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Events : LondonFrom: 05 November 2005 To: 24 February 2006 A Building Tradition: The work of The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts An exhibition of the work of students in the School, the only UK institution that gives practical training in the skills of creating traditional Islamic arts at MA and PhD levels. Approximately 100 works shown including architectural drawings, stained glass, illumination, woodcarvings, tile and glass panels and ceramic pieces, watercolours and paintings. A series of educational panels presented Geometry in Nature, The Geometry of Structure, Pattern and Design and the Building of Crafts, amongst other works.
Prince’s School of Traditional Arts, 19-22 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3SG Tel: 0207 613 8500 www.princesschooltraditionalarts.org From: 04 January 2006 To: 30 April 2006 Issam El Said Aya Gallery Aya Gallery hosted this exhibition of a unique collection of works by one of Iraq’s most original and multi-talented artists, the late Issam El Said (1933-88). The exhibition was the first ever presented since the artist’s death and included works in various media, some of which had never been shown before as well as examples of Iraqi art drawn from Aya Gallery’s own in-house collection.
Aya Gallery, 15 Fulham High St, London SW6 3JH Tel: 020 7371 5050 www.ayagallery.co.uk
Egyptian Landscapes: Fifty Years of tapestry weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre Cairo Brunei Gallery, SOAS This exhibition of colourful tapestries celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the celebrated “experiment in creativity”, initiated by Ramses Wissa Wassef near Giza. The works demonstrated the progress of the weavers during the 20 years since the 1985/6 UK touring exhibition and introduced the philosophy and the tapestries to a new generation in Britain. The display consisted of masterpieces from the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre’s permanent collection together with new wool and cotton weavings and batiks. Two weavers set up their looms in the gallery to demonstrate their art. SOAS Brunei Gallery, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1H 0XG Ramses Wissa Wassef Exhibition Trust Tel: 0207 276 1034
www.wissa-wassef-arts.com
From: 13 March 2006 To: From Bangla-beat to Afro-beat Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Asia House showcased a fusion of traditional and contemporary Bangladeshi Music on the South Bank. The concert explored the musical roots of Bangladesh from the homeless through to the world famous with three great bands. Rob Fakir and Shahjahan Munshi played traditional Baul-inspired music; Ektaar All Stars led by Ornob, represented the new generation of Bangladeshi musicians; and Lokhi Terra, led by London-based Bangladeshi pianist and composer Kishon Khan, mixed these with other musical traditions, from Cuban Rumba to Nigerian Afro-beat. With special guest Fazal Querishi on tabla.
Asia House 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP Tel: 020 7307 5454 www.asiahouse.org
Lands of Enchantment Kufa Gallery Lands of Enchantment was the third exhibition by Halla Ayla Shakarchi, presented as part of the international project, The Arab World Unveiled. It was a photographic mixed-media exhibition of images taken from her journeys through Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. In this series of exhibitions on the Arab world Shakarchi aimed to unveil the unique allure, beauty and vibrancy of the region, its monuments and its people. Her hope in carrying these images from East to West was that they would act as bridges, illuminating a greater dimension of the Arabs, and their incredibly rich culture, and thus reveal the more enchanting aspects of this very misunderstood region. Kufa Gallery 26 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RH 020 7229 1928
From: 05 May 2006 To: 03 June 2006 Child of the Divide Polka Theatre A play for 8 to 14 year olds, Child of the Divide is set during partition on India and centres around Pali, a young Hindu boy who gets separated from his parents. Adopted by a Muslim family, he learns to embrace Islam and his new identity. Seven years later life comes full circle when he is reunited with his Hindu roots. At the heart of the piece are the stories of four other children. Scarred by their experiences, they forge friendships across religious divides and challenge the prejudices of the adults.
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB 020 8545 4888 From: 05 May 2006 To: 15 June 2006 Tears of the Ancient City: Paintings By Suad Al-Attar Leighton House One of the most celebrated contemporary Middle Eastern artists, with work in many private and public collections worldwide, Suad has lived in London since 1976 and, like many Iraqis, her response to the bombing of Baghdad in 2003 aroused powerful and complex emotions. She produced five large-scale works for this exhibition that were a moving testament to the suffering of her people.
Leighton House Museum 12 Holland Park, London W14 020 7602 3316
Kalila wa Dimna or the Mirror for Princes Barbican Centre Acclaimed Kuwaiti writer-director Sulayman Al-Bassam presented his latest production: a radical adaptation of one of the masterpieces of Eastern culture, the fables of ‘Kalila wa Dimna’. Intended originally as a book of council for kings – literally ‘a mirror for princes’ – these subtle and philosophical animal fables still carry immense significance. From India, via Persia, the tales reached the Arab world through the pen of Ibn al-Muqaffa, court scribe, wit and radical reformer. This exciting new theatre production located the work in its original historical context, in Iraq around 750 AD, one of the most turbulent moments of Islamic history, the resonances of which continue to be felt today. A special Gala Performance of Kalila wa Dimna was held on Thursday 11th May at the Barbican Centre in the presence of the patron of the play, Sheikha Hussah al Sabah of Kuwait. Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. 020 7638 8891 Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW 01865 305305
From: 13 May 2006 To: Writing Turkey: Then and Now School of Arts, Middlesex University A group of internationally famous writers, novelists, historians, journalists and broadcasters discussed aspects of Turkey’s past and present contributions to world culture in the context of Turkey’s bid for EU membership. Speakers included award-winning novelist Elif Shafak, poet Alev Adil, Maureen Freely (translator of Orhan Pamuk’s novels), Mehmet Ali Birand of Kanal 5 TV, Istanbul, CNN-Turk reporter Andrew Finkel, and HE Dr Akin Alptuna, Turkey’s Ambassador to Great Britain.
Frank Gardner In the City London To coincide with the publication of his book “Blood and Sand” the BBC’s security correspondent and a member of the Festival’s Honorary Board discussed his experiences of Muslim cultures and the Muslim world at BT’s head office. There was an opportunity to meet Frank and other supporters of the Festival, and to buy the book. From: 26 May 2006 To: Sufism and Islamic Art Tate Britain Sufism attempts to capture the abstract nature of God through the practice of geometry, biomorphic forms, and calligraphy. This study day examined the links between Sufism and traditional Islamic arts, the Sufic quest for knowledge and its reflection in art, and the continuity of the tradition, particularly in the West. The day was artist-led and included visual displays, lectures, a practical workshop and discussions on contemporary practice in the UK. The speakers included Paul Marchant from the Prince´s Foundation; Zarah Hussain, artist specialising in Islamic geometry; and Peter Sanders, photographer.
Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG Box Office 020 7887 8888 www.tate.org.uk
Sidi Goma UK Tour Arts Depot A music and dance performance by the mysterious, little known Sidis who are descendants of Africans who have travelled across the Indian Ocean from East Africa to India over the last 1000 years. As Sufi Muslim devotees of an African saint and symbolic ancestor, their sacred songs praise the gift of Joy. 30 May Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells 31 May The Brewery, Kendal 1 June The Sage, Newcastle 2 June Clocktower, Croydon 4 June Arts Depot, London 7 June Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
020 7095 9566 (KAPA)
Hamra Abbas Gasworks/V&A Museum Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas visited London with sponsorship from the Festival of Muslim Cultures in a twelve-week residency at Gasworks and in collaboration with the V&A museum. The residency was an opportunity for Hamra to develop new work in response to the V&A’s collection of miniature paintings.
Hamra Abbas’ practice takes a light-hearted and satirical view of some of the issues and ethics around miniature paintings. By isolating certain figures or removing them from their original context, she highlights their relevance to contemporary lifestyles. Her work takes a variety of forms including sculpture, painting, installation and video. Using these media she lifts miniature paintings off their two dimensional form on the page, transforming them into spatial works that engage critically with some of the debates surrounding modern religion and contemporary society.
Gasworks, 155 Vauxhall Street, London SE11 5RH (0)20 7582 6848 www.vam.ac.uk From: 12 July 2006 To: 11 August 2006 Karamah Kaftan Kouture Leighton House London Islamic artist Karimah Bint Dawoud presented her fashion exhibition with a collection of garments influenced by the Oriental interior of Leighton House museum and its artefacts. She produced a collection of garments, photographs and painting and textile work that interpreted Orientalism from the perspective of a Muslim woman living in the west and shaped by the east, focusing on the prominent women in the life of the Prophet.
12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ. Tel: 020 7602 3316 www.karamaharts.com From: 15 July 2006 To: Day of Turkish Sufism, Music, Poetry and Arts with Latif Bolat St Marks Church A day-long workshop followed by a concert by Latif Bolat. There were lectures on Turkish history, religions and music as well as the mystical poetry of the Sufi dervishes. Participants were encouraged to bring their own musical instruments for the hands-on teaching sessions. One of the most well-known Turkish musicians in the U.S., Latif Bolat plays Turkish folk music and devotional Sufi songs. Accompanying himself on baglama (Turkish long-necked lute), Latif sings of love and the spirit, with many songs featuring the lyrics of the great 13th-century mystical poets Rumi and Yunus Emre. St Marks Church, Myddleton Square, London EC1 0794 448 9527 www.caravansary.org/events From: 26 July 2006 To: Charity, Orphans and Foundlings in the pre-Modern Islamic World The Foundling Museum A guest lecture by Professor Gerald Hawting, Professor of Middle East History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University on how the Muslim world tackled the issues of orphans, charity and foundlings. The Foundling Hospital in Coram’s Fields (near King’s Cross) was founded in 1739 and was a major milestone for both childcare and charities in Britain. Throughout the day the Museum’s Coram Café offered Moroccan flavours and music. The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London www.foundlingmuseum.org.ukFrom: 28 July 2006 To: 31 July 2006 Sufi Music Festival Essex Unitarian Church A long weekend of workshops, concerts and poetry readings in Islington and Notting Hill, London. The concerts included performances by the Nihavend Ensemble, flute-playing and poems from Rumi by Paul Cheneur, and Peyman Nasehpour (drumming workshops). The Festival ended on Monday evening with an exploration of Sufi meditation. St Marks Church, Myddleton Square, London EC1 Essex Unitarian Church, 112 Palace Gardens Terrace, Notting Hill Gate, London W8 0794 448 9527 www.caravansary.org/festival
“Bulha” Riverside Studios
Ajoka, one of
Pakistan’s leading theatre companies, presented their play about the life of the Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah. Performed in Punjabi and Urdu, the play carries a message about love and tolerance from the times of the downfall of the Mughal empire in the mid 18th-century. Bulleh Shah’s Kafis were sung by the actors and a Qawwal party (Javed Bashir and others), celebrating the rich and vibrant culture of the Punjab.
Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 020 8237 1111 www.riversidestudios.co.uk
Prom 29: Radio Tarifa and Dimi Mint Abba Royal Albert Hall, Kensington This late-night Prom showcased music from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar. With its fertile mix of styles, drawing together Iberian, Moorish, Yiddish, North African and Middle Eastern music, from the past and present, into one uniquely adventurous melting-pot, Spain´s Radio Tarifa should brought this concert to a roaring climax. This was the last concert before Radio Tarifa disbanded. Due to the death of Cheikha Rimitti, the concert was changed to include a performance by Dimi Mint Abba, from Mauritania. Box office: 0207589 8212 www.bbc.co.uk/proms From: 09 August 2006 To: Special Quwaali Performance St Ethelburga’s A special performance by Javed Bashir and Party and Arif Ali on Wednesday 9 August at the Centre for Reconciliation and Peace.
78 Bishopsgate London EC4 www.stethelburgas.com
Orientalism Gallery Trail Wallace Collection, London The Wallace Collection, housed in what was a private mansion, is one of London´s best-kept secrets. This trail around the collections leads to a 15th-century Mosque lamp, orientalist paintings, an Islamic metalwork dish and Tipu Sultan´s sword, amongst others. It is suitable for adults and children and the free leaflet can be picked up at the front of the Museum. See related events elsewhere in this calendar. Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London Open daily 10am 5pm. Free www.wallacecollection.org Tel: 020 7563 9500
Beyond the Page: Contemporary Art from Pakistan Asia House Gallery
The work of six contemporary Pakistani artists who transform miniature paintings beyond the limitations of medium, technique and tradition was presented. Site-specific installations and newly commissioned works were on show simultaneously in
London’s Asia House and the Manchester Art Gallery. Works by Hamra Abbas, Aisha Khalid, Mohammed Imran Qureshi, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Hasnat Mahmood and Usman Saeed were included.
The exhibition was curated by Hammad Nasar, the Festival of Muslim Cultures Arts Programme Director. Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, London W1G 7LP 020 7307 5447
Manchester City Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3LJ 0161 235 8888
Touring schedule: 19 May – 15 July 2007, The Harley Gallery, Wellbeck, Worksop, Notts S80 3LW 01909 501700
August – October 2007, Midland Art Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QU 0121 440338
4 November 2007 – January 2008, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield HD1 2SU 01484 221962 From: 10 September 2006 To: Sounds from the World of Islam: Haji Ameer Khan Qawwal and Party, Aresh Moradi, Reza Samani and Fariborz Kianne Horniman Museum A series of free concerts celebrating the musical diversity of the many cultures that exist within predominantly Islamic Asian states. Haji Ameer Khan, from one of Pakistan’s most respected musical families, will perform qawwali devotional singing that traditionally celebrates the anniversaries of Sufi saints in Pakistan and India.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 www.horniman.ac.uk From: 17 September 2006 To: Sounds from the World of Islam: Aresh Moradi Horniman Museum The sacred music of the Al-I Haqq (Yaresan) sect of Kurdish people of Iran was performed on the tanbur, a long-necked lute.
From: 24 September 2006 To: Sounds from the World of Islam: Reza Samani and Fariborz Kianne Horniman Museum The instrumental traditions of the diverse cultural and geographical areas of Iran were presented in this performance of drums and wind instruments. From: 01 October 2006 To: 18 February 2007 East-West Tate Britain An new display of Islamic art and artefacts within the BP British art displays to coincide with the Festival of Muslim Cultures. The interventions include the following: Nicholas Hilliard´s portrait of Elizabeth I is paired with a 16th-century letter introducing Ottoman agent Gabriel Defrens to the Elizabethan Court; the first edition of the Arabian Nights in English (1718) is shown with 18th-century masterpieces by Gainsborough, Hogarth and Reynolds; the 17th-century Persian painting A Lady Watching her Dog Drink wine from a Bowla (Isfahan, c.1640) is shown alongside Pre-Raphaelite works such as Millaisa´s "Ophelia" and Waterhouse´s Lady of Shallotta photos of the earliest Muslim communities in Britain are shown alongside works by Bomberg and Nash. Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1 Open every day 10am - 5.50pm Admission free www.tate.org.uk Tel: 020 7887 8888
The Tartar National Theatre Riverside Studios A season of three contrasting plays by the Muslim world’s first professional theatre company as it celebrated its centenary. On 22 December 1906 what is believed to be the first public theatre performance took place in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan in what is now part of the Russian Federation. A year later the first woman actress in the Muslim world joined the company. 3 and 4 October - the company presented “First Theatre”, a comedy by Tatarstan’s greatest playwright Galiaskar Kamal, about the day that theatre first came to Kazan. 5, 6 and 7 October - “Dumb Cuckoo” was about the 1939 Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland and two soldiers, one from each side, who find a common bond.
8 October - “Iron Pea” was a show with music, dancing and bright costumes that tells of the battle between good and evil, based on Tatar folklore. Matinee, suitable for children.
Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, London W6 Tel: 020 8237 1111 www.riversidestudios.co.uk From: 20 October 2006 To: 24 October 2006 Ramadan Nights Barbican Centre Following the hugely successful Ramadan Nights festival in 2005, the Barbican celebrated more exceptional music from a plethora of Muslim cultures around the globe. Performances were from Turkish Sufi mix-master Mercan Dede and Middle Eastern diva Natacha Atlas (Friday 20 Oct), the astonishingly gifted kora impresario, Toumani Diabate with his Symmetric Orchestra (Sunday 22 Oct). A project exploring the links between two transcendental music traditions, Qawwali Flamenco featuring Faiz Ali Faiz, Duquende, Chicuelo & Encarna Anillo (Monday 23 Oct) and the exquisite Egyptian ensemble El Tanbura (Tuesday 24 Oct).
There were also films, talks and free performances throughout the festival from DAM, Hassan El Ashry, Abdullah Chhadeh & Abdul Tee Jay.
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2 Box Office Tel: 0845 120 7536 www.barbican.org.uk/ramadannights From: 21 October 2006 To: 10 December 2006 Making “Music in the World of Islam”: Photographs by Jean Jenkins Horniman Museum This exhibition showcased the photographs taken in the mid-1970s by American-born Jean Jenkins (1922-1990) of musicians from Asian and African Islamic countries and their instruments. Jean Jenkins was the Horniman Museum’s first curator of musical instruments and her sound recordings from the Islamic world are available on CD.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 www.horniman.ac.uk
Half-term workshops The Wallace Collection Monday 23 October Jewel-encrusted Daggers. Join Fay Ross Magenty to make your very Swords of the Sultans. A “hands-on” Indian arms and armour experience led by David Edge, the Wallace Collection’s Armourer. Discover for yourself what it was like to wear the armour of an Indian warrior during the era of the Mughal Emperors, and imagine weilding fearsome weapons in the thick of battle. Suitable for all ages.
Tuesday 24 October Unity in Pattern drawing workshop. Find out about tessellation, repetition, rotation, translation and more by creating your own intricate pattern inspired by the richness of Islamic art and the Wallace Collection with the help of artist Zarah Hussain. Ages 7+
Wednesday 25 October Flying Carpet painting workshop. Paint and design your own magic flying carpet with the help of artist Marc Woodhead. Looking at paintings for inspiration you will learn about the history of carpet design and find out why carpets, known as “the furniture of paradise” in the Muslim world, were collected in the Wes. Ages 6-10.
Thursday 26 October Printmaking Patterns. Learn how to make a monoprint using water-based inks. Then create your own unique pattern on paper inspired by the Islamic patterns in the Wallace Collection with the help of printmaker Razia Welland. Ages 6-12
Friday 27 October Illuminating Tiles: Ceramic Painting Workshop. Through looking at the elaborate patterns and designs of the Islamic tiles in the Wallace Collection we will sketch and then develop our own patterns. Back in the education studio these will be transposed onto a tile using fine brushes, metallic and glass paints with the help of artist and lecturer Alison Kusner. Ages 7-11
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN www.wallacecollection.org From: 26 October 2006 To: 26 October 2006 Treasure of the Month: Persian Dagger Wallace Collection Gallery Talk by Armourer David Edge. In response to the Festival of Muslim Cultures, the October treasure is a Persian dagger dated A.H. 902 (1496/7 AD). The grip is of smoky grey-green jade inlaid with gold with lotus flowers and arabesques of gold, minutely chiselled and engraved. The gold inscriptions (couplets of Persian poetry) on the blade are amongst the earliest and finest surviving from this era.
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN www.wallacecollection.org From: 28 October 2006 To: The Big Draw Wallace Collection Free drop-in art activities, suitable for all ages. Taking inspiration from patterns and designs in the Oriental Armoury and Smoking Room, create your own painted tile with the help of artist Zarah Hussain. Meet artist Alison Kusner who will teach you the techniques of drawing still life, and draw from an Oriental-themed still life group in the Great Gallery.
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN www.drawingpower.org.uk www.wallacecollection.orgFrom: 05 November 2006 To: The Little Draw Wallace Collection Join “Little Draw” artist Zarah Hussain on the first Sunday of each month this autumn to sketch in the galleries. Zarah Hussain’s work is inspired by the colours, vibrancy and sense of movement present in Islamic geometric design. She will teach you how to construct, draw, colour and create repeating designs inspired by the work in the Wallace Collection.
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN www.wallacecollection.org
Abdullah Ibrahim in concert Queen Elizabeth Hall/London Jazz Festival A jazz legend of global stature, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is a charismatic symbol of the rich South African jazz heritage and an instrumentalist whose solo performances create a hypnotic, spiritual atmosphere infused with his belief in Islam. From luminous gospel-like anthems to rhythmic vamps, his music is accessible and compelling—rich with complex harmonies and a steely mysticism.
“When he plays melodies tumble out effortlessly. It’s the musical equivalent of a great raconteur telling you about his life” - The Guardian. A rare opportunity to hear one of the world’s greatest musicians for a unique solo acoustic concert. This event was part of the London Jazz Festival, as well as the Festival of Muslim Cultures.
Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre,
Belvedere Road, London SE1
Tel Box Office: 0870 264 9988 www.rfh.org.uk From: 25 November 2006 To: Arabian Nights Wallace Collection Come and listen to beautiful stories of Eastern romance and ancient heroes that have inspired writers, poets and painters in the West. Then walk around the Oriental Armoury and admire jewelled daggers and ornate shields. Gallery Talk: Paintings in the Oriental Armoury Storytelling: be enchanted by tales of the East Family tour of the Wallace Collection Galleries Talk and discussion seminar on issues around Orientalism Craft activity: how to make your own Eastern lights Gallery Talk: Introduction to the Oriental Armoury
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN www.wallacecollection.org
From Kabul to Kandahar 1833 – 1933 Royal Geographical Society with IBG, Kensington The Society’s collection on Afghanistan includes several hundred images with many unique prints that date back to the mid 1800s. A selection of these photographs, drawings and lithographs feature in this engaging and informative exhibition supported by the DfES and Heritage Lottery Fund. They provide a glimpse of communities, customs and histories of this mountainous country and include scenes and descriptions of market places in Kabul from 1842, and panoramic views of the city of Kandahar taken after the second Anglo Afghan war of 1878-80. The exhibition is curated in partnership with the Afghan Association of London, Brondesbury College for Boys, and others. Education resources on migration will be available online for secondary geography and citizenship from January 15 2007.
The exhibition will tour nationally. Organisations interested in hosting the exhibition can call 020 7591 3052 for further information.
Mon-Fri 10am – 5pm
Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7
0207 591 3000
www.rgs.org
Photograph: Horse Sellers, Kandahar, 1881. Copyright RBS-IBG
Treasures From the RGS Islamic Collections Royal Geographical Society with IBG, Kensington
7, 14, 21 and 28 February 2007
Accompanying the exhibition “From Kabul to Kandahar: 1833 – 1933”, this showcase provides a great opportunity to view a selection of original historic maps, photographs and artefacts from Islamic communities from around the world, including photographs of Mecca from the 1900s and pictures taken at the founding of Saudi Arabia by Ibn Saud.
Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7
11.30am and 3pm
Spaces are limited and booking is advised
Tel: 0207 591 3000
www.rgs.org
Photograph: Ramsay taking photo, Sistan Boundary, 1903. Copyright RBS-IBG
Student Expedition to UAE & Oman Organised by Offscreen Education Programme
On 8 February 2007, the
Offscreen Education Programme took a pioneering youth expedition to the United Arab Emirates and Sultanate of Oman. Nine East London students embarked on the journey of a lifetime, to inspire others to better understand Arab culture.
For 12 days during the expedition the students are producing an artistic record of their journey from the cityscapes of downtown Dubai to the Bedu camps of the Wahiba Sands. The artworks and video diaries the students create are being beamed back to the UK, via satellite, taking audiences ‘off screen’ every day. Through the power of art, this expedition is communicating a fresh and positive picture based on direct experience, not media stereotypes. The journey of nine young people will be the platform to inspire countless more.
Participating Schools: Dagenham Park Community School, Forest Gate Community School, Plashet School, Crown Woods Community School, Rashid School for Boys (UAE), Latifah School for Girls (UAE), Nusibah bint Kaab Secondary School (Oman), Ibn Anafees School for General Education (Oman).
The Company
Following an extraordinary artist’s journey across the Middle East in 2003, four British artists founded the Offscreen Education Programme, an art-in-schools project promoting a different and creative picture of the region in UK classrooms. Since its inception Offscreen has distributed educational resources to over 1300 secondary schools across the UK and forged successful working relationships with the Institute of Education, the British Museum, British Council and the National Museum of Scotland.
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