IBRAHIM BARAHMA 

 

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST

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Ibrahim Barahma is an emerging Creative Technologist whose practice explores the nexus of culture, communication, and technology, rooted in Palestine and extending beyond.

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Starting out as an actor with The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp, Ibrahim discovered that art is not separate from reality, but rather a tool to understand, question, and engage with it. In theatre, he learnt the power of culture to communicate lived experiences, drawing from his own stories from Anza village and performing in projects in Palestine, Norway, Catalunya, and Slovenia. 

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However, the life of an emerging artist in Palestine is marred with invasions, censorship, isolation and financial challenges. So whilst Ibrahim’s dream was to be an actor, he decided to study computer science at the Arab American University. Here, Ibrahim developed expert software engineering skills and became driven by the challenge of building technology that meets real-world demands, designing applications with a focus on usability, security, and scalability.

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Torn between these two worlds, Ibrahim discovered that technology is not culturally irrelevant but culturally formative. By uniting both practices, Ibrahim carved out a unique path as a Creative Technologist - using technology to confront the challenges he faced as an artist and to foster cultural ecosystems where creativity can thrive with dignity, sustainability, and impact.

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Ibrahim’s independent projects, alongside collaborations with Artists On The Frontline, have demonstrated how innovation can generate meaningful, real-world solutions in arts. These include ‘Mayday”, an artist-led citizen journalism platform; ‘Lamma’, a mobile app designed to unite communities; and the “Lumineers”, a collective developing an interactive spotlight.

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In the Palestinian cultural scene, Ibrahim collaborates as an actor, writer, photographer, and content creator. This sustained involvement enables me to ground my technological innovations in first-hand experience, shaped by the perspectives of artists and audiences, ensuring they remain responsive, relevant, and culturally rooted.