A graduate of the University of Helwan in Egypt, Ahmed Sorour is a designer, artist and sculptor with a penchant for moulding heavy metal into beautiful forms.

He currently works in the steel construction field, while simultaneously pursuing his art.Products of his work after hours will be on view at an exhibition at the Bahrain Arts Society later this year.

He has previously exhibited in Syria, Egypt, and Bahrain.

Brand spankin’ new to Bahrain, Anna is already taking the local art scene by storm with several commissions and a collaborative project with a government body under discussion.

It could have something to do with her seemingly unlimited energy but she is also an extremely talented artist with a B.A (Hons) Fine Art from Winchester School of Art, Southampton University in the UK, and a unique style that combines painting with stitching.

She has exhibited her metaphor-laden multimedia artworks in South Africa, the US and the UK.

Although only a part-time avocation, Meghana is an ardent admirer of the art world, and is inspired by a combination of influences, ranging from the paintings of expressionist Willem de Kooning to gritty Street Art.

Having graduated with a degree in design, Meghana felt the next palpable step was to immerse herself in the creative industry, and currently works in advertising. She hopes that her growing knowledge, experience and interests will be the foundations of for a long, fun-filled, creative career.

Gavin hale’s from Liverpool , a city known the world over for its music, comedy, and of course football. He came fairly late to the wonderful world of acting, having only dipped a very tentative toe in the lukewarm greasepaint of theatre on arriving in Bahrain , three years ago.

He has kept himself pretty busy however with regular pantomimes at the Dilmun Club, productions of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Normal Conquests’, Tom Stoppard’s ‘The Real Inspector Hound’, Noel Cowards ‘Blithe Spirit’ and Peter Schaffers ‘Black Comedy’.

This year, Gavin appeared in Tom Stoppard’s political comedy ‘Dirty Linen’ and is looking forward to a production of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Relatively Speaking’ in November.

Simone’s love of acting developed from a very early age when her mother used to take her along to watch her own theatre rehearsals and performances. Simone took performing arts and drama at school and university, and has continued to follow her passion through local theatre groups in the UK , Kuwait and now Bahrain.

She has enjoyed roles in musicals, pantomimes and plays, the most recent of which is Alan Aykebourn’s Relatively Speaking.

Simone’s family roots are from Yorkshire , home of the Stephen Joseph Theatre , where Alan Aykebourn premiered most of his plays.

Ayesha is a translator, writer and blogger, currently working on a project translating contemporary Bahraini literature. She blogs at http://battutabahrain.blogspot.com, and has an occasional series where she profiles Bahraini blogs written in Arabic.

Amal is a Bahraini born in 1983 who enjoyed her passion for literature and music at a young age. Prior to studying English for Specific Purposes (a branch of Applied Linguistics) in Irbid, Jordan, she endlessly attempted to verbalize her thoughts through her poems.

At university, she had the chance more about her subject of passion and further engaged in the world of poetry. Amal specifically enjoys the words of Edgar Allan Poe, William Blake and William Wordsworth.

After her graduation and return to Bahrain, Amal joined the advertising industry, continued to look at poetry as a canvas of freedom, and shares her poems on her blog online.

Hasan, a Bahraini born in 1982, discovered his passion for music at a young age. Prior to going to the United States for his undergraduate studies in Finance, he had already been playing classical guitar for a few years.

However, his experiences in post-September 11th United States left him feeling an urgent need to rediscover Middle Eastern history, society and arts. In Tokyo, he remained musically active and collaborated with a number of musicians in an effort to promote understanding and cultural awareness. Hasan’s other interests include Kobudo (traditional Japanese swordsmanship), Karate, Hiking and Creative Writing.

He maintains a blog and an online archive of some of his academic and non-academic works on.

Melissa did a Masters in Translation at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and found her way into journalism with Marie Claire South Africa.

She became chief sub-editor and acquired a food and travel column (two recurring themes in her life and her writing), before taking on the role of deputy editor on lifestyle glossy Style. In 2001, she moved to London, where she worked for Marie Claire UK and later for Elle Decoration, taking a year out in between to study fiction writing at Gotham Writers’ Workshop in New York.

Since moving to Bahrain in 2006, Melissa has been working as a freelance writer and PR consultant, while studying Arabic and continuing the novel she began in New York (“a.k.a. The Never-ending Story”).

An instinctive aesthetic awareness is evident in British artist Serena’s work (www.serenastevens.com). Her message is an ecological comment that attempts to visually consider and preserve the environment through contemporary expression.

A deep interest in the resonance of minimalism inspires raw, often brutal strokes juxtaposed against hazy, blurred smudges to create dualistic works with a strong, visual rhythm that at the same time evoke a quality of meditative quietude.