It started small in the living room of the founder of the Mezrab, Sahand Sahebdivani. For the next 10 years, Mezrab has moved locations and expanded. From 2015 Farnoosh Farnia and Karl Giesriegl, and later Irina Koriazova took over the artistic and logical operation and turned it to the vivid, divers and communicative place the Mezrab is known for. Simultaneously Rogier Lammers created a music program focussed on traditional music from all over the world. Today’s Mezrab is run by Sahand Sahebdivani and Karl Giesriegl. Irina Koriazova is the producer.
It is a place where the public feels welcome – in which the visitor does feel as part of a community. The visitor can decide to what extent he/she participates in the Mezrab concept: as a visitor, as a volunteer or as a programmer.
The term “inclusion” is very important to the atmosphere and method of the Mezrab team. Although the Mezrab team always remains keen on artistic quality or innovation, it is often programmed from the community. Programmers have a lot of freedom in developing programs, within Mezrab’s vision.
Mezrab today is a developed cultural centre, a theater, a storytelling school and hosts a wide range of storytelling, music and other spoken word performances. It offers quality entertainment to a large network of expats, students, as well as locals that are looking for English-spoken events – to people from all over the world.