UK National Bahá'í Festival 2008

Home	Special Guests
		Suheil Bushrui Professor Bushrui is a distinguished author, poet, critic and translator, well-known in the United States, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Arab world. From 1992-2005, he was the first holder of the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland's Centre for International Development and Conflict Management. He is the founder and current director of the university's Kahlil Gibran Research and Studies Project. Professor Bushrui is well-known for his seminal studies on the works of Gibran and W.B.Yeats, and for his translations of Yeats's poetry into Arabic. He has taught at Oxford University and was the first Arab national to be appointed to the Chair of English at the American University of Beirut.
		Dawnbreaker Collective Hot on the heels of the release of their stunning debut CD, Arise, this Los Angeles-based collective of young Bahá'í musicians are making their UK debut at the Festival. The Collective mix an eclectic range of styles including hip-hop, spoken word, folk, roots and pop. Arise is produced by Benny Cassette, one of the hottest young producers in Hollywood.
		Gyenyame Gyenyame, in the ancient adinkra language of Ghana, means 'only God'. A thrilling fusion of musical sounds from around the world – its words from the world's great spiritual traditions, its sounds from the classical traditions of Iran, the rhythms of Africa and its fusion with the west. Its mission – to make the mystical real, its destination – unity.
		Dorothy Khadem-Missagh Born in 1992 in Austria, Dorothy received her first piano lessons at the age of three. From six, she continued her musical studies at the University of Music in Vienna and made her first CD recording. Dorothy won first prize winner at the Austrian-wide piano competition "Prima la Musica" - in 2001 and 2005 for chamber music, and in 2002 and 2006 for solo performance. She has played in numerous concerts, and in radio and television recordings in prominent Austrian concert halls, as well as regular participation and performances at the International Chamber Music Festival "Allegro Vivo".
		Kishan Manocha Dr Manocha is a practicing barrister in the area of criminal law. His special interests include international law, human rights and genocide prevention. Dr Manocha has served as a special assistant to the UN Secretary General's Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide. He is currently serving as Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom.
		Steven Phelps Dr Phelps received a Bachelors degree in Physics and Philosophy at Stanford University before completing his Ph.D in Physics, specialising in cosmology, at Princeton. Since 2000, he has been serving in the Research Department at the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, and continues to research part-time in the physics department at the Haifa Technion.
		KC Porter Grammy Award-winning producer and composer, KC Porter has written and produced chart-topping work with superstars including Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin, Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson, Chaka Khan, and Boyz II Men. He recently produced and wrote songs for Ozomatli's 2005 Grammy-winner Street Signs. Mr Porter is deeply involved in Oneness (www.oneness.org), the charity he co-founded in 1999 with a mission of promoting racial unity through the healing power of music and the arts. Since its launch, Santana, BB King, Macy Gray and Sarah McLachlan are among the artists who have contributed their time and talents.
		Daniel Truran Born in Kent but now resident in Madrid, Daniel Truran worked as Logistics and Marketing director at Exel plc. in London, Sydney, Johannesburg and Milan, where he was the Winner of the Exel 'Worldwide Innovation Award of the Year'. He has since embarked a new career, linking individuals and creating innovative solutions in the field of ethical behaviours, responsible entrepreneurship and values-based business solutions. Daniel is now serving as the Secretary General for the European Bahai Business Forum (EBBF).
		Fiona Wade Fiona Wade is an actor and singer who has starred on television in Grange Hill, Waterloo Road and Where the Heart Is. She played the title role in the musical Miss Saigon in the West End and on its European tour. Most recently Fiona starred in The Far Pavilions at London's Shaftesbury Theatre and in Alaska at the Royal Court Theatre.
		Edward White A graduate of the University of Sussex, Edward studied composition and orchestration under the expert tuition of English National Opera composer and academic, Martin Butler. Shortly after, he won the opportunity to score Andrew Green’s debut feature film, Nine Lives. In October 2006, he was a finalist in the BBC’s Young TV Composer competition and most recently, was one of only five finalists - and the only non-American - selected by a panel of judges chaired by Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer for the 2007 Turner Classic Movies Young Film Composer Competition.