We have a wonderfully talented team of mostly returning teachers excited to create an engaging and fun camp experience this summer!
Mohammed was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he currently resides. He studied painting at Emirates Fine Art Society in Sharjah, UAE. His work spans from painting to video and performance art. He has had numerous solo exhibitions in the UAE and has been a part of group exhibitions in South Korea, Switzerland, Italy Germany, Uzbekistan, Spain, Bangladesh, Cuba, Oman and France. He won first prize awards for his installations at the Sharjah International Art Biennial. He recently had a residency at Kunstammlungen, Chemnitz, Germany. Mohammed is not only an artist, but also growing in stature as a curator and in so doing adhering to a concept that encourages the artist to follow the whole artistic process. He is in Philadelphia this summer for an Artist-In-Residence program at University of the Arts, and working for two weeks during that time with Al-Bustan Campers.
Tremain has led workshops for youth and adults in the Philadelphia area for over fifteen years. She has worked as a Artist-in-Residence at Westtown School, Penn Alexander School, the Jubilee School, and the University City Arts League. Tremain’s creative work in encaustic painting has gained a significant amount of attention in the art world. Four of her pieces are included in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and numerous works are in private collections and galleries. Featured in several art books and journals, her paintings have been reviewed extensively by national publications, including the Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. Tremain returns to Al-Bustan for the second summer, teaching Art during the first and second weeks.
Hanna, an Arab-Israeli, is a violinist trained in the classical traditions of Arab and Western music. As the music director of the Arabesque Music Ensemble, Khoury has led nationwide tours performing traditional Arab music in major venues and universities, and has recorded two traditional Arab music albums: Al Fursan Al-Talatha and The Songs of Sheikh Sayyed Darweesh: Soul of People. He is a violinist and Arab music advisor with Intercultural Journeys, frequently performing with cellist Ohad Bar David. Hanna has toured with Lebanese superstar Fairuz and played lead violin with Iraqi singer Kazem Al-Saher, and grammy winner Youssu NDour. Hanna is the recipient of the America Israel Scholarship and Qattan Foundation Award. He graduated Magna Cum-Laude with departmental honors from UCLA with Bachelors in Economics and Music Performance, and obtained his Masters degree in Music from Temple University. As the Director of Al-Bustan’s music program, Hanna will teach Music during the first week of Al-Bustan Camp.
Hafez is an accomplished master percussionist, fluent in both Arab and Latin rhythms. Born in Venezuela of Syrian heritage, he grew up in Syria until the age of 16 years. He began playing the doumbek at the age of seven years, made his first stage performance at nine years, and went on to study with master Syrian percussionist Hady Jazan, winning the regional percussion competitions in Syria for five consecutive years. In Venezuela he studied percussion at the TMV Institute for Music in Valencia, where he also taught middle and high school students for several years a variety of percussion styles blending Arab and Latino music. Since his residency in Philadelphia, he continues his passion in playing Arab percussion, singing maqam, and performing with a variety of musicians. Hafez works with Al-Bustan teaching weekly percussion and folk dance at several Philadelphia school throughout the year, and this summer will teach percussion at camp during the first week, followed by folk dance in the second and third weeks.
Justin is a Doctoral Candidate in the University of Maryland’s Theatre and Performance Studies Department. He holds a Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Villanova University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Eastern University. As a professional actor he has appeared in film, television, and theatre. Thanks to a grant from the Austrian Academic Exchange Service he has most recently been conducting dissertation research in Vienna, where he has spent significant time observing the established and independent theatre/performance scenes including a community-based program dedicated to providing art education to the city’s Turkish immigrant population. As a theatre instructor and director Justin has worked at University of Maryland, Eastern University, Radnor Township, Burn Brae Performing Arts Day Camp, and Media Theatre. He is the Artistic Director of an independent theatre company that is dedicated to using theatre in order to foster cross-cultural exchange and collaboration. He is also a visual artist and displays his work in local galleries. Justin returns to Al-Bustan Camp for a second summer to teach Drama during the second and third weeks.
Michele, a Philadelphia native, is an Elementary Science teacher at Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia. She previously taught 3rd and 5th grades in the School District of Philadelphia. She received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from East Stroudsburg University, and recently obtained her masters in Integrated Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Some of the highlights of her science teaching career include starting school community gardens; designing a curriculum on the Physics of Playgrounds which led to a playground built by the Philadelphia Eagles; and securing a grant from Home Depot Trees to Succeed, which led to planting 46 trees on Penn Alexander School grounds. Michele is looking forward to returning to Al-Bustan Camp for a second summer, to teach Science during the second and third weeks.
JoEllen is a poet and educator. She graduated as a returning adult student from Arcadia University with a degree in English Literature and is currently completing coursework for a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Her goal is to work with students on American Indian Reservations after her son completes high school at Abington High. She has been tutoring for over seven years at-risk students in Phoenix, AZ. She is the founder and director of a youth writing clinic in Bristol and Feasterville, AZ that works with local schools on creative writing. Her current writing pursuits include an interest in nature poetry, as well as mystic and political activism. Starting this fall she will be performing with Light of Unity Association, a performance poetry organization.
Ayman is a visual designer with over six years experience in the design field, focused on web and interactive projects. Born and raised in Damascus, Syria, Ayman studied Visual Communication at Damascus University School of Fine Arts and is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Digital Design at Philadelphia University. Ayman will teach stop-motion claymation to the teen campers.
Brahim holds a MA in Applied Foreign Languages (Arabic, English and French) and Business Studies from Bordeaux III University in France and a bilingual teacher’s diploma from Ouarzazate Teacher Training School in Morocco. After completing his graduate studies he worked as a primary school teacher in different areas of Morocco for ten years, and taught English part time to students in Cinema and Audiovisual Production Management at the University in Ouarzazate. He also taught Arabic to American Peace Corp Volunteers and French students. Brahim has experience in community organizing and social work, especially in the fields of education, adult literacy, school libraries, kindergartens, scout camps, cross-cultural programming and vocational training. He enjoys spending his free time reading, writing, translating, and volunteering. This is his second summer teaching at Al-Bustan Camp.
Sally, an Egyptian/Sudanese-American, is an educator with several years of experience teaching young children, both in Egypt and the U.S. She obtained her Bachelors degree in Psychology from UCLA and Masters of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, and is pursuing her PhD in Education Policy at Rutgers University. Her research interests are immigrant/refugee education, as well as critical race theory. Her passion is working and doing research with immigrant youth who are navigating new cultures and homelands. Sally has worked with Al-Bustan for several years, as Arabic, poetry and story-writing teacher, curriculum consultant, director of education and camp manager.
