Agata Etmanowicz – Impact Foundation (Poland)

Agata is a president of ImpactFoundation specialising in audience development processes (including designing and conducting long-term capacity-building programmes for European Capitals of Culture). She had a chance to look at the culture sector from different perspectives and to wear many different hats over the years: she has acted as a culture policy maker, advocate, advisor and mentor, manager, curator, and producer. She believes in social usefulness in her personal and professional life. Together with Impact Foundation, she promotes the A2 approach which combines audience development and accessibility (as "you can't have one without the other").

Alessandro Bianchi – President, Teatro Stabile di Torino (Italy)
Alessandro Bianchi is the president of Teatro Stabile, set to serve until 2027. With a degree in philosophy from Turin and a master's in Cultural Heritage Management from Bologna, he has held roles such as general secretary of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation, coordinator of the Turin Contemporary Art Triennale, and general secretary of the Maxxi Foundation. From 2020, he served as the general manager of Pirelli HangarBicocca, a contemporary art museum in Milan.

Amala Dianor – Artistic Director, Choreographer, Dancer , Compagnie Amala Dianor (France)
After starting out as a hip hop dancer, Amala Dianor entered the prestigious CNDC school in Angers (in the class of 2002). From 2002 and for 10 years, he performed as a dancer with a number of choreographers in very different worlds, including hip hop, neo-classical, contemporary and afro contemporary. In 2011, he won two prizes at the Reconnaissance award for his first choreography, named Crossroad and founded his own company in 2012. Amala Dianor has received the Médaille de Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2019. In 2021, Amala Dianor was one of the four European choreographers to be selected and supported by Big Pulse Dance Network.

Amy Fee – General Manager, Danscentrum Sverige (Sweden)
Amy has a background mainly in theatre, musicals, dance, circus and events as General Manager, Head of production, Project Manager, Producer and Stage manager. Before joining Danscentrum Sverige, she was Head of Production at Dansens Hus Stockholm and Circus Cirkör. She has partnered in several Creative Europe EU projects and led application work. Amy has an education in Stage Management Studies, RCS, Scotland and Project Management in Interactive media, Sweden.

Anita van Dolen – Artistic Director, Julidans (The Netherlands)
Anita van Dolen studied contemporary dance and earned a post-graduate degree in Cultural Management at the Amsterdam School of the Arts. She worked as a production manager at Netherlands Dance Theatre and Springdance Festival. From 2002-2010, she was the Dance programmer at Melkweg, creating platforms for emerging artists. Since 2010, Anita has been the Artistic and Executive Director of Julidans in Amsterdam, focusing on interconnected platforms for choreographers. She also runs the dance program for International Theater Amsterdam and has served on several advisory committees, including the Fund for Performing Arts and Raad voor Cultuur.

Anna Cremonini – Artistic Director, Torinodanza Festival (Italy)
With over 25 years of experience in Performing Arts, Anna works with a particular focus on Dance, Music and Theatre. She has a deep knowledge of the international cultural environment thanks to significant collaborations and prestigious positions in both the public and private sectors, including with Teatro Due in Parma, the Biennale of Venice, Teatro Merdante in Naples, and Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. She is currently Artistic Director of Torinodanza Festival, managed by Teatro Stabile di Torino – National Theatre.

Ari Tenhula – Managing Director, Zodiak – Center for New Dance (Finland)
Ari Tenhula graduated with an MA in Dance in 1989 (Theatre Academy, Helsinki, Finland). He served as the Director of the Helsinki City Theater Dance Company from 2000 to 2002, and Artistic Director of the Moving in November Festival from 2006 – 2018. He held the position of Professor for Dance Art at the University of the Arts’ Theatre Academy from 2008 – 2018 and served there as Vice Dean in charge of education from 2014 – 2018. Since 2018, he has been the Managing Director of Zodiak – Center for New Dance.

Assen Assenov – Director, ONE Foundation of Culture and Arts (Bulgaria)
Assen is the Director of ONE Foundation for Culture & Arts – the organisation behind ONE Dance Festival in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, ONE DESIGN WEEK festival, and ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK festival. He has a background in journalism and is the co-curator of the artistic selection for ONE Dance Festival.

Birgit Berndt – CEO/Artistic Director, CODA Oslo International Dance Festival (Norway)
Birgit Berndt will begin her role as CEO/Artistic Director of CODA Oslo International Dance Festival in August 2024. Since 2014, she has been the Artistic Director for Dance at Norrlandsoperan in Umeå, Sweden, where she led the artistic program and international collaborations. Berndt focuses on empowering Nordic and international performance artists through long-term collaborations, residencies, mentoring, and production support. With 20 years of experience, she has worked with festivals, venues, and dance organisations in Germany and Sweden, with a dedicated focus on queer performing arts.

Drew Klein – Co-Artistic Director, Festival Dias da Dança / CAMPUS PCS / Teatro Municipal do Porto (Portugal)
Drew Klein is a performance curator and Co-Artistic Director of Teatro Municipal do Porto and Dias de Dança Festival in Portugal. In 2011, he became the Director of Performing Arts at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he launched the institution's first performance program. Before joining CAC, Klein worked in independent film with companies like Cinetic Media and Sloss Eckhouse LawCo LLP. His curatorial work focuses on innovative and diverse performance art.

Eduardo Bonito – Project Manager, Big Pulse Dance Alliance (Germany)
Eduardo Bonito is a Brazilian producer, artist and curator, currently based in Berlin where he acts as Project Manager for Big Pulse Dance Alliance. Educated in Performing Arts and Public Relations at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and in Performance at Middlesex University, England, he has led and consulted for various international festivals, projects, and networks across Europe and Latin America since 1990. His extensive experience and diverse expertise have significantly contributed to the global dance and performance arts landscape.

Elia Liloff – Director, ONE Dance Festival (Bulgaria)
Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, Elia is a culturologist and arts management specialist. She has been a member of the ONE Dance Festival team since its first edition in 2008. Elia is responsible for co-curating the artistic selection and leading the technical production and realisation of the festival programme, in addition to overseeing operational, financial and technical elements of the organisation.

Freddie Opoku-Addaie – Artistic Director and co-Chief Executive, Dance Umbrella Festival (United Kingdom)
Freddie Opoku-Addaie is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Dance Umbrella Festival. A critically acclaimed choreographer, dancer, curator and lecturer, Freddie is the recipient of many choreographic awards and commissions. East London-born, his Ghanaian heritage has informed his artistic practices. Freddie is also founder of SystemsLAB, a platform responding to 21st century diverse artistic needs, and a regular speaker on industry panels both in the UK and internationally.

Georg Haeusler – Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (Belgium)
Georg Hauesler is the Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC). Prior to that, he was Director in another Commission department for seven years. He joined the Commission in 1999 and has had several senior posts including as Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, from 2009 to 2014. Before he began his Commission career, he was Secretary General of an EU-wide NGO. He studied law (PhD in 1993). He is 54 years old and married, with one son.

Jazmin Chiodi – Artistic Director, Dublin Dance Festival (Ireland)
Born in Argentina and based in Ireland since 2005, Jazmín Chiodi boasts a rich dance career as both a dance artist and curator. Since 2021, she serves as the Artistic Director of the Dublin Dance Festival, steering a dynamic program that showcases the best of national and international dance companies each May placing dance at the forefront of the cultural agenda and nurturing the growth of an exciting emerging Irish dance sector. As a creator, she co-founded Tipperary Dance (formerly Tipperary Dance Platform) and co-directed Tipperary Dance International for twelve editions. Her choreographic work with the Iseli-Chiodi dance company has resulted in over a dozen pieces touring Europe, Asia, and America. Jazmín has contributed to academia as a guest lecturer at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, for over a decade. She has collaborated on academic research and publications, including the UI research group for the Limerick 2020 European Capital of Culture bid. Holding a Master's degree in Festive Arts with honors from the University of Limerick, Ireland, Jazmín has an extensive career as a dance practitioner and teacher.

Jenni-Elina von Bagh – Artistic Director, Zodiak – Center for New Dance (Finland)
Jenni-Elina von Bagh is an Artistic Director of Zodiak – Center for New Dance and Side Step – festival since February 2023. She has worked as a choreographer and performer in Finland, Sweden and Central Europe for over 25 years. She graduated from MA programme in Choreography in May 2018 at Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki and worked mainly as a choreographer since then. She has been a board member of Zodiak during the years 2019-2022 and a member of the curation team of Zodiak years 2021 and 2022.

Jens Nymand Christensen – Former Deputy Director General for Culture and Education at the European Commission (Denmark)
Jens Nymand Christensen, former Deputy Director General for Culture and Education at the European Commission, is tentatively confirmed for attendance. With a distinguished career in European cultural policy, Christensen has been influential in shaping cultural and educational initiatives across Europe, advocating for the integration of culture in the European agenda. His extensive experience and strategic insights continue to impact the cultural sector.

Kena Rodriguez – International Manager, Sismògraf Festival (Catalonia / Spain)
After studying Humanities and Contemporary Arts in Barcelona, and discovering Dance and Live Arts by chance, Kena has been part of different projects as a creative producer, mediator and curator both in Catalonia and in France. Sismògraf has always been a part of her professional journey, where she currently coordinates the international projects.

 – Director, Creative Agency A propic (France)
Line Rousseau is the founder of the Creative Agency A propic. Graduated from the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales Paris and the University of Montreal, she has always been very interested in cultural policies in Europe and North America and in the status of artists in France and in Quebec. In 1998, Line Rousseau moved to the Netherlands, where she discovered an innovative cultural system. After working at Productiehuis Brabant, she decided in 2005 to start her Creative Agency for International promotion for the Performing and Visual Arts (A propic). Since then, her agency has been organizing international tours, co-productions and residencies for artists and companies. A propic also develops international consultancy for cultural organizations. Since 2010, A propic is also a member of the IETM. In summer 2023, Line Rousseau decided to open her Agency also in France and created A propic France. A propic represents Ann Van den Broek, GRIP:Jan Martens-Steven Michel-Cherish Menzo-Femke Gyselinck, Liquid Loft, Clara Furey, Maud le Pladec | CCNO, François Chaignaud and Maguy Marin.

Lubomila Jordanova – Co-founder and CEO of Plan A (Germany/France/Bulgaria)
The Berlin-based startup has developed an end-to-end platform that enables companies to measure, monitor, and reduce their environmental footprint and improve their environmental, social, and governance performance using machine learning and science. Plan A's carbon accounting software, which assists businesses in reducing their emissions, has been used by over 400 companies since its launch and has reduced clients’ emissions by 8 percent on average this year. Lubomila is also the co-founder of the Greentech Alliance, a community of over 1,000 startups connected to over 500 advisors from venture capital, media, and business backgrounds. She is passionate about addressing climate change and believes there is nothing more powerful than collaboration and true commitment to impact.

Miroslava Kovarova – Artistic Director, Bratislava in Movement (Slovakia)
"Dancer, teacher, choreographer and dramaturge. Graduated from Academy of Performing Arts (APA) and from Economic University in Bratislava. She holds an ArtD. degree from APA, where she functioned as the head of Dance Department (2015 – 2023). Since 1999 she is the artistic director of the festival Bratislava in Movement and was an executive director of the festival from 1997 – 2020. From 2006 to 2010, she was the Chief Dramaturge of the Ballet Company of Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava (SNT), where she currently serves on the Artistic Board of the CEO of SNT.

Ricardo Carmona – Artistic Director, Festival Tanz im August (Germany)
Beginning his studies in Biology, he soon changed to Dance and Performance Studies in Lisbon, completing his degree in 2003. He went on to work as a producer and joined the residence centre O Espaço do Tempo between 2005 – 2009. From 2010 to 2012 he worked at Alkantara Festival (Lisbon) assisting in the artistic direction and later as part of the direction. In August 2012, Ricardo moved to Berlin, as Dance Curator of the theatre HAU Hebbel am Ufer where he worked until in September 2022. Since then is the Artistic Director of the festival Tanz im August.

Sigrid Janssens – Artistic Director, December Dance (Belgium)
Sigrid Janssens, with master’s degrees in Oriental languages and theatre science, has twenty years of expertise in the performing arts. She has held diverse roles, including programmer, communications manager, and general manager. Since October 2022, Janssens has been the artistic coordinator of Dance in Bruges, a collaboration between Cultuurcentrum Brugge, KAAP, and Concertgebouw Brugge. She leads the December Dance Festival, celebrating its 16th edition in 2023, showcasing contemporary dance and supporting emerging choreographers.

Stine Nilsen – Artistic Director, Dansens Hus (Norway)
Stine Nilsen is the CEO/Artistic Director of Dansens Hus in Oslo since August 2024. She trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Movement and Dance in London and holds an MA from Middlesex University. Stine worked as a freelance dancer and teacher before joining Candoco Dance Company as Artistic Co-Director from 2007 to 2017. She led CODA Oslo International Dance Festival from 2017 to 2024, where she was known for her innovative dance programming and international collaborations.

Tena Busquets Costa – Artistic Director, Sismògraf Festival (Catalonia / Spain)
With studies in arts and humanities, she specialises in cultural management, without ever completely abandoning the amateur practice of circus and dance. He has worked for companies, in management agencies and in large festivals, as well as having co-directed for many years the Master's Degree in Cultural Management at the UdG, but at one point he decided to return to her village, Olot, where she works as municipal head of performing arts for more than 20 years, designing both the regular season programs on theatre, dance, circus and new forms, and leading the artistic direction of festivals such as Panorama or Sismògraf. She is increasingly interested in generating live arts projects from an ecofeminist perspective and also in thinking on cultural proposals that generate shared prosperity and help increase the index of citizenship happiness. She likes a lot to live in a small village with her human and animal family, as well as she likes a lot to participate in international projects that allows her to be a permanent learner.

Tiago Guedes – Director, Maison de la Danse & Biennale de la Danse in Lyon (France)
Since July 2022, Tiago Guedes is the Director of the Maison de la Danse and the Biennale de la Danse in Lyon (France). He succeeded Dominique Hervieu with his project "ON(L)Y Danse - a shared future for dance in Lyon". He was dancer and choreographer before becoming the Artistic Director of the Teatro Municipal do Porto and Director of the Department of Performing Arts of the City of Porto (Portugal) in 2014. In 2009, he also created the Festival Materiais Diversos and in 2016 the Festival Dias da Dança. Tiago Guedes sees programming as an artistic, political and social act. He proposes an opening to all dances at Maison de la Dance, to all discoveries at Biennale de Lyon and to all practices at the future Ateliers de la danse (opening in 2025).

Stefano Lo Russo – Mayor of the City of Turin (Italy)
Stefano Lo Russo, born in 1975 in Turin, is the current Mayor of Turin, elected in October 2021. A professor of applied geology at Turin Polytechnic, he entered politics in 2006 and has represented the centre-left Democratic Party since 2011. Lo Russo's administration focuses on inclusive social growth, economic development, ecological transition, infrastructure, youth, and culture. He is also involved in international initiatives for urban leadership and inclusive growth.

Virve Sutinen – Freelance curator and consultant (Finland)
Virve Sutinen is a renowned freelance curator and consultant from Finland, known for her innovative approach in contemporary performing arts. With extensive experience, she has held significant positions such as the Artistic Director of Tanz im August in Berlin, Dansens Hus Stockholm and Kiasma Theatre at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. Her several positions of trust include president of IETM, and Nordic Council’s chair of Expert Panel for Mobility and Networking. She is a founding member of EDN, and the initiator of ICE HOT Nordic Dance Platform and Big Pulse Dance Alliance. Sutinen’s work emphasises transnational collaboration and international exchange, making her a pivotal figure in the global performing arts’ community.

Yvona Kreuzmannova – Director, TANEC PRAHA International Dance Festival (Czech Republic)
Yvona founded Tanec Praha (NGO) in 1991. She is the director running TANEC PRAHA International Dance Festival, PONEC – dance venue and Czech Dance Platform in addition to many projects supported by Creative Europe. From 2006 to 2008, she worked as an advisor to the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic. In 2004, she was awarded by the French President Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite National for her outstanding contribution to the development of European cultural cooperation.