Eckhard Thiemann is a curator and programmer, specializing in festivals, dance, and internationalism. He is artistic director and CEO of Shubbak, London's largest festival of contemporary Arab culture. He is also programming associate for Dance for The Lowry, presenting over 25 dance productions per year. Eckhard was associate artistic curator for CODA - Oslo International Dance Festival in 2017 and advised the British Council on the program development for the UK/UAE year of culture 2017. He was producer for the digital platform The Space, and worked with Siobhan Davies Dance as interim creative producer. Eckhard was a producer for the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad and curated the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival 2011. He curated OUTSPOKEN - NEW PERFORMANCE FROM ARAB ARTISTS for International Dance Festival Birmingham (2010), and programmed African Crossroads for Dance Umbrella (2009). He was artistic director of Woking Dance Festival from 2001 to 2007.