Arab Women Artists Now Festival

Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN) is an annual festival and celebration of Arab
women in the arts across a wide spectrum, as creatives, producers, writers,
filmmakers, performers, musicians and artists. Its exhibition at Rich Mix from 2 to 24
March 2016 and day-long conference and evening concert on 12 March show
off the powerhouse that London has become for Arab arts. Along-side these events,
workshops held at the Arab British Centre on 17 and 24 March encourage
cultural practitioners to compare experiences and discuss opportunities about
putting on and promoting arts from the Arab world in the UK and beyond. At a
time when the Arab world is undergoing turmoil and in some countries outright
war, Arab arts and culture have emerged as a safe haven for people of all hues,
political persuasions and religions. From Algeria to Sudan and places in between
offering home to the Arab Diaspora, AWAN is a platform for a multitude of
voices and creative expression. One conference panel discussion considers the
value of arts activism in war-torn Syria, alongside the Arabic folk and jazz by
the Tunisian singer, Ghalia Benali (born in Belgium), and the socially
provocative film Embargo by the Kuwaiti visual artist Aseel AlYaqoub. AWAN
brings together a wonderfully imaginative always-inquisitive Arab arts community
and showcases new work created, envisioned and produced by women.
Malu Halasa
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