New Board of Directors of the Roberto Cimetta Fund

The Roberto Cimetta Fund recently elected  a new Board of Directors (2018 – 2021) composed of Mr. Ferdinand Richard, Mrs. Jumana Al-Yasiri, Mrs. Dounia Benslimane, Mrs. Velia Papa, Mrs. Hanan Kassab Hassan, Mrs. Isin Önol and Mr. Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio.

The Roberto Cimetta Fund recently elected  a new Board of Directors (2018 – 2021) composed of:

Ferdinand Richard, reelected the Chairman of RCF. He has been the founder/director of A.M.I. association (1985 to 2017) based in Marseille. As a local cultural development platform, this originally music-dedicated organisation proposes numerous training workshops, artists residencies, festivals, a cultural micro-businesses incubator, etc… and has initiated and led a consistent international cooperation programme (Africa, Arab World, Russia, Asia, Latin America).

Paris-based performing arts manager, Jumana Al-Yasiri is reelected Tresurer of RCF. She has a fifteen-year experience designing and implementing residencies, festivals, conferences, and grants and training programs for artists and cultural practitioners. 

Dounia Benslimane, medical doctor (2003) who dedicated herself to cultural activism and management. Dounia is the Secretary of the Board of RCF. In 2010, she co-founded Racines in Casablanca (Morocco) and is currently its Development & Partnership Director. From 2011 to 2013, she was in charge of the programming and management of “La Fabrique Culturelle des anciens abattoirs”, an independent urban and contemporary arts space in Casablanca.

Velia PAPA, Director of Inteatro, world renowned performing arts festival held annually in Polverigi, Italy. Velia is also Director of Marche Teatro since 1998 and Professor of “Performing Arts, Economics and Management” at Università Politecnica delle Marche since 2004.

Hanan Kassab-Hassan is currently Syrian Professor of theatre at Damascus University, and at Saint Joseph University (Beirut).

Isin Önol, independent Turkish curator based in New York and Vienna. She is a member of Center for the Study of Social Difference at Columbia University, New York.

Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio, researcher, writer, editor and curator, based in Barcelona and Rome, working across different disciplines, territories and cultures. He holds a PhD in “Art History, Theory and Criticism” from the University of Barcelona.

The Roberto Cimetta Fund, its beneficiaries and members express their gratitude to the former Board members, Raul Abeledo, Vahid Evazzadeh and Vesna Danilovic for their commitment and support.

This new team, elected by the majority of the 54 members of RCF from 21 countries, will have the task of developing actions of support for the mobility and creativity of artists and cultural operators in Europe, the Arab world and the Middle East and will continue to strengthen and open up perspectives for dialogue and cultural exchange.