About Simsara عن سمسارة

contact@simsara.me

Sarah El Miniawy

Director

Alya El Hosseiny

Production Manager

May Mostafa

Associate Development Manager



تعمل سمسارة للعلاقات العامة والإدارة الموسيقية مع مجموعة صغيرة وخاصة جداً من الفنانين والمؤسسات الذين يقودون تطور الموسيقى المستقلة في العالم العربي.

أسست سارة المنياوي وكالة سمسارة بعد تطويرها لخبرتها في مجال العلاقات العامة من خلال عملها مع مركز باربيكان لمدة 8 سنوات أثناء حصولها على ماجستير في الموسيقى واﻷنثروبولوجي من كلية الدراسات الشرقية والإفريقية.

لاحقًا، انضمت عالية الحسيني إلى سمسارة، وتعمل اﻵن كمديرة إنتاج  بالقاهرة. عملت عالية لسنوات بحقل الثقافة المستقلة بالقاهرة، قبل أن تحصل على الدكتوراه في دراسات الشرق اﻷوسط من جامعة نيويورك برسالة في اﻷدب المقارن.

تعمل مي مصطفى عن كثب مع سمسارة كمستشارة مستقلة تركز على تنسيق المنح والمراقبة والتقييم بالإضافة إلى كونها وكيلة ومديرة مشاريع لأنشطتنا وفعالياتنا في مصر. تشمل خبرتها في الفنون والثقافة العمل على برامج تعليم الفنون في مدرسة الدرب الأحمر للفنون و كمديرة مسرح الجنينة.

Simsara is an artist management, music PR and special projects agency, founded and run by Sarah El Miniawy, working with an intimate roster of artists at the forefront of alternative and experimental music in the Arab world.

We have developed tried and tested blueprints for artist and music project management with an understanding of the creative process, and the social, political and economic realities facing independent Arabic music today. One of our main goals is achieving economically sustainable careers for musicians, allowing them to focus on their art only, over long periods of time.

With loyalty to and understanding of our artists’ visions, we support them with uncompromising artistic practises, through partnerships with the right entities, thoughtfully developed PR & Communication activities, and a symbiotic long term management relationship.

The agency’s objective to pick artists and projects with high artistic merits is what informs its boutique nature. Instead of growing our roster, we conceptualise and produce our own music development projects, feeding into the long term goal of stimulating and supporting quality artistic production.

Sarah El Miniawy developed her PR experience working for the Barbican Centre for eight years whilst pursuing a master’s degree in music and anthropology at SOAS. Born in Algiers to an Algerian mother and an Egyptian father, she was brought up between the two countries before moving to London in 2005. Sarah is currently based between Stockholm, Cairo and London.

Alya El Hosseiny joined Simsara as a Music Management Coordinator based in Cairo. After several years working in the independent arts field in Cairo, she obtained her PhD from New York University in Middle Eastern Studies, with a dissertation in comparative literature.

May Mostafa has been working closely with Simsara as an independent consultant focusing on fundraising & development, monitoring & evaluation as well as a booker and project manager for our activities and events in Egypt. Her experience in arts and culture includes working in arts education programs at Al Darb Al Ahmar Arts School and as venue manager at El Genaina Theater.