Gail Prensky — Creator, Executive Producer, and Director As creator and director of The Jüdische Kulturbund Project, Gail brings to this project a deep and first-hand understanding of the Kulturbund’s spirit and recognizes the issues of living under oppression that continue with artists around the world today. Her interviews with the Kulturbund survivors and current-day artists form the basis of her passion and vision for this project, which is rooted in the Kulturbund’s strong regard for music and the performing arts. In 2001 Gail started researching and gathering material about the Kulturbund. Several years later she brought together select talent, partners, and like-minded supporters to make this project possible and then interviewed artists living under oppression in various countries. Her hope and dream is that the project will serve as a beacon of inspiration to all people.
Her career includes writing, producing, and directing a wide range of media projects in film, multimedia, books, and exhibitions. Through her Meteopa Productions, Gail produces independent projects focusing on advocacy, art, human rights, music themes, and cultural exchange.
Gail is a recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship American Impact Award, an Awardee of the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (2019 and 2022), and a U.S. State Department Arts Envoy Program Awardee (2019). She is also honored to be an ongoing participant in the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Alumni Ambassadors Initiative.
Mark Haney — Producer and Associate Project Director Mark brings organizational, financial, and administrative expertise to our project team, as well as film production, and a multitude of other things. He is an international trade economist with over 25 years of experience advising companies, foreign governments, and trade associations on issues relating to international trade and economic and business trends. Among other things, Mark served as senior executive for several companies, including as President and CEO of the International Business and Economic Research Corporation (IBERC). Mark is an Awardee of the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (2022). On occasion, he sails the ocean, strums guitars and ukuleles, and performs stand-up comedy.
Achouth Deng — Photographer and Filmmaker, BULLETS TO BOOKS and KULTUR STORIES Achouth is an award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker with over 10 years of experience producing multimedia in South Sudan. In 2019, he won the Best Photographer Award from EU photo contest in Juba, South Sudan and the Oscar of African Creativity Award in Cairo, Egypt. As a professional photographer, he has produced numerous humanitarian documentary stories (both photo and video) for local and International non-governmental organizations in South Sudan; including IOM, SAFERWORLD, JAM AID INTERNATIONAL, DORCAS AID INTERNATIONAL, SAADO, LORETO RUMBEK, CROWN THE WOMAN, UNHCR, CAFOD & Trócaire and SCIAF among many others. Achuoth has also served as a Radio Creative Producer for over 5 years with a leading radio station – Eye Radio. During his service, Achuoth produced numerous radio dramas, radio programs, feature stories, PSAs, etc., disseminating messages of peace and reconciliation, health and education across South Sudan Achouth studied Mass Communications at East Africa School of Media Studies and Film Production at the Mohamed Amin Foundation, in Kenya, respectively. He runs his own media production company – AD IMAGES SOUTH SUDAN that is focused to renovating the media horizon in his country. Achuoth’s passion for storytelling is directed at transforming youth lives and addressing community concerns.
Lupai Samuel Kenyi — Co-Executive Producer, BULLETS TO BOOKS Theme Song and Music Video Lupai is the founder and executive director of I AM PEACE Initiative, a youth led Non-Government Organization which operates in South Sudan and the refugee areas of Uganda with a focus on creating a peaceful environment by empowering young people to be agents of positive social change through media, arts and community outreach programs including trainings on peace building. Lupai has worked for over 7 years as a radio broadcaster in various radio stations in South Sudan and Uganda, where he focuses on youth empowerment programs (especially those in the entertainment industry) and peace building. He has worked at Radio Amani (Adjumani, Uganda), City FM, Capital FM, Classic FM, Eye Radio and Voice of the People (all in Juba, South Sudan). To connect with as many people and share his experiences as wide as possible, Lupai was selected as a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow under the flagship of the Young African Leaders Initiative where he completed civic leadership training at Kansas State University, Kansas, and an internship at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington DC. Lupai is also a 2018 Generation Change Fellow with the United States Institute of Peace where he met the Dalai Lama in India and learned about how refugees can still create positive social change among themselves and in their host communities. Through his media experience and the numerous Peace building and media trainings, Lupai is a public speaker, a trainer, a moderator and an event’s host (MC). If there’s one thing Lupai wants to always do is TELL THE YOUNG PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUNDS that we can do it TOGETHER.
Sean MacLaughlin — Co-producer, Director of Photography, and Editor, BULLETS TO BOOKS and Director, Co-producer, Director of Photography, and Editor COVID-19; THE OPPRESSOR’S KIDS STORIES Sean is an award-winning filmmaker and actor based out of New York. As a performer, Sean has had the honor to work with legendary Composers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Charles Strouse and many more. Broadway and National tour credits include THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Raoul); EVITA (Peron); THE WOMAN IN WHITE; LESTAT; BOMBAY DREAMS; and SOUTH PACIFIC: LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL. He has been seen on film in BLUE BLOODS (CBS), FOR LIFE (ABC), SOMETHING THE LORD MADE (HBO), and more. Sean has over 50 projects he has edited, produced and co-produced, but as Director of Photography he is known for THE SPECTRUM; THE KING; WISCO QUEENS; THE LIGHT WATCHER; SCRATCH THIS; and recently, with The Jüdische Kulturbund Project, Bullets To Books (which won the prestigious Ron Kovic award). Sean is a recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship American Impact Award; an Awardee of the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (2019); and U.S. State Department Arts Envoy Program Awardee (2019). Out of all his credits, Sean’s greatest accomplishment is being the proud father of two beautiful sons, Quinn and Jack.
Dominic Dau Deng Mathiang (DD Dawoody) — Project Coordinator in South Sudan for BULLETS TO BOOKS and Education Facilitator, KULTUR STORIES DD is a singer, songwriter, activist, student, and entrepreneur. He was born in Wau Western Bhar El Gazal, Sudan (now South Sudan). While growing up, he was involved in the church choir, then began creating music, leading a music group in performances of African traditional music and dance. He incorporates these influences based on his personal experience rather than theoretically approaching African music. He continues to perform with groups and as a solo artist; performance pieces are a major part of his life’s work. He released his first hit in 2011 called SOUTH SUDAN IS MY HOME and also launched an album in 2012 called INTI WAHIT. In 2016, he released his third album, I LOVE MY NATION. Apart from working as a composer, performer, and solo musician, DD Dawoody is also a first member artist whose music videos trended on national TV (SSBC or SSTV) during the independence of the Republic of South Sudan and contributed to live performances the same day.
Stephanie Mercedes — Artist, BULLETS TO BOOKS Mercedes is a DC-based artist who melts down weapons to cast musical installations, instruments and public works of art. She also excavates invisible missing histories. Her work fluctuates between sculpture, installation art and large scale performances. Mercedes has been funded by George Soros, Light Works, NALAC, The Foundation for Contemporary Art, DC Commission for the Arts and WPA. She has exhibited and performed at the Bronx Museum, the Queens Museum, the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center. She has been a fellow at Halcyon Art Labs, VisArts, Montgomery College, and Christopher University. Mercedes In August 2020, Mercedes started a 3-year fellowship at the University of Maryland, College of Arts & Humanities in College Park, MD. Examples of Mercedes’s art are presented on www.stephaniemercedes.com.
Mawa Moses — Architect, BULLETS TO BOOKS Architect Mawa Moses was born on October 10, 1987 in Yei, what is now South Sudan. He grew up in Uganda where his family took refuge at the peak of the political insurgency of the early 90s. For 14 years, Moses lived in the Ugandan refugee camps for over 14 years where he only saw grass-thatched houses and architecture of the time, which was seen as evidence of poverty. He dreamed of becoming a doctor, influenced by his late dad who was a medical assistant. He also dreamed of becoming an engineer as he used to draw things about houses, trees, and people, especially soldiers. His friends and he also built sand houses and houses using bricks made from old matchboxes, molded furniture, and radios from termite-mound clay. Moses thinks that was the foundation for his interest in architecture. He never knew anything in regard to architectural design until he started applying to university. Moses completed high school in Uganda and returned to South Sudan in 2008 where he attended the University of Juba, graduating with a bachelor’s honors degree with honors in architecture. After graduating, he attended a two-year design fellowship program at the African Design Centre in Kigali, Rwanda. The fellowship program trains young graduates to understand design-related issues within the continent and beyond. While studying design and living in a war-torn country, Moses is challenged to think of an equitable and inclusive approach for designs in health, education, and housing while incorporating creativity/fabrication. His focus is on environmentally responsive and impactful research-driven design. He practices both social and commercial architecture that is purely made locally, yet globally inspiring. While currently working with the Urban South Group Ltd., Moses teaches at the University of Juba in the Department of Architecture. As a teacher, he aims to achieve a balance between the existing curriculum needs and the transformation of societies.