2023 Convening
More than 130 attendees in-person and online made the weekend a success.
Our fourth annual MENATMA convening took place at Golden Thread’s ReOrient Festival of Short Plays in San Francisco on October 27-29, 2023. The Convening brought together SWANA artists, activists, and scholars from around the country for panel and roundtable discussions, workshops, artistic presentations, networking opportunities, and more.
View Archived Sessions at Howlround
Co-produced by Golden Thread Productions and Art2Action, Inc
Co-sponsored by Diaspora Arts Connection, New Arab American Theater Works, Noor Theatre, Silk Road Rising, and Theatre Communications Group’s THRIVE! Program.
The Convening was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation.
CONVENING SCHEDULE
In-person events took place at Potrero Stage and The Annex upstairs at 1695 18th Street, San Francisco, CA. Digital sessions are available on Howlround.
Friday, October 27, 2023
- 11am-1pm PT: MENATMA Board Meeting (@ The Annex, by invitation only)
- 1-3pm PT: Lunch Break (on your own)
- 3-5pm PT: Producers’ Circle Participants: Andrea Assaf, Sahar Assaf, Raymond Bobgan, Debórah Eliezer, Kathryn Haddad, Elizabeth Elias Huffman, Kate Moore Heaney Moderated by Jamil Khoury (@ The Annex, by invitation only)
The MENATMA Producers’ Circle brings together theatre producers and artistic directors committed to supporting work by and about our SWANA communities. We aim to create a collaborative network that shares resources, platforms, and best practices, and to amplify SWANA voices throughout the American theatre.
- 5-8pm PT: Free Time
- 8-10pm PT: Performance: ReOrient Festival of Short Plays
Featuring short plays by Katrin Arefy, Judith Bovajian Strang-Waldau, Yussef El Guindi, Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, Arti Ishak, and Hamed Sinno
(@ Potrero Stage)
Saturday, October 28, 2023
- 9-9:30am PT: Registration
(@ Potrero Stage) - 9:30-9:50am PT: BIPOC Affinity Meditation Sit
Facilitated by Amal Bisharat, RYT 500hr
(@ The Annex)
Open to all self-identified BIPOC. Come as you are! Bring your own cushion or mat.
- 10-11:15am PT: Town Hall: Building Community Among SWANA Theater Artists
Moderated by Deborah Eliezer, Kathryn Haddad, and Jamil Khoury
(@ The Annex)
How do we support and uphold each other as artists and community members from the SWANA region? What do we need to do to ensure that we are including, supporting, and making space for each other in our community as theater artists?
- 11:30am-12pm PT: Convening Opening: MENA Theater Advocacy Today
Welcome by Golden Thread Executive Artistic Director Sahar Assaf; Opening Remarks by Andrea Assaf and Torange Yeghiazarian on behalf of the MENATMA Founding Board (@ Potrero Stage and livestreamed on Howlround).
- 12-1:30pm PT: Lunch Break (on your own)
- 1:30-2:45pm PT: Panel: Sustainability and Self-Preservation: Palestinian Artists Speak Out
Moderated by Andrea Assaf and Sahar Assaf (@ Potrero Stage and livestreamed on Howlround).
- 3-4:30pm PT: Panel: MENA Artists Leading in National Theaters