Zeina Daccache
Personal information
Zeina Daccache
Drama Therapist and Executive Director of Catharsis, LCDT, Film Director, Play director, Activist
Contact information (Private)
+961 9 914932
+961 3 336932
Contact information (Work)
Catharsis - Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy
+9619914932
Community/Lebanon Impact
Zeina Daccache, BA in Theater Studies, MA in Clinical Psychology, Registered Drama Therapist and Board Certified Trainer with the North American Drama Therapy Association - NADTA, USA.
She is the founder and Executive Director of Catharsis - Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy and works as a drama therapist, play director and documentary film maker in different settings (among them: Prisons). She has been implementing Drama Therapy processes in Lebanon and the Middle East since 2006. She is recipient of many awards given for her distinguished contributions to the field of social initiatives and services.
Education
Education:
- Board Certified Trainer with the North American Drama Therapy Association – 2017, NADTA, USA
- Registered Drama Therapist with the North American Drama Therapy Association – 2011, NADTA, USA
- Master's degree, Clinical Psychology, 2011, Haigazian University, Lebanon.
- Graduate studies in Drama Therapy, 2006 - 2007, Kansas State University, United States of America.
- Nominee and selected to benefit from the American Fulbright Master degree scholarship
- Acting school, October 2000 - June 2001, Ecole Philippe Gaulier (International Drama School), England.
- Bachelor degree, Scenic and Dramatic Art (completed with honors), July 2000, Institute of Scenic Audiovisual and Cinematography Studies, Saint - Joseph University, Lebanon.
Work history
Previous Professions:
- Founder, Executive Director and Drama Therapist, 2007 - present, Catharsis - Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy.
- Drama Therapist, Project and Play director of the following pioneering advocacy theatre projects (Produced by Catharsis):
- Johar Up in the Air, 2015-2016.
- Shebaik Lebaik, 2014-2015.
- From the Bottom of My Brain, 2011-2012-2013.
- Scheherazade in Baabda, 2012.
- 12 Angry Lebanese – the play, 2009.
- 12 Angry Men, 2004
- 12 Angry Lebanese – the documentary.
- Drama Therapist at Catharsis private practice and Professional Trainer at International and local Corporates (Air France, Roche Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Algorithm SAL, Booz Allen, Touch, Souk El Tayeb, etc.) For individuals and groups who desire to
- University Professor (2008-Present) : At the Occupational therapy department at the Lebanese University – Hadath (2017-2018)/ At the Holy Family University, Batroun (2018)/ At the Lebanese University- Zahle (2008 to 2011) / At the Masters in Psychosocial Support (launched by IOM) at the Lebanese University –Hadath / At the alternative training in drama therapy offered by Catharsis.
- Lecturer at International Conferences, Drama Therapy and Art therapy Conferences (2007- Present): UNESCO youth volunteering & dialogue in France, North American Drama Therapy Association annual conferences in USA, Art as Witness conference at Concordia University, Canada, Nuqat conference in Kuwait, etc.
- Freelance drama therapist for NGOs, schools, universities and International Organizations in the region (2006 -Present): IOM, Assabil, Dar El Amal NGO, Abaad NGO, Hajj Baha’ El Din Al Hariri School-Saida, AUB public health department, Grand Lycee, Al Jana NGO, Al Masar NGO, Lebanese Red Cross, SSCC school, René Moawad Foundation, ATTC, Rikesteatern (Sweeden), etc. And / or working directly with beneficiaries (for example Syrians residing in Tripoli from 2012 to 2015)
- LCDT/Film Director
- Activist
Major Achievements
Publications (Books, Articles, Reports, etc.):
- Daccache, Z. 12 Angry Lebanese-the Play [DVD]. Lebanon.
- Daccache, Z. 12 Angry Lebanese-the soundtrack [CD]. Lebanon.
- Daccache, Z. 12 Angry Lebanese – the documentary [DVD]. Lebanon. Also available on Itunes store and Googleplay.
- Daccache, Z. Scheherazade in Baabda [DVD]. Lebanon.
- Daccache, Z. Scheherazade’s Diary [DVD]. Lebanon. Also available on Itunes stor and Googleplay.
- Daccache, Z. From the Bottom of my Brain (the play interpreted by the residents of Al Fanar psychiatric Hospital) [DVD]. Lebanon.
- Daccache, Z. Shebaik Lebaik (the play interpreted by migrant domestic workers) [DVD]. Lebanon.
- Daccache, Z. Johar Up in the Air (the play interpreted by inmates in Roumieh Prison, including inmates suffering from Mental illness) [DVD]. Lebanon.
- Author of the Chapter “The Unheard Stories of Those Forgotten Behind Bars in Lebanon” in the book The Self in Performance, Autobiographical, Self-Revelatory, and Autoethnographic Forms of Therapeutic Theatre. Pendzik,S. Emunah, R & Johnson, D (2016). The Self in Performance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Author of the Chapter “The Unheard Stories of Those Forgotten Behind Bars in Lebanon”, in the Spanish book Dramaterapia, teoria y practica, Schuchner, G. & Ferrandis, D (2017). Buenos Aires: Letra Viva.
- Author of the Chapter “12 Angry Lebanese in Roumieh Prison” in the book Doomed by Hope: Essays on Arab Theatre, Houssami, E (2012). Beirut: Dar Al Saqi.
Major achievements:
- Undertaking the drama Therapy Project (Drama Therapy in Prison-A new artistic platform), a project of Catharsis-LCDT inside Roumieh prison, with funding from the Italian Development Cooperation Office/Embassy of Italy in Beirut in the framework of ROSS Emergency program, 2009 - 2010, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Ministry of Justice.
- Directing the play 12 Angry Lebanese performed by 40 inmates at the Roumieh prison, a project adopted by the Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms, 2008 - 2009, a project in the framework of Afkar 2 program, financed by the EU and Managed by OMSAR, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities and the Ministry of Justice.
- Directing the following films: 12 Angry Lebanese-the documentary (2009), and "Any", (2007).
- Directed Shebaik Lebaik, interpreted by Migrant Domestic workers in Lebanon, 2014-2015, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Beirut. The actors in the play Shebaik Lebaik claimed loudly during the play in Dec 2014 and May 2015 for the cancellation of the circular number 1778 issued in October 2014, and stating that Migrant Domestic Workers are not allowed to have romantic relationships on the Lebanese territory. It was abolished on July 2015 by the circular number 2262.
- Directed From the Bottom of My Brain, performed by the residents of Al Fanar hospital for neuropsychiatric disorders, 2011-2012-2013, funded by the Italian Embassy in Beirut.
- Directed Scheherazade in Baabda, performed by the women inmates of Baabda prison, 2012, with the support of Drosos Foundation. In April 2014, after many cases of domestic violence, and years of activisim, a bill for the protection of women and members of the family passed in the Lebanese parliament. Scheherazade’s project was part of the activism achieved towards the law.
- Directed 12 Angry Men, interpreted by the residents of Oum El Nour’s rehabilitation center, 2004.
- The blue inmates (4 time award-winning documentary), 2021, among the awards: Final cut at Venice International Film Festival 2020
- Scheherazade’s Diary (10 time award-winning documentary), 2013
- Any, 2007, a short-documentary about women residing in the South of Lebanon after the July War 06. Screened on 3 national TVs in Lebanon.
- Author of the Chapter “The Blue House: An analysis of the production of Johar Up in the Air” in the Drama Therapy Review Volume 8 Number 1. Daccache, Zeina (2022)
- Author of the Chapter “The Unheard Stories of Those Forgotten Behind Bars in Lebanon” in the book The Self in Performance, Autobiographical, Self-Revelatory, and Autoethnographic Forms of Therapeutic Theatre. Pendzik, S. Emunah, R & Johnson, D (2016). The Self in Performance. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Author of the Chapter “The Unheard Stories of Those Forgotten Behind Bars in Lebanon”, in
- the Spanish book Dramaterapia, teoria y practica, Schuchner, G. & Ferrandis, D (2017).
- Buenos Aires: Letra Viva.
- Author of the Chapter “12 Angry Lebanese in Roumieh Prison” in the book Doomed by Hope:
- Essays on Arab Theatre, Houssami, E (2012). Beirut: Dar Al Saqi.
- Articles on Drama Therapy published in the Dramascope/ New York and Daily Star
Accomplishments
Distinctions:
Honored by Gebran Tueni Foundation for the work achieved in prisons. Sept, 2012.
Honored by YWCA for directing and managing the theatre project 12 Angry Lebanese inside Roumieh Prison, 2009.
Awards:
- The Documentaries 12 Angry Lebanese and Scheherazade’s Diary won many Awards at International Festivals since 2009 up till present (8 awards for 12 Angry Lebanese and 10 Awards for Scheherazade’s Diary)
- 4 awards to The Blue Inmates
- Winner of the Arts & Culture 2018 Lebanon Impact Award – Hult Prize (that aims to recognize the country’s top Impact leaders).
- Winner of the International Gramsci Award for theatre in Prison, Italy, Dec 2016.
- Recipient of the Performance Award from NADTA in 2012 (North American Drama Therapy Association), in recognition of the exemplary use of live or recorded performance to facilitate individual or collective awareness and transformation.
-
The Graduate Student Research Award, 2011. Given by the Drama Therapy Fund-USA, for my thesis on Drama Therapy in Lebanese Prisons.
- Medal of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities for directing and managing the theatre project 12 Angry Lebanese inside Roumieh Prison, 2009.
- An-Nahar Woman of the year Award, 2009.
- And several other awards for her work in drama therapy
Competences & Skills
Field(s) of Expertise:
- Activism
- Drama Therapy
- Education
- Vulnerable Groups
- Film Making
- Theatre
Languages:
- Arabic
- English
- French
- Italian