The ORACLE Board
The presentations below are following the order from left to right in the image.
Marino Jurcan
Marino Jurcan is President of Metamedia Association and CEO of the Media Mediterranea Festival and Galerija Novo for contemporary art in Pula, Croatia. He completed the European Diploma in Cultural Project Management (2010–2012) and has over 20 years of experience in independent culture, advocacy, and EU project implementation. He is a member of regional and national councils in the cultural field. He served as the delegate of the Rojc Community Centre to Trans Europe Halles from 2022 to 2024, representing the Alliance of Associations Rojc. Within the ORACLE Board, he contributes to strengthening artistic collaboration, intersectoral cooperation, and inclusivity. His motivation is to reinforce the network by enabling deeper cooperation among members, inclusive participation, and joint project development — aligned with ORACLE’s values of solidarity, cultural democracy, critical and participatory culture, and intercultural dialogue.
Sade Kahra
Artist | Educator | Cultural Strategist
Based in Finland
I’m an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural strategist working across creativity, systems thinking, and social engagement. My practice spans visual & contemporary art, arts education, and leadership in the cultural field, grounded in a belief in art’s capacity to connect, question, and support societal development.
With over two decades of experience, I’ve led initiatives in artist residencies and organisational development, and contributed to the advancement of cultural policy and fine arts education. I started up the Fiskars Artist in Residence Programme in 2006 and as the Executive Director for Photographic Centre Peri, co-founded the Turku Kunsthalle in 2019. Since 2021, I am developing international opportunities for art students, researchers and artists at the University of the Arts in Helsinki in collaboration with the Saastamoinen Foundation. I serve as Chair of the Board at Kuvasto, Finland’s copyright organisation for visual artists. I’m currently completing a master’s degree in social sciences, with a thesis that examines higher education steering and stakeholder dynamics in fields without traditional labour markets. In my artistic practice, I explore the evolving relationships between data, authorship, and power in the digital age, with a particular interest in research on digital afterlife.
I am motivated by long-term thinking, inclusive and transparent structures, and above all, practical solutions for shaping sustainable ecosystems. In the ORACLE network, I wanted to add my input into communication matters that needs special attention. Always curious, always connecting—I’m here to build bridges and make things happen.
Jean Pierre Deru
My main « forging experience » did not happen in schools and formal trainings on whichever level I went through.
They happened, mainly, thanks to highly destabilizing and strongly enriching experiences in radical political involvement and, even more, thanks to the years I spent deep in the heart of Black Africa where I discovered very sophisticated cultures, languages, ways and meaning of life.
I, probably, gave these people something; I, surely, received a lot.
Back in Europe, I discovered the philosophy & action process of Cultural Democracy, which was debated at the Council of Europe and of which Marcel Hicter was one of the most eminent promoter. It became, with Cultural Cooperation, the base of my thinking and actions as it promotes not only access to culture and creativity, but, mainly, full citizenship to as many as possible inhabitants of our little blue planet.
This is the fact for the European Diploma, where Nomadism and Destabilization are keys methodological tools,
Where there are no students, no professors, no exams, but strong involvement & interactions by all participants; 'everybody learns from everyone else'
It, also, took place over 30 years, in quite a few other alternative training programmes in Europe, the Middle East (Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon…) and Africa (Congo, Benin, Senegal etc.)
I, strongly believe these values, and enriching interactions promoted by Cultural Democracy, are, absolutely, more necessary than ever, in the extremely troubled times we are facing these days.
This is why, after my time as a helm of the ED, I decided to take an active role in Oracle, a wonderful vehicle for meetings, interactions and cultural cooperation projects launching.
Tessy Fritz
Cultural producer
Based in Luxembourg
With a background in Social and Political Sciences from Strasbourg and Berlin, I started my professional journey for a decade in cross-border cultural project management in Luxembourg. In 2015, I co-founded Canopée Produktion, a non-profit cultural organization supporting artistic creation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Since 2017, I’ve been working independently as a production director, film producer, and theatre production manager. I founded and now manage Canopée Résidence des artistes since 2019, the first independent artist residency in Luxembourg, offering a space for creation, living, and exchange. I am also the initiator and coordinator of ‘Arts et Potager’, a program that brings together artistic practice and ecological awareness through a garden rooted in biodiversity. Passionate about artistic expression, intercultural dialogue, and sensory experience, I love exploring and crossing creative boundaries.
Hristijan Toman
Currently, I’m the curator at the Centre of Culture in Struga—think of me as part event planner, part art therapist, part human Swiss Army knife. I’ve helped organize, by my best guess, over 100 exhibitions and other cultural events. What keeps me going is cheering on artists and being reminded that “installation in progress” is a valid lifestyle choice.
A few years ago, I was part of a team that created something called the Initiative for Independent Cultural Activism, which sounds way more organized than it is, but hey—it’s a great excuse to work with creative people who are allergic to the ordinary. Then there’s DrimON Festival: started small, got bigger, eventually reached a size where remembering everyone’s names at afterparties became impossible. Still totally worth it. I say this because in time our collaborative project blending art, nature, and community around Lake Ohrid called Lakescape, thanks to our great partners and Creative Europe, we got the chance to bring local and international artists together right on the lakeshore, turning open-air spaces into creative playgrounds. There were installations, workshops, the occasional confused tourist, and most importantly, lots of fun sideways thinking about how art and environment can mingle.
Over the years, I’ve been roped into everything from supporting the European Diploma for Cultural Management in Macedonia to moonlighting as both a scenic designer and producer at the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival.
Honestly, I just like being part of projects that make life in our city a bit more interesting—even if it means learning as I go and sometimes improvising with duct tape.