Dayna Ash ( ar, داينا آش) is a Lebanese cultural and social activist, feminist, playwright, performance poet, and the Founder & Executive Director of the non-profit arts organization, Haven for Artists based in Beirut, Lebanon. She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women for 2019, and received the 2020 Woman of Distinction award from NGO Committee on the Status of Women, New York NGO/CSW/NY. Ash was born in Lebanon but raised in the United States. She lived in California for sixteen years before moving to

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Poetry

Ash began her career in the arts as a

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

poet. In a response to one of Ash's spoken word pieces, Carolin Dylla described her as "the very real, unpretentious, tattooed incarnation of art’s most genuine capacities: to create beauty from anger and despair, and to explore ways to create meaning where rational explanation fails." Her poem "Lullaby" was published online in ''Riwayya: A Space of Collision'' in 2015.

Haven for Artists

Ash founded Haven For Artists in 2010. She currently serves as its executive director. Haven For Artists is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

in the

Mar Mikhaël Mar Mikhaël (Arabic: مار ميخائيل, Lebanese pronunciation: مار مخايل) is a residential and commercial neighborhood (sector 75) in the district of Beirut, Lebanon. It is a fashionable area with cafes, restaurants, art galleries, ...

neighborhood of

, which provides space for underground artists. It received official status as a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

in 2017. Haven's original goal was to organize events that brought artists together for shared performances, to reduce competition for exposure. In 2016, Haven acquired a house in the Mar Mikhaël neighborhood to provide a more permanent space for performances, and to create a living and working space for artists. As of 2016, Haven for Artists has produced annual exhibitions with international, regional, and local artists; held regular workshops on many artistic mediums, renovated two heritage houses in Beirut which acted as a safe space and shelter. HFA extended its network, skills, and tools to work on numerous campaigns for human rights while providing a platform and network for talented creatives. Havens' work merges art and activism through workshops, public discussions, and events. In 2017, Haven was the temporary home of the English-language bookstore Aaliyah's Books. As of 2018, Haven provided four three-month artist residencies at a time. The ground floor of the building hosts Concept 2092, which includes a cafe, co-working space, art exhibitions, and a concept store selling residents' work. Acting as a safe and all-inclusive free space. In 2019, Ash and Haven were featured in Lebanese filmmaker Tania Safi's video series Shway Shway (meaning "Little by Little"), which highlights local activists.

Other activism

Ash currently hosts panels, talks, and workshops oriented around art for social change. In 2014, Ash worked as a senior field officer for the NGO

ACTED Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, commonly known as ACTED, is a French humanitarian non-governmental organisation. It is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organisatio. ACTED works in 37 countries responding to eme ...

, supporting Syrian refugees. In October 2019, Ash participated in anti-government protests in Beirut. The newspaper ''The National'' identified her as one of the leaders of "the frontline women" at protests that brought together women from many cultural backgrounds to advocate for their concerns as women.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ash, Dayna Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Lebanese poets Lebanese activists Lesbian artists Lebanese LGBT rights activists 21st-century Lebanese LGBT people Lebanese lesbians Cultural activists