Tashkeel Lecture: Festivals & Biennales – The Selection Process

Sumantro Ghose is an Arts Producer, Curator and Cultural Strategist with over 20 years’ experience in museums, festivals, education, audience development and cultural diplomacy. He is currently Artistic Director, Noor Riyadh, a new annual festival of art and light that launched in March 2021 with the theme ‘Under One Sky’ featuring 63 artworks exhibited at locations across the city. The Festival included ‘Light upon Light’ an acclaimed survey exhibition of light art from the 1960s. Previously he was Culture Programming Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, where he oversaw Abu Dhabi Art, Abu Dhabi Music and Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, an annual forum for global cultural leaders. Sumantro was Managing Director of the London Design Biennale and CEO and Cultural Programme Director at Asia House London, overseeing the Pan-Asia Film Festival and the Festival of Asian Literature. He has worked for a range of cultural institutions including Dubai Culture, Qatar Museums Authority, Tate, National Portrait Gallery and Sotheby’s Institute. He is a trustee of Shubbak Festival of Contemporary Arab Culture in London.