Born 1966 in the Netherlands. Founder and director of CULTURESCAPES. 

He studied cultural management at the University of Basel. He was head of the production agency Performing Arts Services and worked with Od-theater, Circle X Arts, Sankai Juku, Werkbühne Berlin and the Goetheanum, among others. He has been the driving force and inspiration behind all festival editions since CULTURESCAPES was founded in 2003. He lectures on cultural management and networking and is a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA).

Born in 1976 in Khmelnytsky, Ukraine (then USSR). Curator, cultural critic and writer. Master of Arts in cultural studies. She was director of the Foundation Center for Contemporary Art in Kyiv, Ukraine, as well as founder and editor-in-chief of the online journal of contemporary culture Korydor.

In addition, worked as a trainer and consultant for various programs under the EU Eastern Partnership Culture Program, which focused on cultural policy analysis, cultural industries, and cultural journalism in the region. She advised the EU National Institutes for Culture EUNIC on issues of global cultural relations and cooperation. Kateryna regularly contributes to various media outlets.

Why did you want to work for CULTURESCAPES?

I joined the team in 2014 as an exhibitions curator. I soon realized that CULTURESCAPES as a festival offered a unique opportunity to combine many of the things I always appreciated about working in the cultural field: multidisciplinary approach, exploration of local cultural landscapes with global reach and significance, and connecting a diversity of artistic voices with different audiences. Over the years, we have developed Culturescapes into a platform for empowerment and awareness of the current issues of our time. I am happy to see Culturescapes as a growing space of caring and mutual learning between different societies and cultures, even far-flung ones, with the common goal of imagining a better and more sustainable future.

Born 1991 in Cape Town, South Africa - in Basel since 2001. Studied Cultural Anthropology and English Literature as well as Arts and Cultural Managmenet in Basel and London. Various voluntary activities at universities and various internships in the cultural sector, including at the Swiss Embassy in London and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. 

Why did you want to work for CULTURESCAPES? 

One of the driving forces for me to work in the cultural sector is to make society aware of issues through cultural exchange - this is also what CULTURESCAPES does: Through various cultural events and integrative activities, the audience can engage with the urgency of issues such as climate change, decolonization of the Global South or social injustices and at the same time gain new experiences. The exceptional and multidisciplinary program allows to look at the issues from different perspectives and to engage in dialogue with each other. With the support of partner institutions, a diverse audience can be addressed, making Basel and the rest of Switzerland a platform for exchange on topics of the past, present, and future. In this way, gaps and divisions in society can be closed with new knowledge and new paths can be explored through art. The unique format enables versatile meeting points between cultural institutions and a broad audience as well as artists* and cultural workers. 

Was born in 1992, in Schüpfen near Bern, studied fine arts in Bern, and subsequently art education with a focus on journalism in Zurich. She has worked both in institutional settings and in the independent scene in the fields of art, theater, film, music, and art education. Amongst others, at the Alpine Museum of Switzerland and most recently as managing director at the Bernhard Luginbühl Foundation. Additionally, in 2022, she received a CAS in works and estate management.

Why did you want to work at CULTURESCAPES?

With its international outlook, its networking and mediating orientation, and the resulting program, the CULTURESCAPES festival offers diverse, integrative, and instructive points of contact and appeals to a wide range of visitor groups. Especially its multidisciplinary, intercultural exchange, and the discursive approach to changing political and social challenges were what motivated me to be part of this team and the festival.”

Born in 1993 in Basel, she graduated with a Master's in Art Education Curatorial Studies at the Zurich University of the Arts. Her volunteer work includes writing for the online cultural magazine Wie Wär's Mal Mit and is currently a board member of the Jugendkultur Festival Basel as well as part of the collective HYBRID, which is dedicated to the question of how art institutions can become more diverse and inclusive. She has gained valuable insights into art and cultural institutions at the Kunstmuseum Basel, Liste Art Fair Basel,  Fotomuseum Winterthur, and others in the field of communication, organization as well as exhibitions and mediation.

Why did you want to work for CULTURESCAPES?

CULTURESCAPES addresses relevant and current issues in a way that allows a diverse, interdisciplinary discourse. In doing so, CULTURESCAPES provides a platform for diverse voices from the arts and cultural landscape of each region and facilitates a stimulating dialogue between institutions, artists, cultural practitioners, and a broad audience. I am looking forward to experiencing the festival with its multidisciplinary program and helping to shape it as a place for cross-border events.