Lorena holds a BA in Graphic Design (Universidad de las Américas-Puebla, Mexico), a Master’s in Interactive Design (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain), and a Master’s in Accessibility (University of Jaén, Spain). She earned an MBA in Arts Innovation from The Global Leaders Institute and postgraduate diplomas in Cultural Management from UNAM and UAM.
She has completed specialised training in sustainable cultural management and festivals (Edinburgh Napier University, Julie’s Bicycle), and participated in The Festival Academy’s online atelier. In 2022, she was selected as an IETM Global Connector.
Lorena’s work blends strategic thinking with innovative processes. She has led and contributed to projects in performing arts, film, and cultural and creative industries, taking on roles in management, programming, training, and curation.
She has collaborated with independent companies such as Cressida Danza and Sign and Word: deaf theater, leading strategic planning, fundraising, and development coordination. Her work goes beyond securing grants—it drives tangible change and sustains long-term vision.
As a creative producer, Lorena brings concepts to life—whether in theatre, museums, festivals, or mass events. She has produced immersive theatre in UNESCO World Heritage sites and designed audience development plans for AlUla’s first public library in Saudi Arabia. At the Guanajuato International Film Festival, she produced the 10-day festival and launched the Music + Film programme, blending indie pop with cinema across three cities. At the XXII Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe Veracruz 2014, in her hometown, she coordinated bilingual operational plans and budgets for an Olympic-style ceremony.
She curated festivals such as Yucatán Escénica and the International Deaf Theatre Festival, prioritising artistic excellence, emotional resonance, and diverse narratives.
From 2018 to 2023, Lorena served as Arts Manager at the British Council in Mexico, designing and delivering performing arts programmes that empowered emerging, queer, and disabled artists, influencing the UK and Mexican cultural sectors. She led 15 programmes with 65 partners across LATAC and the UK, resulting in 270+ activities and reaching over 450,000 people. She also served as National Coordinator of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the British Council Caribbean Cluster, designing national strategies and training programmes focused on gender, race, disability, and sexual identity.
An expert voice in her field, Lorena has been invited as a facilitator and guest speaker at national and international events, including The John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, Agora Civica – Mondiacult 2025, and ISPA 2023. As a trainer, she teaches regular courses on cultural management, production and accessibility with organisations in Latin America and Europe.
She has extensive experience conducting research and generating knowledge on accessibility and inclusion. She also served as editorial coordinator for two groundbreaking publications on accessibility and inclusion strategies in the Americas and Europe.
She is currently the Consortium Project Manager for Europe Beyond Access, Europe’s largest transnational initiative supporting Deaf and disabled performing artists. The consortium unites 11 leading mainstream cultural organisations that leverage their collective expertise to foster artistic excellence, mobility, and diversity in the performing arts and to break down barriers to participation and leadership for disabled artists.
Lorena Martínez Mier 