Salwa Hatem graduated from the theater studies faculty at the High Institute for Dramatic Arts and from the journalism faculty at Damascus University. She is a founding member of the Prova project (A Scene from Memory). She has taught youth acting and writing for several years and has worked as a researcher with several development and art projects. She has also participated in many theater workshops which have focused on directing, writing, performance, and lighting design. Salwa has contributed to the writing of several short film scenarios, some of which she has subsequently acted in. She has also worked as a documentarian and a dramaturg with the Koon Theater in Lebanon. She has also written several blog posts and articles for a range of reporting outlets.