The winner of the Saïd Foundation’s 2025 Alumni Achievement Prize is announced

The Saïd Foundation is delighted to announce that Syrian alumna Itab Azzam has been awarded the Foundation’s 2025 Alumni Achievement Prize. The prize recognises an individual who has made a significant contribution to the development of the Levant region and a meaningful impact within their field.

Itab is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and social entrepreneur whose work spans film, arts-based activism, and humanitarian leadership. She was supported by the Saïd Foundation in 2011 to pursue a master’s degree in Visual Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Since then, she has directed and produced numerous theatre and film projects focusing on the experiences of Syrian refugee women.

Among her most notable works is the BAFTA and Emmy winning BBC documentary series “Exodus: Our Journey to Europe” a ground breaking production that powerfully reshaped global narratives around refugees and migration. Her portfolio also includes Queens of Syria and We Are Not Princesses which were screened internationally and received awards such as the Grand Jury Prize at the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art.

Itab is also the founder of Makani “My Place” in Arabic, an innovative non-profit organisation that empowers Syrian and Palestinian women through education, creative expression, and income-generating initiatives. Under her leadership, Makani has supported hundreds of refugee women and their families in Lebanon and Syria, providing healing, skills training, economic opportunities, and a platform for their voices to be heard.

She also led the Film for Freedom project, an inspiring initiative that trained refugee women in Lebanon and London in the art of filmmaking. The resulting works were screened in New York, Berlin, and other international venues, garnering numerous awards and amplifying voices that are too often marginalised.

Through creative collaborations with organisations such as the British Red Cross, Liberty, the V&A, and UNHCR, Itab continues to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for justice, dignity, and the empowerment of Syrian women in post-conflict recovery. Her work stands as a testament to the transformative power of the arts in fostering resilience and driving social change.

The prize was formally announced at the Saïd Foundation’s annual lunch, held on 7th June at the Royal Automobile Club in London. The award medal was presented to Itab by Mrs Sihab Mudarres Kabbara, a member of the Foundation’s Student Committee.

In her acceptance speech, Itab said: “This award holds special meaning for me, not only because it comes from a foundation that has done so much for education and opportunity across the Arab world, but because it affirms something I’ve always believed in: that stories can build bridges, even in times of destruction.”

She added “I feel a renewed responsibility—to continue telling the stories that matter, to challenge the narratives that dehumanise, and to ensure that every woman and girl, no matter where she’s born or what she’s survived, knows that her voice can shape the world.”

Watch this video in which Itab speaks about her work and remarkable achievements.