Bulgaria
Bozhana Slavkova is a multimedia artist and activist for human and environmental rights. The mediums she works with are art installation, poetry, theater, performance, sensory theater, music, film, photography, collage. She made her first art installation Hugged Nature when she was 16. With it she questions the fast fashion industry, what we see as “female art”, what is the place of urban trees in our culture, and how traditions are passed through the generations.
Iliyana Grigorova is an interdisciplinary artist, working mainly with photographic techniques. Her interests in culture and equal rights are the driving force behind the scenes.
Croatia
Dora Kujek is a passionate cultural advocate dedicated to promoting dignity, life, family, and the holistic development of young individuals. From her involvement with Catholic Games Missionaries and the creation of Catholic board games to her innovative ideas yet to be unveiled, she continually emphasizes the intrinsic worth of every human being.
Grounded in the belief that human dignity is inherent and inalienable, she navigates through a landscape where objective values soar high above distorted perceptions of reality, breathing a revitalizing breeze of truth, beauty, and goodness.
Elena Poljuha is a multidisciplinary visual artist studying printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, Croatia.
Her artistic focus centers on exploring the ties binding individuals to their perpetually shifting environments. She delves into the contemporary role of culture and the socio-environmental impact of political systems.
Cyprus
With an endless curiosity to learn and explore our ecosystems, Elin Yurtdaş’ works speak about the fragile nature, climate change, and degrading ecosystems. My goal is to visually reflect ecological thinking through my works to create awareness about environmental issues.
Nicolas Karatzas is a Cinematographer. His work focuses on the exploration of both Documentary and Fictional narratives within the realms of film, artivism, and anthropology.
In 2019, he established “Kazanti Films” Collective, dedicated to promoting diversity and delving into the intricate tapestry of the human experience through the transformative power of art, film, and storytelling. One of the collective’s missions, is the “INDAF” indie film festival, an initiative that serves as a platform for showcasing international works of animation, documentary, and fiction imbued with social and political relevance.
Do you believe narratives, can change the direction of the trolley we are in?
Nuné Tounjikian is dedicated to creating reminders for our emotional well-being through human-centred stories in various mediums, believing that healing the intimate is the key to healing the political.
France
Fatoumata Gandega is a multidisciplinary artist. Her work focuses on marginalized narratives and bringing impactful stories to life.
In 2023, she directed her first film «Where the Heart Is». Beyond Borders, her debut exhibition, was recently launched in Brussels.
Jared Michaud is a classical singer (baritone) who uses music to build community, bring people together, and widen perspectives.
He previously served as an Assistant Conductor and Dialogue Facilitator for the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, a music and dialogue program for Palestinian and Israeli teenagers.
Maxime Ollivier is a climate justice activist and the cofounder of Rumor Has It, a French collective of artivists. He is studying political art at Sciences Po Paris and he is following a formation as contemporary dancer. As well as dancing is a way for him to mobilize, writing is a way to express himself : he published his second book ‘Vivre avec l’éco-lucidité‘ at Actes Sud to raise awareness about eco-anxiety.
Rachel Rouzaud is an architect and artist. She is mostly interested in codes of representation and ways of discussing architectural projects. She is now working to co-produce a carpet with residents of different places of Grand Paris within the program FAIRE.
Germany
Fabian Dunst works as a climate activist for the Fridays for Future campaign “Wir Fahren Zusammen”. Gathering bus and train drivers’ needs for better working conditions, as well as the society’s need for a better public transport system he works locally and networks nationwide.
Besides studying culture studies and management (in Germany) his research projects focus on Perpetrator perspectives during the holocaust and the new far right movement on Social Media. His artistic roots are in theatre, film and photography.
As a dancer and choreographer, Leander Kämpf defines his art as a personal interpretation of social and political themes. He is eager to create bridges between people to strengthen a general cross-boarder sense of community.
His latest work, the dance film “Was wir nicht sehen wollen”, depicts the impact of toxic positivity on an individual.
Leon Stille is a dance maker and cultural agent in Europe. Across his diverse fields of work he advocates sustainability & radical collaboration. In recent years he joined creative forces with Collective Nest, fostering contemporary dance in Poland and beyond.
Greece
Dimitris Theologidis is a postgraduate student of International Relations and Strategic Studies in Athens, Greece. Having a background in Journalism and Mass Communications, he is interested in communication campaigns, media literacy and active citizenship education.
Fjorida Cenaj born in 1997 in Lushnia, Albania. At a young age, she immigrated with her family to Greece. Growing up, she felt a strong need to express herself through art and pursued film directing studies in Athens.
Her art seamlessly blends visual expression, language, and movement – the body. She draws her inspiration primarily from her everyday experiences and is deeply interested in social issues, the concept of identity (related to migration and gender) and mental health matters. She believes in collectives and group dynamics and the positive influences they can have within society.
Stefanos Dimoulas, the first Greek Forbes Under30 lister for Arts & Culture, is a multidisciplinary dance creative who advocates LGBTQI+ rights through dance and public speaking, including his TEDx Speech.
Before becoming the youngest Greek Judge on Dancing With The Stars, he secured the largest grant of 2021 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture for his dance production “TITAN PROMETHEUS”, which sold out in just 97 minutes. His works span The Royal Opera House, National Geographic, and Kate Moss.
Hungary
Ana Melikidze is a street photographer and youth worker. Her art is focused on people, culture and architecture. She captures daily life of the people and thinks that a photo can tell the story better than hundred words.
Zsuzsanna Zsuró is an art historian and curator, working between Budapest and London. She researches socially engaged art practices in the Hungarian diaspora as PhD candidate. Zsuzsanna co-organises platforms advocating for cross-cultural democratic values, diversity and social justice.
Fanni Potonyecz is a director, actor and cultural professional. She works simultaneously in film and theatre in different positions. As a creator she participates in a wide range of artistic projects. Her work focuses on social issues in search of new forms.
Italy
Emma Hanny combines activism, new-media-/ bio-art, photography, and natural sciences. She uses storytelling to act as an agent of change and the heart of her work is climate justice. She is intrigued by systems and doesn’t shy away from changing them.
Gaia Zanone is a multidisciplinary designer, with a focus on social innovation. In Italy, she recently founded Imperfetta, a non-profit organisation that sees art as the engine for positive community impact and land preservation.
Manuela Colacicco is a contemporary dance emerging choreographer. She blends artistic creativity with social responsibility. Collaborating on diverse projects nationally and internationally, she embodies a commitment to inclusive and innovative contemporary dance practices and aesthetics.
Michele Tagliavini is a research fellow on the topic of urban regeneration with a background in economics and international management at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Currently working for the Bauhaus of the Seas Sails project, he has developed a strong expertise on territorial regeneration and innovation management domains thanks to his experience as Project Manager for the university spin-off Upskill 4.0.
“What is personal is always political”.
Noemi Pittalà is a multidisciplinary artivist and a cultural professional from Sicily that works with photography and theater. Collective regeneration, inclusivity and nonviolent practices are the keywords of her research.
The Netherlands
Authenticity, connection and freedom are the qualities which drive Katharine Bazalgette‘s creative practice. As a singer, she trained classically but since graduating has begun to dabble in more genres, allowing her to find a freedom in her voice and musicality.
As well as performing, she is active in education and coaching, leading an elective called Authentic Artistry at the Prins Claus Conservatory Groningen which offers students practical and conceptual reflections on their artistry and artistic identity.
Noelia Martín-Montalvo is an interdisciplinary artist who advocates for environmental justice and women rights through film, photography, performance and design.
Using participatory storytelling as the core of her work she empowers participants to become changemakers of their own narratives.
Rosina Lui works with movement, textures, and language, aiming to illuminate veiled interconnectedness. Her installation-performance “letters to belonging” at De Voorkamer dives into portals of (un)belonging amidst a foreign space, a reflective and relational sublimation.
Stephanie Bonnici’s work resides at the intersection of dialogue, policy, the arts, and communities.
Drawing on her background of bringing communities together and facilitating dialogue through arts & culture, she is currently exploring hope and self-reflection as soft and alternative responses to contemporary sociopolitical realities.
Poland
Kalina Wojciechowicz uses visual language to reflect on a complicated relationship between humans and Nature, her body and environment and the indescribable beauty of Life.
She considers art as a space for those who are unseen and misunderstood, including non-human beings.
Kasia Habas is a cultural manager, movie producer and project initiator somewhere between Gdansk and Berlin.
Her main skill is observing the world around. In her work she always tries to connect social issues with artistic expression.
Portugal
Aura Fonseca (1997, Porto) is a transdisciplinary artist interested in identity and sustainability issues and co-founder of Asterisco, a space and platform for underrepresented makers.
Her new collective performance ‘Trans*Performativity’ is currently touring internationally.
Bruno de Almeida is a Brazilian expat artist based in Portugal.
He employs interdisciplinary and participatory methods creating works to foster creativity for growing equity and democratic futures.
Clara Passarinho is an actress and theater director. Her commitment extends to democratic values, as seen through her position as ambassador for the Festival Política 2023 in Lisbon. Currently, she is co-founder of the Associação da Minha Rua.
Clara’s journey reflects her diverse interests and dedication to artistic and societal impact.
Noa Brighenti navigates between two dimensions: the legal world and the artistic-cultural world.
As a law student and postgraduate in Equality Law, she uses writing as a medium and artistic expression to explore the interplay between these two dimensions and their collective impact on society.
Rodrigo Loureiro is a dance artist and choreographer who focuses his work on human contexts and everyday questions. In 2021, Rodrigo choreographed the solo “SIT”, a dance piece in form of a protest that explored the duality between democracy and dictatorship.
Slovenia
Slovenian singer Lovro Korošec challenges societal perceptions through music. By blending classical & contemporary styles his art performances tackle social issues, particularly solitude, highlighting its dangers and offering hope.
Spain
Alejandra Díaz-Guerra Acedo is a multidisciplinary artist and art curator whose work focuses on our relationship with nature and the new implications of tradition as a framework for contemporary creation.
Using traditional techniques, such as ceramics and weaving, she addresses new academic approaches of learning, creating and curating within the context of craft work and local communities.
Blanca Buetas Gistau is an actress and contemporary theater maker.
She carries out her work with her collective, Las Galerías. Water and Flesh is their current project, in which they aim to come up with a performance as well as a dialogue to explore people’s relationship with water through art-mediation.
Eduardo Lavrador, also known as KiLaV, is an artist who addresses climate emergency and sustainability.
In 2023, he created “Rigor Plastic”, emphasizing the importance of waste management. The piece was exhibited at Ars Electronica, prompting reflection on transforming waste into resources for other species and exploring our connections to the environment.
Sofía Moreno Domínguez is a PhD candidate of Leisure, Culture and Communication for Human Development (University of Deusto, Spain) researching about the rootedness of cultural projects in their territories. She is an independent artist and researcher of Espacio Comün (Nalda) a collective rural lab in La Rioja.
Sweden
Sára Bányai is a Hungarian creative working with communities in a playful and interdisciplinary way. In 2023, she created ‘What is wrong with me?’, an interactive performative game that debuted at Teatri di vita, Bologna.
Currently she is a member of Wou collective, an interdisciplinary community focused group in Malmö. Her flashes are published in Rejection Letters, Hobart, Fleas on the dog, Pulp Poets Press and more.
Yuser Al-Alaq has a BA in human rights, is an activist and poet. works with lgbtqia+ issues, especially with community organising. The main themes that are recurring in Yuser’s work and poetry is the exploration of a sense of belonging, the body, family relations and experiences of racism.
