Mahir Namur

With a professional background that combines engineering, cultural policy, and psychological counselling and coaching, over the past 25 years, he established and managed a cultural NGO and a cultural enterprise and has developed and managed transnational cultural projects, festivals, and collaborations across Europe and Turkey, focusing on dialogue between artists, institutions, and communities. 

His work explores the connections between arts, social engagement, and mental well-being, with an emphasis on fair and sustainable working practices in the cultural sector. Trained in existential analysis, coaching, and psychological counselling, he has experience supporting individuals and organizations in addressing existential issues and creating healthier work environments. 

As a lecturer and trainer, he has worked with universities and cultural institutions across Europe, contributing to programs on cultural management, participatory practices, and transnational cooperation in the arts.

“My shift into existential coaching and counselling was inspired by personal struggles, including two episodes of burnout during my cultural work. Through my training I discovered that our self-view and worldview are deeply linked, and that lasting change around us begins with strengthening ourselves and our resilience. Transformation can unfold in concentric circles — from the personal, to the organizational, and further into the socio-cultural sphere. This also required me to integrate two fields that had long shaped my life: culture and well-being.”