Aixa Figini
Aixa has 16+ years of experience working in the arts sector as an arts manager, programme coordinator and consultant for organisations such us Ministry of Culture of Buenos Aires City, Ministry of Culture Chile, Juventus Lyrica Opera Association, Argentine Embassy in the UK, Sound and Music London, and Hellensmusic international chamber music festival which she still manages in the UK. She has worked as a producer with artists like Heritage Orchestra and Bjork in some of the main festivals and venues in the UK. Aixa has an active career as a musician in Lisbon where she leads several artistic projects ranging from traditional music ensembles to vocal improvisation.
Saghar Hamidzade
Saghar has 10+ years of experience in project management and business development across technology, international development, and humanitarian sectors. Her career started in management consulting at Deloitte in Washington, DC where she spent 4 years working on solving operational and strategy challenges for public sector clients. Saghar has managed field operations and implementation of technical and humanitarian projects in Yemen, Syria, Palestine, working directly with local populations and end-users. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership in securing funding, building partnerships, and driving operational efficiency.
Maria Kopke
Maria is a Brazilian Portuguese performer and writer, with training in music and theatre and a master’s degree in Comparative Studies from UL’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She has experience in copywriting, translation, and management of cultural events. She was a guest artist and speaker at HeforShe Lisbon events for two consecutive years, and participated as a workshop trainer at the III National Meeting for Feminist Youth in Viseu. She was one of the artists featured in A Arte de Construir Cidadania (Tinta da China, 2022). She has written about the intersection between arts and social change for Público and Dezanove as well as the American performing arts news website Onstage.
How we started
We started with a successful crowdfunding campaign and used the money raised to purchase Afghan instruments that the musicians were forced to leave behind and support their musical interests by connecting them with other musicians and organizing concerts.
SOMA organised 11 concerts and events in several venues across Portugal over 6 months.
The project Sons do Afeganistão had its official presentation on May 28 at BOTA Associação Cultural with the participation of 6 Afghan musicians and an audience of over 100 people. It was also celebration of the successful crowdfunding campaign.
