Theme: NAKED

Free yourself from the burden of layers. Layers of skin, cognitive biases, political views, the space between your thoughts, your interpretation of order and chaos, your preconceived truths… Remove them one by one, and amid this heavenly nakedness, reconnect with your own true self. NAKED!

Conference Hall, Orthodox Church
Rruga e Kavajes, 151
Tirana, Tiranë
Albania

Alketa Xhafa Mripa

Contemporary artist

Alketa is a Kosovar contemporary artist based in London. She studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, before going on to study History of Art at the Tate Modern, London. Arriving as a student, Alketa became a refugee when the 1998-1999 Kosovo war broke out. Since then she has displayed her multi-faceted work in exhibitions across Europe including Berlin, London, Italy, Portugal and her native Kosovo, where she gained wider recognition for her art installation ‘Thinking of You’. Taking multiple forms, including films and installations, paintings and photography, her art promotes women’s liberation and independence, shining a spotlight on the reductionist behavior of oppressive societies. In her current, ongoing work, titled ‘Refugees Welcome’, Alketa seeks to recreate the welcoming feeling she herself experienced when she was new to the UK.

Elizabeth Gowing

Writer

Elizabeth Gowing has been based in Kosovo and Albania since 2006. She is the co-founder of The Ideas Partnership NGO which uses the power of volunteers on projects with a particular focus on minority communities. In 2016 she received from President Atifete Jahjaga the Mother Teresa Medal for Humanitarian work and in 2017 the 'Point of Light' award for voluntary work from British Prime Minister Theresa May. She is the author of four books about the region (Travels in Blood and Honey; becoming a beekeeper in Kosovo [2011], Edith and I; on the trail of an Edwardian traveller in Kosovo [2013], The Rubbish-Picker's Wife; an unlikely friendship in Kosovo [2015] and The Silver Thread; a journey through Balkan craftsmanship [2017]) and also works as a translator from Albanian to English. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4.

Elsa Demo

Journalist

Elsa studied literature at the Faculty of Philology, University of Tirana and since 2000 contributes with her writings to some of the major daily newspaper. She is the author of numerous articles, essays, reportage and analyzes and since 2017 the author of a TV program on culture, "Arkapia". Alongside publicist and scholar Ardian Klosi, Elsa has published two documentary and literary anthologies: the first depicts life under the dictatorship in Albania "Albania recalls 1944-1991", and "Albania tells 1991-2010". She has published in several Albanian and foreign journals/magazines such as: "Hylli i Dritës", "At Zef Pllumi speaks to journalists", "Poeteka" and "Wagnis der Erinnerung". In 2009, Elsa was awarded the Woytila Prize at the international competition "Mediterranean Journalists" in Italy. Currently, she is completing her doctoral studies at the Center for Albanological Studies, Tirana.

Fisnik Ismaili

Creative soul

Born in Pristina, Fisnik lived in London for 12 years where he also graduated in Multimedia in 1998. In 2005 he left the UK and established two advertising agencies “Karrota” and “Ogilvy Albania” in Kosovo and Albania. Currently, Fisnik is serving his second term as an MP of VETËVENDOSJE! in the Assembly of Kosovo. Former KLA fighter, Fisnik is also known as the author of many creative and satirical political works in Kosovo. He is the creator of the “NEWBORN”, independence monument in Pristina, for which he won the world's most prestigious design award, the Golden Lion in Cannes, and six other international awards. He is a lecturer in Multimedia and has recently completed his Master in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs in the UK.

Genta Ahmeti

Entrepreneur

Genta was born in Tirana. She studied at the Faculty of Forestry Sciences, at the wood processing branch, specialized in the construction of marine wooden crafts. Currently, she is the administrator of “Artisanal” and director/founder of the project “Life on Boat” which aims to build artisanal boats and to give life to a naval museum in Albania.

Gjon Juncaj

Federal Prosecutor

Gjon Juncaj is a U.S. federal prosecutor. Gjon was appointed to the U.S. Department of Justice in 2001 through the selective Attorney General’s Honors Program. He has served the Justice Department in Buffalo, New York, Washington D.C., and his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Born to ethnic Albanian parents in the United States, since late 2015 Gjon has had the privilege of serving as a Resident Legal Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Tirana. His primary mission in Tirana is to assist with efforts to provide Albanian citizens with a legal system based on independence, integrity, and the pursuit of justice

Helene Legay

Singer-songwriter

Hélène Legay is a London-based marketer and singer-songwriter. Passionate about tech for good, she joined Qarnot computing, a startup that reuses the heat generated by servers for free home heating, before graduating from Sciences Po Paris in 2015. She has co-founded the French branch of DemocracyOS, an online platform for deliberation and voting on political proposals. Fascinated by the Balkans, she has interned for the EU in Albania and is one of the co-founders of TEDxTirana in 2013.

Mikaela Minga

Musicologist

Mikaela Minga is an ethno/musicologist at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies as well as an invited lecturer at the University of Arts - Tirana. She studies different musical practices of the Balkan and the Mediterranean area, 20th century music and their diverse artistic and socio-cultural ties. She is the author of many books, essays and various articles.

Nita Deda

Director of International Short Film Festival

Nita Deda is the Director of International and Short Film Festival DokuFest, the largest cultural event in Kosovo. Previously she was the Head of Communication of the festival and programmer of the music program of the festival DokuNights. Nita, draws on a background of leadership in film production (Producer Atis: dir, Daniel Mulloy; Anestezion: dir, Noar Sahiti), Arts (International Project Coordinator at the National Gallery of Kosovo), PR (Communication Coordinator of the first Pavilion of the Republic of Kosovo at the 55th Venice Biennale; video editor at Kosovo 2.0 website) and management (Festival Manager SURF 2011). She studied Media and Communication at the Empire State College in Prague.

Redi Shehu

Director Communication Institute

Redi is the Director of the “Medius” Communication Institute, conceived as an advanced intellectual unit of various fields of public communication, with the participation of selected and influential people, aiming to promote and create a healthy communication environment in the country. Redi has been part of some of the most important TV debate panels in the country as well as a columnist for some of the major daily newspapers. He has also participated in several academic conferences and published articles on social issues and public communication.