J.J. El-Far

J.J. El-Far is a creative producer, arts manager, and cultural consultant based in Harlem, NYC. She brings diverse people together for artistic events that transform spaces and communities. She specializes in the intersection of art, activism, and conflict resolution.

JJ is the General Manager of Theater Mitu, an international collective committed to expanding the definition of theater through methodical experimentation with its form. Prior to that she served as Officer of the Arts Program for the British Council, engaging in cultural exchange with British artists in the US from 2012-2017. She is a Co-founder of the multi-disciplinary Harlem Arts Festival, which she led as Creative Director from 2010-2015 and later chaired the Board of Directors from 2015-17.

JJ was Assistant Producer of the 2015 Two Degrees Festival of art and climate action at Artsadmin in London.  She is a core member of Theatre Without Borders with whom she co-produced conferences “Acting Together on the World Stage” in 2007 and the “Theater for Social Change” in 2010. Previously, JJ co-founded and served as Executive Director of Hybrid Theatre Works, an international theater collective, which created over 60 original works using non-traditional space and new media.

She is one of Theatre Communications Group’s Nathan L. Cummings Young Leaders of Color, and is a member of Women of Color in the Arts.

As a consultant and freelance producer, she has worked with Octopus Theatricals, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, The Play Company, TedX Harlem, the American embassy in Cairo and Spotify.

She has spoken at the Apollo Theatre, Chamber Music America Conference, NYU, ReOrient Forum, Cultural Diplomacy and Global Performance at Georgetown, Arts in the One World at Brown Univ. She has served on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, Network of Ensemble Theaters, Theatre Communications Group and Queens Arts Council.

As a theater artist, J.J. has worked with La Mama International Symposium for Directors in Umbria, Italy, Magic Future Box, Changeling Theatre, Castillo Theatre, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, NY Arab American Comedy Fest, Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, and Berkshire Theatre Group.

JJ holds an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London and received a BA in Theater Arts and in International Global Studies from Brandeis University.