Open Heart

Come together as a community to support the family and friends of Nabil Askafe.
Thursday Apr 30, Hamilton City Hall forecourt - 530
Youth gun violence impacts our whole city - every community. Show your support and work for change.

💫 MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM OF LAND, PLACE, HOME 💫

✨ DIRECTOR AHMAD MEREE is a Syrian Canadian actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Theatre Arts in Cairo and received the Best Actor Award at Syria’s Central Theatre Festival in 2008. Ahmad came to Canada as a refugee in 2016, and is now based in Toronto, ON. His plays have been presented at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ryga Festival in Summerland, BC, SummerWorks in Toronto, UNO Fest in Victoria, BC, The World Culture Festival in Pakistan, JTC in Tunisia, Cairo International Monodrama Days in Egypt, and DITFEST in Oman. Adrenaline earned a Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Touring Production in 2020, and both Suitcase and Adrenaline were published by Scirocco Drama.

✨ SOUND DESIGNER VIKAASH ARUNMOZHI is a musician, filmmaker and sound designer. He makes music and film scores under the moniker “Izomura”, bringing his unique blend of classical Carnatic sound originating from South India with a multi-faceted, genre-less approach to composition. He is currently in his 4th year in McMaster University’s Integrated Arts program and is in the process of completing his thesis short film. 

✨ STAGE MANAGER SOFIA SMITH (she/her) is a lover of theatre from behind the curtains. A recent graduate of Linguistics and Theatre & Film Studies from McMaster University with experience in stage managing, directing, and writing, she works to create and support seamless shows that are accessible for everyone to enjoy. She made her stage management debut with Hamilton Fringe with Visiting My Mother and Other Repetition Compulsions in July 2025, and is excited to be working with Open Heart and the cast of Land, Place, Home.

Ahmad, Vikaash, and Sofia are joined by Set and Costume Designer Jenna Bakri to bring the show to life.

Land, Place, Home opens this weekend, February 27th and 28th as part of HFTco’s Frost Bites. Check the link in our bio for tix!

✨ MEET THE CAST OF LAND, PLACE, HOME ✨

Not only have these superstars been devising the show, but they are performing in it too:

💫 ELIE ASSAF is a multimedia Syrian-Canadian artist studying social work. He believes in art’s great potential for collective healing and cross-cultural connection. From visual arts, textile arts, and creative writing to music and acting, Elie continues to express, invite, and share with others. With a focus on cultural heritage and preservation, he aspires to work with people towards social justice, transformation, and collective healing.

💫 PRAVASH PANDEY works in marketing and communications and explores storytelling through writing, visual media, and creative expression. He sees art as a way to connect deeply with oneself and express ideas with heart. Drawn to moonlit skies, oceans, mountains, and quiet moments in nature, he finds inspiration in stillness and light. He believes that stories hold the power to heal, to connect, and to remind us of our shared humanity.

💫 WEND YASEN is a river that crosses the borders of modern day Iraq. To Wend one’s way is to travel, to meander. Wend Yasen is a writer and artist.

Wend, Pravash, and Elie are joined by Thomas Antony Olajide jumping in to perform at the eleventh hour!

Land, Place, Home opens this weekend, February 27th and 28th as part of HFTco’s Frost Bites. Check the link in our bio for tix!