Saskia Brand
Anthropology, Social Change & Creative Practice
As an anthropologist, evaluator, graphic designer, and socially engaged artist, I work at the intersection of research, learning, and creative practice. Across these different fields, I am guided by a commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice.
For more than three decades, I have worked alongside communities, civil society organisations, public institutions, and development actors in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Whether conducting research, facilitating collective learning processes, evaluating social change initiatives, or co-creating artistic projects, I seek to understand dynamics of power and social change. I am interested in systems of inclusion and exclusion—and how people who have been marginalised exert agency and maintain their humanity.
Anthropology has taught me to listen deeply. Art has taught me to create spaces for dialogue, imagination, and encounter. Together, they allow me to bridge analysis and action, reflection and creativity. Read more about my work below.
About
I am a Dutch anthropologist, evaluator, facilitator, and socially engaged artist.
My professional journey began in anthropology and international development, where I developed a deep interest in processes of change, equity, power dynamics, and social inclusion. Over the years, I specialised in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), supporting organisations in reflecting on their work and strengthening their contribution to equitable social change. I support this work with graphic design that adds clarity and makes written text more communicative and digestible.
Alongside this work, I have increasingly developed an artistic practice centred on participation, storytelling, and collaborative creation. My projects often engage with questions of decolonisation, exclusion, and humanity, working together with communities whose voices are frequently marginalised or overlooked.
Although research, facilitation, evaluation, and art may appear to be different disciplines, I see them as complementary ways of understanding and engaging with the world. Each starts from curiosity, dialogue, and the belief that people themselves are experts in their own lives. I bring these different strands together in a practice that combines critical inquiry, collective learning, and socially engaged art.
Having lived and worked in Mali for many years, I feel deeply connected to this country and its people. My experience there has not only shaped who I am today, but continues to strengthen my belief in the importance of connecting, remaining open to other perspectives, and learning from one another.
Research & Evaluation
Understanding change requires more than measuring results. As an anthropologist and evaluation specialist, I support organisations in exploring how change happens, whose perspectives are represented, and what can be learned from both intended and unintended outcomes.
My work includes programme evaluations, Theory of Change development, qualitative research, outcome harvesting, contribution analysis, participatory learning processes, and monitoring and evaluation system design.
I have worked with international NGOs, donor agencies, research institutions, and community-based organisations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, with thematic experience in, gender equality, child labour, migration, social inclusion, and food systems.
Rather than viewing evaluation as an accountability exercise alone, I see it as an opportunity for collective reflection, learning, and transformation.
Facilitation & Learning
Learning and meaningful participation do not happen automatically. They require spaces where people can think together, question assumptions, and build shared understanding.
I design and facilitate workshops, training programmes, learning processes, and participatory dialogues for diverse groups of stakeholders. My approach combines analytical rigour with creative methods that help people make sense of complex challenges together. Topics I regularly work on include Theory of Change, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), social inclusion, gender equality, and participatory approaches to change.
My aim is to create learning processes in which participants actively shape the conversation and learn from each other's experiences.
Partners and Clients
