Bill Bragin

Executive Artistic Director

Bill Bragin, a leading figure in music and performing arts programming, is the first executive artistic director of The Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi. Called “one of the most influential figures in the New York live-music business” by The New York Times, Bragin brings extensive experience, creativity, and his own unique multidisciplinary vision to the role.

Called a “game-changer” (The National) in the UAE since it began its programs in 2015 on Saadiyat Island, under his leadership, The Arts Center is a winner of the 2018 and 2019 Pride of Abu Dhabi Award, and Bragin has been a finalist twice for Abu Dhabi AmCham’s Falcon Individual Award for Excellence. Bragin is a co-founder of the not-for-profit world music festival and service organization globalFEST, 2018 winner of the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. As director of public programming of NY’s Lincoln Center from 2008-2014, he oversaw the Midsummer Night Swing and Lincoln Center Out of Doors festivals, and programmed the David Rubenstein Atrium. As Director of Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater from 2001-2007, he presented thousands of performances, and commissioned the Tony Award-winning musical Passing Strange. Previous activities include serving as Curator of Music Programs at Symphony Space, General Manager of the NYNO record label, and Artistic Director/Executive Producer of Central Park SummerStage, and associate producer at George Wein’s Festival Productions, Inc. Bragin was music advisor for the TED Conferences, and has served as a jury member, advisor, or speaker for acclaimed conferences and organizations including WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo), South by Southwest (SXSW), Atlantic Music Expo, National Endowment for the Arts, Performing Arts Market Seoul (PAMS) and Porto Musical, among many others. As “Acidophilus”, he has djed internationally as part of GlobeSonic Sound System.

Leila Debbazi

Manager of Administration and Artist Management

Leila Debbazi joined NYU Abu Dhabi in November 2012, leading the administration for the Arts faculty under the Arts & Humanities department. She worked extensively with program heads in Film & New Media, Art & Art History, Music and Theater. In April 2015 she transitioned to The Arts Center to support the Executive Artistic Director, and was heavily involved in the preparation and launch of The Arts Center. She leads the administration for all Arts Center activities and operations, and provides support to all team members and events. She graduated from the University of Westminster with an honors degree in Arabic & International Relations.

Reem Saleh

Associate Director of External Relations

Reem Saleh studied film at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. She began her career as a stage and film actress and worked for 11 years in TV on various aspects of content creation and executive director for TV documentaries for Murr TV Lebanon (MTV), Rotana Enterprise and Jazeera Children’s Channel (now Jeem TV) . She also worked as assistant director on numerous productions, including Assad Fouladkar’s award-winning film When Maryam Spoke Out (2001). She has directed the short film The Naked Eye, the stage play Wings written by Arthur Kopit. Most recently Reem released her first feature independent documentary What Comes Around shot over a period of 6 years in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Cairo, Rod El Farag. The film received international acclaim after its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in 2018 and has been touring the world since.
For 7 years Reem worked for the Doha Film Institute, and headed the creative team of the Ajyal Film Festival for 5 years as Deputy director. She often contributes in supporting film organizations including moderating film talks and press conferences for the Berlin Film Festival. For the last few years, Reem worked as External Relations Officer with The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi before joining The Arts Center team as Associate Director of External Relations.

Lana Goliath

Associate Producer

Lana Goliath joined The Arts Center team in June 2019 as the Associate Producer. Lana moved to the UAE from South Africa in 2016 and worked at the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts foundation (ADMAF) and in the performing arts department of Brighton College Abu Dhabi.

Lana worked for many years at the Baxter Theatre Centre as the Personal Assistant to Lara Foot, Artistic Director of the theatre and took on the role as an Administrative Producer for a community theatre festival and visiting/touring productions. She also worked as the company manager on a touring production in the Netherlands in 2010, and in 2012, she completed a 6 week producing internship in the Edinburgh Theater festival with the Assembly Festival team.

Lana is also a trained African contemporary dancer and was part of the Jazzart Dance Theatre under the directorship of Alfred Hinkel in Cape Town, SA. She has performed in various events and festivals across the country; National Arts Festival, Dance Umbrella, Infecting the City and Baxter Dance Festival.

Clive Primrose

Director of Marketing and Audience Engagement

Clive Primrose has worked in marketing in the UAE since 2008. Coming from the advertising industry where he worked on large concerts, expos, government initiatives, automotive, and art and design fields, Clive joined The Arts Center team in 2016. Before coming to the UAE from South Africa, Clive organized various cultural and music events and club nights in his hometown of Johannesburg. Outside of day to day work he also DJed in South Africa and Dubai for the likes of 360 Degrees at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Dubai Jazz Festival. Clive heads up communications and marketing for The Arts Center working across digital and traditional media.

Christopher Pye

Director of Production

Chris Pye is a seasoned production manager, master electrician and lighting designer with a varied experience of touring, production and corporate work. Before joining the Arts Center, Pye was Deputy Head of Lighting at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman since 2010. Prior to emigrating, he gained a wide experience in all aspects of the performing arts from working in notable international arts venues such as; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, The National Theatre, London and the Mick Jagger Centre for Performing Arts. He is also an experienced programmer of lighting and AV in family entertainment centres. Examples within the UAE include Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Yas Island Water Park.

Reem Allam

Associate Director of Artistic Planning

Reem Allam has been the Executive Manager and Artistic Programmer of the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF), Egypt’s largest international multi-disciplinary arts festival that presents theater, dance, music, film, and visual arts events from around the world. She has also worked as Head of Cairo Industry Days at Cairo International Film Festival, and as Curatorial Advisor for Theater Der Welt Festival in Germany. Allam holds a UK Master’s Degree in Arts, Festivals, and Cultural Management from QMU Edinburgh, and has been awarded the 2018 Finalist Social Impact Award by British Council’s UK Alumni Awards. Over the past years, she has worked in several international festivals, including London’s Shubbak Festival and AAF – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, served as juror on international jury boards for festivals such as Switzerland’s biggest Zürcher Theater Spektakel and Poland’s Boska Komedia Festival, and has been awarded the ISPA (International Society of Performing Arts) fellowship for the years 2022-2024. Allam has given trainings in Arts Management, Fundraising, and Events Management at AUC Tahrir Cultural Center, Gemini Africa’s Incubator program with the African Development Bank, and Afrique Créative’s mentorship program with Agence française de développement.

Lulwa Hasan

Audience and Events Services Manager

Lulwa Hasan Hasan has been managing, designing, planning and executing events since April 2013. Hasan started her event management career in Think UP GCC, a social media PR agency dedicated to raising awareness for community-led initiatives. Hasan managed and overlooked charity-based and awareness events, participated in awareness campaigns, workshops, initiatives and collaborated with various organizations like DU Telecommunications company, Dubai Cares, UNICEF, Community Development Authority, Al Jalila Hospital, Kalimati Speech and Communication Center, UNICEF etc. In 2014, Hasan established PD Events, an event planning organization that managed corporate events and weddings. Hasan oversaw customer experience from conception through post-event, she managed on site-preparations, production, event breakdowns and budgeting ensuring a high-level service throughout all phases. Hasan managed notable events like Expo 2020 Conference: Theme Growth, Renovation of Parks Project by UNESCO x Dubai Municipality and Dubai Tourism, Vogue Ramadan Gala in City Walk Dubai, Hear My Voice: Educational and Innovation conference in Dubai Healthcare City, Al Rawi Tales animals’ event, Expo Sharjah and many more. In 2018, Hasan established The Blue Door, a brand that incorporates a multifunctional working space that has a coffee shop, flower shop and an Arabic literature library. In 2019, Hasan also worked as an Art Director and Set Designer to direct the TV show Mulhemoon; Season one and two, on Abu Dhabi TV. Outside of day-to-day work, Hasan is a Yoga instructor that teaches yoga in various gyms in Dubai. Hasan recently joined the Arts Center as Audience and Events Services Manager.

Sahwa Mohamed

Event Services Associate

Sahwa Abdelmonim is a BSc Environmental Health degree holder from the University of Sharjah, UAE, and also holds a NEBOSH certificate in Health and Safety from QHSE International, Dubai. Sahwa has served five years in Louvre Abu Dhabi (2017-2022). Throughout those years she filled in as a visitor service agent, team leader, and a duty manager, leading the operational side of the visitor experience department. Sahwa has recently joined the Arts Center working as an event services associate for the box office and front of house management.

Meera Al Sayegh

Artistic Associate

Meera Al Sayegh is an artistic producer with global experience in artistic programming. She aims to forge new strategic partnerships in worldwide arts spaces, while promoting direct community engagement. With past experience across the performing arts sector, critical theory writing, social justice story-telling, and film campaigns, she seeks out projects that aim to foster long-term impact for artists of all disciplines.

Bea Laszlo

Associate Producer and Administrative Assistant

Bea Laszlo is a graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Practice with a minor in Film and New Media. Following the completion of a post-graduate training program, she started working as an Associate Producer and Administrative Assistant at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. As a musician, Laszlo’s interest lies in lyrical storytelling and the exploration of the conjunction of memory, time, and place. She focuses on writing lyrics with a heavy conceptual framework, attempting to find balance between the simplicity of melody and the vulnerability of words. Outside of the arts, Laszlo enjoys baking, going to the gym, and exploring places outside of home.

Kevin Ke

Marketing Consultant

Kevin Ke is a Class of 2020 graduate from NYU Abu Dhabi’s with a BA in Theater and Economics and has been working for The Arts Center’s marketing team since. During his time at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Arts Center was pivotal to his artistic development, introducing him to ideas and artists that shape his own artistic interests in theater and dance. He is also a co-creative director of Exit 11 Performing Arts Company, an internationally based theater company founded by NYUAD alumni.