Jason Danino-Holt (; born 17 January 1987) is an Israeli theatre maker,

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre company or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogu ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

, and

performer The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...

and former

television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces or hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. It is common for people ...

for

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV as 24-hour music video and entertainment pay television network officially launched on 1 August 1987 as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initia ...

and i24news English.

Early life

Danino-Holt was born in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, to a Moroccan

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

mother, Chantal Danino, and a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

father, Martin Holt. Raised in a trilingual home, he attended

summer school Summer school (or summer university) is a school, or a program generally sponsored by a school or a school district, or provided by a private company, that provides lessons and activities during the summer vacation. Participation in summer school ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

at age 12. He attended Teva School for Nature in

Jaffa Jaffa (, ; , ), also called Japho, Joppa or Joppe in English, is an ancient Levantine Sea, Levantine port city which is part of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel, located in its southern part. The city sits atop a naturally elevated outcrop on ...

, following by theatre studies at the Thelma Yellin High School for the Arts and later trained at the

Nissan Nativ Nissan Nativ (Hebrew: ניסן נתיב) (originally Notowicz; 5. November 1922 – 20 April 2008) was an influential Israeli Theatre director, director, actor and acting teacher. Life Nissan Nativ was born 1922 (as Nissan Notowicz) in Munich ...

Acting Studio (2007–2010). He pursued an MFA certificate at

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design () is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the ...

(2019–2021). Unlike most of his Israeli contemporaries, he did not serve in the IDF for health reasons.

Career

Television

In 2005, Danino-Holt was a

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

presenter in

. In 2007, he gave Israel's votes during the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

, and during the same week hosted a special show dedicated to the song contest on IBA. In 2008 Danino-Holt moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and hosted Switched On for

. After returning to Israel he took part in the reality-documentary series Mehubarim (Connected) aired on

HOT Hot commonly refers refer to: *Heat, a hot temperature *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality Hot or HOT may also refer to: Places *Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand ** Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...

, in which he shared intimate, self-documented perspective on his life. Between 2014–2017 he anchored "The Tube" on i24News English, covering

digital culture Internet culture refers to culture developed and maintained among frequent and active users of the Internet (also known as netizens) who primarily communicate with one another as members of online communities; that is, a culture whose influence ...

and media trends.

Theatre and performance art

In 2016, Danino-Holt co-founded Habait Theatre with Marina Beltov-Grass, with the support of the

Alexander Grass Foundation Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are A ...

. Located in the Jaffa Flea Market, it serves as a platform for independent, experimental stage-art performances and has received critical acclaim for its innovative productions. Danino-Holt formalized his independent theatre-making into "Jason Danino-Holt Company" in 2019, expanding his artistic vision internationally. His work blends confessional storytelling with

immersive theater Immersive theater differentiates itself from traditional theater by removing the stage and Audience immersion, immersing audiences within the performance itself. Often, this is accomplished by using a specific location (''Site-specific theatre, sit ...

, focusing on

queer identity ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non-cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to r ...

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, and

vulnerability Vulnerability refers to "the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally." The understanding of social and environmental vulnerability, as a methodological approach, involves ...

Notable works

* Shanti & Martin (2010) – A

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

exploring a complex mother-son relationship, premiered at the

DocAviv Docaviv (), also known as the Tel Aviv International Documentary Film Festival, is the only film festival in Israel dedicated to documentary films, and the largest film festival in Tel Aviv. It is run by a non-profit organisation of the same name ...

Festival. * Hamutz (2013) – A modern

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

/South Tel Aviv tragedy about a

sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is ...

at the brink of death, confronting human despair and fleeting moments of compassion. Premiered with support from

Mifal HaPais Mifal HaPais () is Israel's government-owned lottery company. It comprises the state's near monopoly on legal gambling together with the Israel Sports Betting Board (ISBB) (). The name translates to ''The Institute of Lottery'' In 2012, Mifal HaP ...

. * Not Letting It In (2015) – A confessional performance exploring vulnerability and storytelling, performed internationally in multiple formats. The show has been staged in various locations worldwide, including Tel Aviv, Berlin,

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The format of the show has evolved over time, with durations ranging from two hours to 24-hour marathon performances featuring rotating casts and audience engagement. * He Came to Berlin to Die (2017) – A

multidisciplinary An academic discipline or academic field is a subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined (in part) and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, ...

performance exploring

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

’s mythos through personal and historical narratives. Developed at

Akademie der Künste The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...

, Berlin, in collaboration with Gesher Theatre. * Y&Y1Y (2019) – A performance installation where site-specific questions were inscribed on the floor with silver

duct tape Duct tape or duck tape is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure-sensitive tape, often coated with polyethylene. A variety of constructions exist using different backings and adhesives, and the term "duct tape" has been genericized to refer to all o ...

, inviting public interaction. Premiered at

Mishkan Museum of Art Mishkan Museum of Art (Mishkan LeOmanut, ) is an Israeli art museum located on the grounds of Kibbutz Ein Harod Meuhad. History Mishkan LeOmanut was the first rural museum in Israel and the first museum run by a kibbutz. One of the kibbutz memb ...

Ein Harod Ein Harod () was a kibbutz in northern Israel near Mount Gilboa. Founded in 1921, it became the center of Mandatory Israel's kibbutz movement, hosting the headquarters of the largest kibbutz organisation, HaKibbutz HaMeuhad. In 1923 part of the ...

. * Cleansed (2020) – A text-based exhibition-performance at Indie Photography Group Gallery, inspired by

Sarah Kane Sarah Kane (3 February 1971 – 20 February 1999) was an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. She is known for her plays that deal with themes of redemptive love, sexual desire, pain, torture—both physical and psychological ...

’s ''

Cleansed ''Cleansed'' is the third play by the English playwright Sarah Kane. It was first performed in 1998 at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs in London. The play is set in a university which (according to the blurb of the published script) is ope ...

'', featuring silk-printed text on white underwear as wearable performance pieces. * Monogamy Kills (2021) – A

solo exhibition A solo show or solo exhibition is an art exhibition, exhibition of the work of only one artist. Rather than a group of artists who collaborate to form an exhibition. The artwork may be paintings, drawings, etchings, collage, sculpture, or photogr ...

blending performance,

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and texti ...

, and branding, interrogating the

male gaze In feminist theory, the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world in the visual arts and in literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the heterosex ...

and

consumerism Consumerism is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon that is typical of industrialized societies. It is characterized by the continuous acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing quantities. In contemporary consumer society, the ...

, staged at Alfred Gallery. * Name Drop (2022) – A theatrical work at

Cameri Theatre The Cameri Theatre (, ''HaTeatron HaKameri''), established in 1944 in Tel Aviv, is one of the leading theatres in Israel, and is housed at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center. History The Cameri Theatre was founded with the purpose of promoting ...

examining personal experiences through music. * HD (2023) – A devised theatre project featuring

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

non-actors, produced by

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

. * Marcel (2024) – An adult puppet theatre musical, co-created with Meital Raz, that explores dreams, aging, and creative obsession. Premiered at the

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

Comedy Festival, where it won Best Production & Best Direction awards. Ongoing performances at HABAIT Theatre.

Awards, grants, and fellowships

* Best Production & Best Direction Awards – Marcel, Jerusalem Comedy Festival. * Theatre's Future Grant – Tel Aviv City Council for Young Playwrights (2021). * Rozenblum Prize – Best Young Artist (2016). * Short Story Award – Haaretz Competition (2019). * Opening Point Grant () – Hamutz, Mifal HaPais (2013). * Best Actor & Best Actress Awards – Hamutz, TLVMedia Fest (Jason Danino-Holt &

Evelin Hagoel Evelin Hagoel (; born 27 January 1961) is an Israeli actress. She appeared in more than twenty films since 2001. Selected filmography References External links * 1961 births Living people Israeli film actresses Israeli people of ...

). * Fellowships: ** Cité des Arts, Paris (2019, Literature Department) ** Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2017).

Personal life

Danino-Holt publicly

came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

in 2008 and has since been an advocate for

LGBTQ+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group i ...

representation in the arts. His work frequently explores themes of queer identity, personal narrative, and social introspection. Based in Tel Aviv, he frequently works internationally on artistic residencies and collaborations.

References

External links

* * 1987 births Jewish Israeli entertainers Israeli people of British descent Israeli people of Moroccan-Jewish descent Israeli people of French-Jewish descent Israeli people of Canadian descent Israeli television presenters Living people 20th-century Israeli Jews 21st-century Israeli Jews Gay Jews Israeli gay entertainers People from Tel Aviv Israeli LGBTQ broadcasters {{LGBT-bio-stub