Join us at Rich Mix on Saturday 11 March for an AWAN Saturday Takeover.
A day of inspiration, community, and networking with talks, film screenings and more.
A breakdown of the day’s schedule:
Talks
12.30 – 1.30pm: Palestinian Literature NOW talk with author and Palestinian literature expert Nora E.H. Parr, Palestinian authors Selma Dabbagh and Heba Alhayek and Palestinian Literature PhD student Shada Shahin
2 – 3pm: Ahla Fawda talk with the founder Ahla Fawda about her humanitarian and environmental NGO and sustainable projects
3.30 – 4.30pm: Breaking Barriers and Creating Careers discussion with the founder and director of a London-based art residency Cristina O’Hanlon, plus guests
CLICK HERE to book a pass to access all three AWAN Talks for £10.
Film Screenings
5pm: Pre-screening of Wholeness, an experimental 6-minute animation film, followed by a Q&A with the director Sarah Al-Sarraj
5.30pm: Film screening of Our River… Our Sky, followed by a Q&A with the award-winning director Maysoon Pachachi
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Find out detailed information about the day and each event below
Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and browse through Maqam, Ahla Fawda and Disarming Design pop-up stalls while you immerse yourself in an afternoon of thought-provoking talks by inspiring female Arab artists. The talks schedule is as follows:
💬 12.30 – 1.30pm: Palestinian Literature NOW
Join four inspiring Arab women as they delve into the world of Palestinian literature. Our panel features Nora E.H. Parr, an author and expert in Palestinian literature, alongside notable Palestinian authors Selma Dabbagh and Heba Alhayek. We’ll also be joined by Shada Shahin, a contemporary Palestinian literature PhD student.
Our panellists will discuss the unique genre of Palestinian fiction through the themes of artistic trends, revolutionary innovation, the evolution of symbols, and the importance surrounding the death of the hero poet. The Western world often references Palestinian writing as an ‘illustration of the conflict’, or positions it within an orientalist ‘other’. Instead, we will explore the beauty and richness of Palestinian fiction and reveal new perspectives.
💬 2 – 3pm: Ahla Fawda
Learn more about Ahla Fawda, an exceptional humanitarian and environmental NGO that uplifts disadvantaged communities through sustainable projects. Their mission is “to stand with those affected by hardship, providing essential support, empowering talents, and instilling positive change.”
Join the founder, Iman Assaf as she shares more about this important initiative and showcases a selection of recycled artisan products made by the artists, which will also be available for sale.
💬 3.30 – 4.30pm: Breaking Barriers and Creating Careers
Join Cristina O’Hanlon, founder and director of a London-based art residency, and guests for a conversation between practising artists and cultural practitioners on the many paths taken and the obstacles they faced along the way.
This conversation will be moderated by Heba Elkayal, a curator and researcher based in Cairo and London. From female perspectives, we will hear how barriers have been broken, what issues we need to rally behind, and the hopeful future we can cultivate for Arab women in the arts.
During each hour-long talk, you’ll have abundant opportunities to learn from and connect with these inspiring female speakers.
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As the evening sets in, join us for a screening of Maysoon Pachachi‘s award-winning film, Our River… Our Sky, followed by an in-person director Q&A. As part of your ticket, you can enjoy an exclusive pre-screening of Sarah Al-Sarraj‘s six-minute short animated film, Wholeness. Read more about the films below.
Schedule:
🎥 5pm: Join director Sarah Al-Sarraj for an exclusive Q&A and pre-screening of her short experimental animation film, Wholeness.
🎥 5.30pm – 7.30pm: Film screening of Our River… Our Sky
🎥 7.30pm: An opportunity to meet the award-winning Iraqi director Maysoon Pachachi and put your questions to her. Moderated by Abla Kan.
Escape into a dreamlike state during our free ‘Wholeness’ screening, a short experimental animation film by director Sarah Al-Sarraj, who will also be joining us for an in-person Q&A. Sarah’s film is a study on the limits of subjectivity and the need to transgress them to recognise the natural world’s sentience and reject the nature/culture and human/environment binaries created to dehumanise indigenous people
Sara is a single mother and novelist, shocked into silence, at a time of extreme sectarian violence and nightly curfews in Baghdad. She and her neighbours invite us into their everyday lives, as their world fragments and they attempt to renew a fragile sense of hope for a better future. Set against the backdrop of intense sectarian war, Our River… Our Sky follows the stories of a small Baghdad community trying to find some semblance of normality and hope despite unpredictable violence, turmoil, and loss.
Dedicated to the youth of Iraq, Maysoon Pachachi’s award-winning film offers a glance at the realities of ordinary life in Baghdad, a stark contrast to past Western media portrayals of the 2006 US-led invasion. A raw and powerful display of humanity, Pachachi’s film explores identity and nationalism, and what it means to belong.
The film made history as the only Arab film to win at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).