Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian

Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian PhD (they/them) is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and “designer of experiences” who has spent over a decade manufacturing the impossible. Operating at the radical intersection of space exploration, music, and political philosophy, Nelly is a fierce advocate for plurality and the decolonization of outer space. They are the founder of the University of the Underground, a tuition-free institution supporting transnational teaching in the basements of nightclubs, and the International Space Orchestra, the world’s first orchestra of NASA scientists and astronauts.

A Senior Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities, Nelly’s work challenges institutions from within, collaborating with organizations like the UN and SETI, as well as iconic musicians including Massive Attack, Kid Cudi, and The Prodigy. Their creative output is vast, spanning five feature-length films that explore diasporic and queer ecofeminist futures, and world-first missions to the International Space Station, most recently investigating astrobotany through the lens of Armenian cultural heritage.

Recognised with Design Week’s Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, Nelly has been named one of the top 50 designers shaping the future. Whether leading lunar analogue missions, broadcasting heartbeats to the moon, or deploying their two doppelgängers to appear in multiple places at once, Nelly remains a singular force in cultural activism, dedicated to ensuring that “history does not repeat itself on Earth or beyond.”

To book Keynote Speaker Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, contact The Speakers Agency on +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com