson

Paradise Worldwide, Africa Rising Music Conference

Germany, South Africa

With over a decade of experience in various sectors, SJ Nicholson has become a significant presence in the music industry, including programming for XP Music Futures. She's managed to connect African music with the global market successfully. As the Managing Director of Paradise Africa Distribution, an affiliate of Paradise Worldwide, SJ is committed to developing African music on a worldwide scale and redefining the traditional music business model. SJ is an accomplished speaker and conference facilitator, sharing insights on various industry operations. She also leads the South African division of Women In Music and is spearheading the Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) to bridge top African music executives with the global market. SJ is a trailblazer in unlocking Africa's untapped music potential.

Stephen Budd

Stephen Budd Music Ltd

United Kingdom

Stephen Budd is a British music industry executive and artist manager based in London. He is a director of artist and producer management company Stephen Budd Music Ltd, the OneFest Festival, of Damon Albarn's Africa Express project and is the co-founder of the NH7 Weekender festivals in India and helped create the DMZ Peace Train Festival in Korea. Stephen is a recognised TV commentator on music industry issues, regularly appearing on a variety of British TV news shows. He has created a variety of Charity projects including' co-producing Amnesty International and Sofar Sounds' ‘Give A Home’ global concert series for refugees and creating WarChild’s “Passport Back To The Bars" highly successful concert series for children affected by war. And in 2022 The Music Venues Trust "Passport Back To Our Roots" concert series to raise money for Covid-19 endangered live music venues. In June 2017 he completed his 3-year term as co-chairman of the MMF (Music Managers Forum), the trade body for artist managers. He is a fanatical vinyl collector and for fun, he DJ's African music of the 1970’s on WordWide.FM radio as well as at festivals and clubs across the world.

Sungchun Lee

Seoul Music Week / Soundpuzzle

South Korea

Sungchun LEE is a producer based in Seoul, Korea. He is the chief producer of SoundPuzzle, an international agency and record label. He is also the Secretary General and Executive Director of Seoul Music Week, an international showcase festival. And he produces several festivals and music events in Korea. He continues to expand his network by participating in international music markets.

Urszula Nowak

Mosaic Beats

Poland

Producer and curator of the Jewish Culture Festival in Krakow and OFF Festival Katowice. Panelist of the Transglobal World Music Chart and Balkan World Music Chart. Owner of the Mosaic Beats concert agency. As an independent producer / curator she has worked regularly in recent years with the Juliusz Slowacki Theater in Krakow, the Łaźnia Nowa Theater. Music journalist, author of radio programs and press articles. She published among others for nationwide music magazines, such as: Jazz Forum, Gazeta Wyborcza and ProAnima.pl. Currently associated with the Krakow radio station JAZZKULTURA. Member of the founding team of Music Declares Emergency Poland.

Yara Mrad

Beirut & Beyond

Lebanon

Yara joined the Beirut and Beyond team in November 2020 when Amani (festival director) snatched her away from Anghami where Yara was working as a Conceptual Writer. Besides her full-time job, Yara works as a freelance Events & Outreach Consultant with ForumZFD, mainly on the Maabar podcast. Yara has also consulted on Factory People’s Friday Night Live and BBX projects as a Project Manager, worked as a Conceptual Writer at Anghami, and was a Writer and Content & Community Manager at Project Revolver. On the academic side of things, She has an MA in Critical and Creative Analysis from Goldsmiths, University of London; her dissertation was a social study of the music scene in Lebanon. She has a B.A in English Language from Notre Dame University - Louaize (NDU) and she spent her undergraduate years working as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Lebanese Thought.

Ashley Shiri

Melafestival

Norway

Earlier been the chief editor for a local fm radio station Tellus Radio (Radio Immigranten) in Norway, a community based radio that broadcasted in over 8 languages. Since the last 16+ years been at the Oslo Melafestival, as a producer and later as the festival director. Also producer & deputy director at the Melahuset in Oslo.

Dana Jdid

Baba bar

Norway

Architect and urbanism. Founder and owner of Baba Bar Oslo. Community builder & safe space architect

Einar I Ø Eidsvåg

Holmlia Kulturhavn

Norway

Einar is project manager for Holmlia Kulturhavn whos target is to establish an arts scene and community house in Søndre Nordstrand in Oslo - a very diverse area in Oslo. On the way we do concerts and other cultural gatherings at diffrent places together with others. Einar is also a part owner + board member at the venue BLÅ in Oslo.

Eira Edwards

Talent Norge

Norway

Project manager in Talent Norge, which is an organization established by the Ministry of Culture in 2015 that supports talent programs within art and culture in collaboration with private contributors across the country. We emphasize the exchange of expertise across disciplines and the core of our philosophy is to contribute to artistic development and mastery, through a long-term and holistic approach of the artists and their careers.

Erik Egenes

by:Larm

Norway

General Manager for by:Larm, the biggest showcase festival in the Nordics.

Faduma Mohamud

TrAP

Norway

Faduma Mohamud (1996, Oslo) Writer and journalist, working mainly within the field of arts and culture. By daytime Mohamud is a communication and event manager at TrAP and Fotogalleriet, combined with that she also goes by the name ASDFGHJKL, a sound explorative project that grew out of DJ-ing. ASDFGHJKL draws from a range of stylistic influences, with both her DJ sets and sound projects being confrontational and genre-crossing sound pieces that steer towards eclectic electronic music. She is also a member of the collective ONKOD, where she explores ideas around field recording.

Frank Michaelsen

NOPA NORSK FORENING FOR KOMPONISTER OG TEKSTFORFATTERE

Norway

As the communications manager, Frank is responsible for the flow of information in NOPA, both externally and internally. He conveys information about NOPA's activities and arrangements to NOPA's members and partners, both through social media, newsletters, and on the website. Frank has a background as a communications advisor at Kulturetaten, Deichman, and in the City Council's secretariat. He is also a guitarist in the award-winning band The Switch.

Gabriel Correa

Melahuset

Norway

Venue Manager at Melahuset

Guro Kleveland

Ballade

Norway

Guro Kleveland is chief editor of online music magazine Ballade (ballade.no). The magazine covers all aspects of music, musical life and the music business in Norway, and its connections abroad.

Helene Broch

Music Norway

Norway

Norwegian music industry’s export facilitator and promotional organisation

Inger Bråten

Killer Inc as

Norway

With more than 20 years of experience in the music business, Killer Inc has worked with booking for venues, Pr and Head of Pr in major record labels, Pr and marketing for artists and festivals, agent and management for artists, publishing etc, to now also include booking, mentoring, coach, jury member and project manager both in Norway and internationally.

Johanna Alem

Universal Music Norway

Norway

Johanna Alem, Head of Island Records & Head of Promotion at Universal Music Norway, has worked in music and entertainment for more than 10 years and has gained a wide range of industry experience. She has been working at the record label for the past four years, where her initial area of responsibility was working with PR for international artists. She currently leads Island Records Norway (housing acts such as Astrid S, Alessandra & Emilie Nicolas) responsible for release strategies and new signings. She also leads the PR team with a main area of focus within communication, representing some of Norway’s biggest artists.

Julie Forchhammer

Klimakultur

Norway

Julie Forchhammer is the co-founder of Klimakultur which is a Norwegian non-profit, working on engaging the arts and culture sector to climate action. They have recently published a guide on creative climate justice which addresses the relationship between the Norwegian culture sector and the fossil fuel industry.. She lives in the mountains in Vang in Valdres with the national park Jotunheimen next door. Previous jobs includes: festival manager Vinjerock / environmental manager Øyafestivalen / advisor and board member The Rainforest Foundation Norway.

Karstein Grønnesby

Samspill International Music Network

Norway

Norwegian project manager, musician and instrument builder.

Khalid Albaih

Artist

Norway

Romanian-born artist raised in Qatar, based in Oslo. Founder of getfadaa.com, Sudan Artist Fund, and Sudan Art and Design Library. Commentary on CNN, The Guardian, Aljazeera. Authored "Khartoon!" and "Sudan Retold." Recent work: 9-meter tunnel Sound installation at Documenta15.

Line Juul

Oslo Jazzfestival

Norway

Line Juul is the new festival director for Oslo Jazz Festival. The festival takes place in August and is a contemporary jazz festival with a cutting edge program showcasing both international artists and the sought-after Norwegian jazz scene, presented at Oslo's finest venues. Before taking over Oslojazz, Line was the production manager at Nasjonal jazzscene (Norway's main jazz venue) for many years. She has a big heart for innovative music, gender balance and diversity.

Maria Bringsjord

MTG Music / Shesaid.so Norway

Norway

Maria Bringsjord has been working for the record company MTG Music since 2013. She works as a label manager. Before the music industry became a part of everyday life, Maria worked with television production. She still works with television between releases and promotions as a director on various productions. In 2020 she also became manager to the Norwegian artist «Bølgen». Besides MTG Music, Maria is also working for FONO, Norway's Independent RecordCompany association as a coordinator. In 2020 she was one of those who started the Norwegian chapter of shesaid.so.

Mikkel Rasmussen Hofplass

Sånafest

Norway

Sånafest is an annual site-specific art festival in the small village of Hølen, Norway. It features a variety of art forms, including dance, performing arts, concerts and installation art. The festival emphasizes collaboration between the artists and the community, and all the artists are staying in private homes in the village. Through meetings, dialogue, and exploration, the festival aims to create unique art experiences that are both joyful, challenging and thought-provoking.

Nassima Dzair

Interbridge

Norway

Nassima Dzair is the founder and CEO of InterBridge, a social startup that provides leadership trainings that educate Impact Agents. InterBridge also provides public and private sector with Gen Z insights to better understand and adapt to the needs and requirements of the future. Nassima is a social innovator that is passionate about working for positive social impact and a more just sustainable future. Her dedication is building bridges between people, cultures, and generations. As a global citizen, Nassima has traveled the world avidly, speaks five languages fluently, relates to different cultures and has acquired knowledge across disciplines. She has a unique interdisciplinary background bridging health and peace including matters of global health, development, security, international conflict and human rights. Nassima is also an accomplished public speaker, trainer and moderator.

Roza Taslimi

Music Norway

Norway

Roza coordinates small and large projects in Music Norway, and is responsible for Music Norways activity at Øya Festival and by:Larm Festival. She closely monitors our international market supervisors, and ensures that Music Norway's tools and instruments are connected to the Norwegian music industry. In addition, Roza creates both meeting places, organizes network gatherings and holds workshops for other organizations on diversity.

Sajje Solbakk

Riddu Riđđu Festivála

Norway

Sajje Solbakk is festival director for the international Indigenous festival Riddu Riđđu. Riddu Riđđu has a broad program over four days with concerts, courses, debates, seminars, film, dance, children's festival, youth programme, theater and art exhibitions. Each year, the festival presents self-produced commissioned works. In addition to the festival that is organized in July in Kåfjord, Riddu Riđđu works all year round to highlight Sami and indigenous art and culture both nationally and internationally. Solbakk has a background in journalism and is the host of the podcast, Gozuid alde, together with activist and artist, Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen.

Sakib Saboor

Transcultural Arts Productions - TrAP

Norway

Sakib Saboor is a cultural worker and photographer. He has a BA in Digital marketing from Kristiania University College and works at TrAP (Transcultural Arts Productions) as a Communications consultant and project worker. Saboor has a background from the media industry, and also works as a Digital advisor and mediator at Fotogalleriet, along with freelance work within the arts and cultural world based in Oslo. His work as a photographer consists of visual storytelling and exploration around identity, in addition to documentary in a combination of both digital and analogue photography.

Simon Alejandro Larsen

Jungelen

Norway

Simon Alejandro! I used to rap a lot – now I DJ a lot and run the Bergen based culture organization Jungelen. Since 2016 we have been putting on club and concert nights on a nearly monthly basis and the festival Jungelfest each January. Our musical profile is rooted in music from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean – but we also love to present new jazz and hiphop stuff. We're proud of being the first in Norway to present artists such as Athletic Progression (DK), Habibi Funk (DE), Oswèla (FR), Triorität (DE), Miss Tatis Angola 70 (NO), Faratuben (MALI/DK), Stella & The Longos (FR), Hadj Sameer (Algerie), Tchiss Lopes (Cape Verde) etc. I am definitely more of a community guy than a music business guy and I've been enjoying spending almost two years in France (Montpellier and Paris) and travels to the Caribbean and Latin America. These trips has been really helpful for me while building my community in Bergen and bringing artists to Norway. The last few years I have been based in my hometown Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, where I recently started a small cultural hub in Nygårdsgaten 33, where we have our office, workshops and events. Many young musicians, dj's and dancers uses the space for their own projects and collabs. I also run Jungelens sister organization, Foreningen JUNG, that offers a meeting space for young people in Bergen (13-26 years) through dance- and dj-workshops. Looking forward to link up!

Siri Kvambe

Samspill International Music Network

Norway

Siri Kvambe is the general manager of Samspill International Music Network, and has extensive experience with global and traditional music. Samspill acts as a link between artists, organisers, festivals, organisations and funding bodies in Norway and the Nordic countries. Siri is a trained vocalist and singing teacher, and has extensive experience as a project manager and producer in various music projects.

Sofie Søndervik Sæther

JM Norway

Norway

Sofie Søndervik Sæther is an organizer, leader, speaker, musician and diversity innovator, dedicated to amplifying the representation of marginalized voices in the arts. As the program director of JM Norway (Jeunesses Musicales) she has a platform to initiate and support a wide range of projects aimed at strengthening diversity and equality within the music sector - with an emphasis on the next generation of performers, audiences and organizers.

Sølvi Lien

Førdefestivalen

Norway

Sølvi Lien is the artistic and managing director of Førde Traditional & World Music Festival (Førdefestivalen). In 2024 the festival will be held from 3.7-7.7. The festival is presenting about 80 acts from 30 venues and 250 artists from all over the world each year. In addition, there are concerts and other events during the year.

Tatijana Todorovic

The Orchard

Norway

Works as a project manager at The Orchard in the Artist Services Nordics department. I do anything from release planning, strategy outlining, marketing plans and promo. We work a Nordic unit with artists from across the Nordic countries. I currently work with artists such as Delara, Jesse Markin, Ash Olsen, Salvatore Ganacci and B-Boy Myhre.

Thea Færden Bringsværd

Sånafest

Norway

Sånafest is an annual site-specific art festival in the small village of Hølen, Norway. It features a variety of art forms, including dance, performing arts, concerts and installation art. The festival emphasizes collaboration between the artists and the community, and all the artists are staying in private homes in the village. Through meetings, dialogue, and exploration, the festival aims to create unique art experiences that are both joyful, challenging and thought-provoking.

Tine Tangestuen

NOPA Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists

Norway

Responsible for daily operations, personnel management and financial management and has overall responsibility for NOPA's activities and union representatives, in close connection with NOPAs chair and the board. She has has background from culture, project management, politics and international relations. NOPA has developed international cooperation within EEA grants. She has sertification in diversity management and education in cultural administration and business.

Tuva Svelland

NOPA

Norway

Tuva works as a project coordinator for NOPA. She has a background in tourism management, as well as a masters degree in Project Management for Music and Stage from the University of Agder.

Zeina Bali

Masahat for Arab Culture in Exile

Norway

Zeina Bali is the Director of the Oslo-based organization Masahat for Arab Culture in Exile: https://masahat.no/ Established in 2015 in Norway, Masahat works on curating and presenting knowledge, history, art and culture from the Middle East and North Africa with a special focus on the Arab world. Our yearly highlight event is Masahat festival for Arab Arts and Culture.