Paramaz Yepremian (Lebanon, Fall 2025): Creativity, Community, and the Power of Play
When I was selected for the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) for the Middle East and North Africa, I knew I was stepping into a life-changing opportunity — but I could never have imagined just how deeply it would shape my work, my perspective, and my purpose.
As the founder of Circus Hub Lebanon, I have always believed in the power of arts education to ignite imagination and build confidence. Being placed in Detroit, Michigan with the award-winning Mosaic Youth Theatre brought that belief to life in ways I will carry with me forever. Mosaic is an extraordinary organization: a place where young artists receive rigorous theatre training, have high-level performance opportunities, and develop leadership skills equipping them for a variety of roles in their careers.
From my first day, I felt welcomed into a community driven by intention and excellence. I immersed myself in Mosaic’s administrative and artistic ecosystem, observing how their teams create safe, supportive, and vibrant learning environments for youth. Every rehearsal, training session, and organizational meeting revealed new insights into creative facilitation, youth leadership development, and the role of the arts in strengthening communities.
One of the most meaningful parts of my fellowship was the chance to conduct three hands-on workshops with 75 of Mosaic’s young artists. We explored juggling, circus prop design, and fabrication — blending play, precision, and imagination. Watching the students adopt unfamiliar tools, challenge themselves physically, and collaborate joyfully reminded me why art is such a powerful universal language. These sessions were not just workshops; they were shared moments of curiosity and discovery.
Inspired by the practices I observed at Mosaic, I developed a new educational resource titled Play to Inspire, a toolkit for trainers that introduces innovative, play-based methods for facilitating performing arts classes. The toolkit focuses on participatory learning, creativity, and giving young people ownership of their artistic process. It reflects the heart of what I learned in Detroit: when youth feel seen, supported, and encouraged to express themselves authentically, they rise.
At the conclusion of my fellowship, I presented my experience and follow-on project at TechTown Detroit. It was a moment of reflection and responsibility — the realization that the knowledge I gained must now be shared with communities back home. My upcoming initiative in Lebanon will train teachers, facilitators, and youth leaders in play-based learning approaches, equipping them to inspire creativity in children using the Play to Inspire toolkit.
My journey concluded in Washington, D.C., where I received my official completion certificate from the U.S. Department of State. Standing with fellows from across the region, each with their own mission and impact, I felt both proud and humbled. This fellowship was more than a professional exchange; it was the beginning of a new chapter.
The PFP experience did more than strengthen my work — it broadened my vision. The lessons, friendships, and inspiration I gained in Detroit continue to shape the way I approach arts education and community engagement. I remain committed to using what I learned to help young people in Lebanon play, explore, and create with confidence and curiosity.
