Our Team
Maziar Bahari,
Director
Mr. Maziar Bahari, Director of Paint the Change (PtC), is an Iranian filmmaker and journalist dedicated to promoting social justice and diversity. He is the founder and director of IranWire a citizen journalism news site and the President of the Board of Journalism for Change, a US-based nonprofit supporting freedom of expression, community empowerment, and democratic governance. Bahari has produced numerous documentaries and news reports for global broadcasters including BBC, Channel 4, HBO, Discovery, Canal+, and NHK. His autobiography, "Then They Came for Me," was a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into the film "Rosewater," directed by Jon Stewart of The Daily Show.
Marija Milosavljevic, Director of Programmes
Ms Marija Milosavljevic, Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Director of Programmes has over 25 years of experience in program management, communications, and development on media, youth, and education projects. She holds an MA in Communications from the University of Westminster’s CAMRI, a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Belgrade’s Faculty of Philology, and a Diploma in the General Management Program from the IEDC, Bled School of Management, Slovenia.
Matt Dufour, Artistic Director
Matt Dufour, also known as ATMA, is the Artistic Director at Paint the Change. An international street artist and mural painter, he uses bold colors, sharp lines, and natural patterns to tell transformative stories on a large scale. ATMA, meaning "soul" in Sanskrit, reflects his mission to engage and uplift through art. His work spans council estates, private homes, motorways, high streets, villages, community centers, schools, galleries, and museums across 10 countries. Matt has contributed to many of Paint the Change's flagship projects, creating some of its most iconic murals.
Saleem Vaillancourt, Senior Advisor
Saleem Vaillancourt is a journalist, producer, and media consultant, focusing on human rights in Iran and development issues such as gender equality and global governance. He’s worked with Paint the Change since it began, in 2014, producing dozens of murals to raise awareness of the persecution of the Baha’i religious minority in Iran. A film on that project, Changing the World, One Wall at a Time, was seen by millions inside Iran via satellite. Saleem helped expand Paint the Change across Europe and into East Africa, taking street art and education workshops to multiple countries on themes such as diversity, climate change, and public and mental health.
Risham Waseem, Project Coordinator
Risham Waseem is the project coordinator at Paint the Change with over 8 years of experience in project management and communications. Previously she was the programs director of Interactive Resource Centre, a Pakistani info media organization specializing in art-based development tools for civic action. She has been the recipient of the Hurford Youth Fellowship by the World Movement for Democracy and the Chevening South Asian Journalism fellowship hosted by the University of Westminster, UK.
Dina Chehrazi, Project Assistant
Dina Chehrazi is a passionate artist and community builder based in London. She serves as a Project Assistant at Paint the Change and has led numerous creative and community art projects. Dina is an accomplished freelance artist and photographer, with notable works including the Bancroft Estate Playground Mural. She has extensive experience in event coordination, community engagement, and fostering social interdependence through art and design.
Krishita Agarwal, Production Assistant
Krishita Agarwal leads video production at Paint the Change. With an MA in Film from the University of the Arts London and a strong background in cinematography, she combines technical expertise with creative vision. Krishita has worked on several award-winning short films, excelling in camera work, editing, and production.
Our Board of Trustees
Mr Gee
Mr. Gee, is a distinguished poet, artist, and broadcaster with over two decades of experience in the UK's spoken word scene. Mr. Gee's work has been featured on BBC Radio 4 and in Tate Britain, as well as in The Times, The Guardian, and the New Statesman. He has delivered two TEDx talks and presented several BBC Radio 4 series, including "Bespoken Word," "Rhyme & Reason," and "Poetic Justice," the latter highlighting his extensive rehabilitation work in prisons.
Juliet Mabey,OBE
Ms. Juliet Mabey, OBE, has been an independent publisher promoting cultural diversity in literature for 38 years. She is the co-founder and director of Oneworld, an independent publishing company that has published authors from more than 50 countries and translated works from 25 languages. For her work she has won the Booker Prize three ties and the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2019. Juliet is also a dedicated advocate for diversity in the publishing industry, supporting writers from around the globe.
Steven Powles
Steven Powles KC is a specialist criminal lawyer at Doughty Street Chambers with expertise in international crime, extradition, and human rights. He has represented both victims and high-profile accused before both international and domestic courts. In 2020, he was
sworn in as State Counsel in Seychelles, serving in the Attorney General’s Chambers for four years, prosecuting criminal and civil confiscation cases related to corruption, terrorism, and money laundering offenses.
Mr Shafiul Islam
Mr Shafiul Islam is a commercial real estate solicitor and a trustee for Paint the Change. Before his career in law, he worked in various roles tackling critical social issues such as domestic violence, hate crime, extremism, mental health, and homelessness. He has been involved in delivering a wide range of projects to promote community cohesion and has worked directly with a wide range of communities, public bodies, and stakeholders across the U.K.
Ms Adrienne van Heteren
Ms. Adrienne van Heteren is an experienced professional in cultural, youth, and media development projects across Southeast Europe and Asia. She is the co-founder and director of the Small Media Foundation, a London-based research lab and information design studio that specialises in projects supporting human rights. Adrienne has held senior positions with OSI Network Media Program, IWPR, OSCE, USAID, and BBC Media Action. Her work spans the former Yugoslavia, Serbia, Kosovo, Hungary, Russia, and West Asia.