27 May 2026 - 18:00 (UTC+2, Paris)
Online webinar (live, with recording available)

Join the event:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87628735647?pwd=It4UUfYumFWMtJIGkJbZKe1jWl0Cyu.1

Organised in the context of the UNESCO Culture and Arts Education Week (25 - 31 May 2026), this international webinar marks the launch of the Art to Face Observatory, a new platform dedicated to advancing arts, culture and education in contexts affected by conflict, crisis and post-conflict reconstruction.

Across these contexts, artistic and cultural practices play a vital role in supporting education, psychosocial well-being, cultural continuity and peacebuilding. Yet these initiatives often remain fragmented and insufficiently visible at the global level.

The webinar will open with contributions from Maria Mathilde Stoleroff and Paula Braungart from UNESCO, who will introduce the Culture and Arts Education Week and its global framework.

Invited speakers will share concrete, field-based experiences from diverse crisis and post-conflict contexts:

Sara Hommel, Independent Consultant
Arts-based MHPSS for Children, Caregivers and Educators
Sara Hommel is an international consultant advising universities, foundations and INGOs on multi-sectoral MHPSS, education and public health projects. She will present how arts-based approaches can be integrated into education systems to support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children, families and educators.

Joel Bergner, CEO and Co-Founder, Artolution
Building Community Through Art-Making in the Rohingya Refugee Camp
Joel Bergner is a mural artist and organiser of community art initiatives with conflict-affected and marginalised communities worldwide. He will share insights from Artolution’s work with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, highlighting how participatory art programmes support well-being, social connection and community resilience.

Ammar Bamatraf, Founder and President, Socotra Planet Organisation
Socotri Heritage: Identity and Opportunities
Ammar Bamatraf is a creative producer and cultural activist working on heritage preservation in Yemen. He will present his work in Socotra Island, focusing on the role of arts and civil society in safeguarding cultural heritage in an isolated and fragile context, and on the development of a UNESCO- and EU-supported Creative Hub.

Gaël Conan, Regional Director Middle East, Libraries Without Borders
The Daraya Library Rebirth: Culture as a Tool for Peace
Gaël Conan works with Libraries Without Borders to support access to education and culture in crisis contexts. He will present the reconstruction of the Daraya library in Syria, a community-led initiative promoting access to knowledge, cultural life and social cohesion after years of conflict.

Beyond the presentations, the session will introduce the Art to Face Observatory, including its thematic working groups and upcoming global mapping initiative, and will invite participants to contribute to a growing international community of practice.
Open to all, this webinar invites participants to explore how arts and cultural education can make a difference in crisis contexts, connect with practitioners from around the world, and contribute to a collective international effort.

For more information about the event or the Art to Face Observatory, please contact:
Art to Face
contact@art-to-face.com
https://www.art-to-face.com