Role as an Artist and Festival Curator with Beytna’s Omar Rajeh and Faustin Linyekula

Hear from Omar Rajeh, the critically acclaimed choreographer of Beytna, dancer, and founder of Beirut International Platform of Dance–BIPOD, as he discusses his role of being an artist and festival curator of one of the largest dance festivals in the region. With over two decades of experience, Omar will share insights of working collaboratively across borders and cultures, while also providing a space and opportunity for young and established Arab artists to showcase and develop their work. The talk is moderated by dancer, choreographer, and storyteller, Faustin Linyekula.

Omar Rajeh 

Omar Rajeh is a renowned figure in contemporary dance who made a significant impact towards establishing a contemporary dance scene in Lebanon. As the founder of Maqamat in Beirut (2002), he moved on to establish his company in Lyon (2020), earning recognition from the French Ministry of Culture ‘for his contribution and engagement in the service of Culture’ as a 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.' With a BA in Theatre Studies from the Lebanese University and an MA in Dance Studies from the University of Surrey, Rajeh's over twenty choreographic creations transcend conventional boundaries, challenging perceptions of body unity and singularity. 

His works, characterized by vigorous movements and profound socio-political connections, resonate powerfully, leaving an enduring impact on the audience. Over two decades, Rajeh has woven, explored, and refined a unique choreographic language, taking his performances to over a hundred cities globally and participating in major dance festivals world wide. Beyond his artistic achievements, Rajeh's contributions extend to founding the Beirut International Platform of Dance (BIPOD) in 2004, a pivotal dance festival offering an international program of performances, workshops, lectures, and meetings. Co-founding the Masahat Dance Network, spanning Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, Rajeh's commitment to regional connectivity culminated in the MOULTAQA LEYMOUN platform, fostering opportunities for emerging and established Arab artists. 

In the heart of Beirut, Rajeh unveiled Citerne Beirut, a new performing arts space, demonstrating his dedication to enriching the cultural landscape. Although dismantled in August 2019, the space aimed to propel Maqamat's projects towards an enhanced experience, reaching a broader audience. As the co-founder of Citerne.live, a digital cultural platform, Rajeh continues to innovate, bridging technology and the arts for wider accessibility. In essence, Omar Rajeh's work goes beyond dance, contributing significantly to the cultural tapestry of the region with a focus on inclusivity and connection.

Faustin Linyekula

I’m known as a dancer, choreographer, but I call myself a storyteller.

I tell my stories through writing, theatre, dance, still or moving images. I live and work between Abu Dhabi and Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, former Zaire, former Belgian Congo, former Congo Free State, private property of Leopold II, King of Belgians.

In 2001, after eight years abroad (Kenya, Indian Ocean, Europe), I returned to the ruins of my native country. I wanted to be as close as possible to these stories of the Congo that haunt all my shows; but it was also a challenge against the desperation that every year pushes thousands of Congolese out of the country, never to return.

Thus, were born the Studios Kabako. Not an artistic company, but a place. A refuge for artists from the Congo and beyond, offering long-term accompaniment, from training to production and touring. A space to federate creative energies, regardless of artistic disciplines (dance, theater, music or cinema).

But being an artist in the DR Congo is more than just producing so-called artistic objects, it is first and foremost being a citizen at the heart of the community, proposing spaces of imagination, spaces of possibilities. That’s why Studios Kabako also runs a pilot water purification project, supplying clean drinking water every day to 1,000 people in a district of the city with no running water, provides computer literacy workshops for children and adults in a neighborhood without electricity and runs environmental education for adults, adolescents and children through “Dessine-moi une forêt” (Draw me a forest), a collaboration with the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Kisangani.

I have toured in theatres, festivals and museums across Europe, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, including the MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Central Africa Museum in Tervuren, the Tate Modern in London, the MUCEM in Marseille, Festival d’Avignon, the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in Brussels, New Zealand Festival, Sharjah Biennial, Théâtre de la Ville or Festival d’Automne in Paris.

I was the artist of the city in Lisbon in 2016, and co-associate artist for Holland Festival in 2019. I received the 2007 Principal Award from the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, the 2014 CurryStone Design Prize, the 2018 Inaugural Soros Arts Fellowship and the 2019 Tällberg / Eliasson Global Leadership Prize.

In September 2024, I joined the faculty of New York University Abu Dhabi as Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater Practice.