Creative Women of the Levant

Listen to the stories of four fascinating women from the 20th century Levant who are pioneers in diverse artistic fields.

Heba Hage-Felder and Tania Saleh have worked together to bring to life the stories of fascinating creative women from the 20^th century Levant.

Listen to the stories of four inspiring women who are pioneers in diverse artistic fields. These women have expanded the cultural landscape with photographs, performances, sculptures and poems.

Many other women of their generation who were equally influential may have gone unnoticed. This project serves as a tribute to four women in particular while also honouring all the women whose contributions remain undocumented and whose stories have yet to be shared.

Who are other women from this region that have inspired you? We are eager to hear your feedback on this initiative and other profiles you may propose, please email info(@)fap.org.uk

Research, write-up, and narration by Heba Hage-Felder Voice recorded and edited at Tunefork Studios, Beirut, Lebanon. Photomontage created by Tania Saleh.

About the Artists

Tania Saleh

Tania Saleh is a Lebanese singer/songwriter and visual artist. Born in 1969, she has made significant contributions to the music and arts scene in Lebanon and beyond. She is known for her distinctive voice, thoughtful lyrics, and a blend of various musical styles, including traditional Levantine and Arabic, folk, jazz, alternative rock and electronic music.

In addition to her musical career, Tania Saleh has been involved in visual arts, working as an illustrator and animator. She is not only known for her artistic contributions but also for her engagement in cultural projects and workshops. She has conducted workshops such as "Audio Loves Visual" exploring the historical relationship between music and visual elements (at many art schools including Les Gobelins and Berklee College of Music) and “Stencil Art Creation” finding simple and effective creative ways of engaged artistic expression (at Siena Art School and the Lebanese American University).

As a freelance creative director, she has worked for the BBC World Service, Arthur D. Little, Wieden & Kennedy and Publicis Groupe as well as many film directors, cultural institutions and Lebanese artists including Fairouz, Ziad Rahbani, Charbel Rouhana and Nadine Labaki. In her early years, she was one of the team of graphic designers who created the graphic identity of the Lebanese TV station Future Television between 1990 and 1992

Heba Hage-Felder

Born in Ghana, raised in West Africa and Lebanon, Heba Hage-Felder moves between Beirut and Bern. She photographs, writes, and explores crafts related to paper, bookbinding and podcasting. Heba enjoys storytelling in multiple forms and by activating archives. She is currently independent, experimenting with her own artistic initiatives and accompanying artists and cultural entities in developing their ideas and practices.

She is the former director of the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut and was responsible for institutional development at the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. Between 2006 and 2016, she worked with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, initially in Switzerland and then as head of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Lebanon. During 1996-2006, she was involved in youth and community initiatives in Jordan, Lebanon, and Rwanda, including co-founding Mada, a local association in Lebanon.