Author: Jack Welsh

MENA Beats Project – 2023/4

The Youth Music Trailblazer grant gave us the opportunity to reach out to young people of Arab / Middle Eastern and North African heritage who are underrepresented in the music industry – providing a platform for them to learn and develop their skills in DJing, mixing and production.

The driving motivation behind the project was to increase young people’s access and opportunities to experience, perform and develop a wide range of skills from professional DJs; to curate contemporary music that is representative of them, their artistry, their generation and cultural heritage.

“The project has helped me show other people who I am through DJing and music.”
– Young person involved in the project

The initial idea for the project came about through consultation and research with young people who attended Liverpool Arabic Centre and Kaalmo Youth Development – two community-based organisations that were instrumental in facilitating young people’s participation in the project.

From March 2023 to October 2024, the project engaged 76 young people of Arab heritage and Global Majority, aged 11-24. The participants attended DJ workshops and masterclasses and had no prior music experience.

“It’s been so worth going to DJing sessions, learning and having fun, meeting new people and exploring my cultural heritage, it was worth everything.”
– Young person involved in the project

Twenty-four young people participated in three or more workshops and were mentored by professional DJs who supported them in developing specific technical production skills. We also facilitated visits to some of Liverpool’s most iconic music venues, offering young people the opportunity to experience a diverse range of industry roles – from venue operation and technical production to performance based roles.

Ten young people played a key role in evaluating and planning project activities, including the research visits to music venues. The process enabled young people to develop ownership and confidence to shape the project delivery.

Five young people have since progressed into music industry volunteer roles, including LAAF young people’s subgroup, who will help shape music-making activities and performances for younger audiences.

“It helped in so many ways, not just with music but also with my self-confidence.”
– Young person involved in the project

Some of our young people performed at the 2024 Liverpool Arab Arts Festival VIP Launch and Family Day events. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to play their work to a live audience at a large-scale event for the very first time, utilising the skills they learnt from being involved in the project.
We are delighted to be continuing the project into next year with more DJing workshops and a planned visit to London, where our young people will have the opportunity to meet producers and music professionals from leading Arab/MENA organisations. A huge thank you to Youth Music and all of our young people involved in this year’s events.
Image by AB Photography
Image by AB Photography
Image by AB Photography

Partner event: Desperate Times

We’re pleased to be supporting Somali women’s theatre piece, Desperate Times, a sell-out hit by emerging new writer Amal Abdi, at Unity Theatre this month. 

Desperate Times
Unity Theatre
Thursday 31st October
7:00pm
BOOK TICKETS
£12 or £6 Creative Pool
Running time: Approx 70mins

From the makers of the award winning show, Dugsi Dayz, Side eYe productions presents Desperate Times.

Meet Lucky. Teacher by day. Petty thief by night.

Meet Lucky, a bored and lonely supply teacher, who has developed a compulsion for petty thieving. She feels invincible and lives for the drama, until she tells a lie that not even she can charm her way out of. How long can she keep up the act? In this one woman play, step into the tumultuous unhinged world of Lucky.

Praise for Side eYe:

‘Dazzling, hilarious, touching & entertaining’ ★★★★ To Do List
‘British Somali women’s theatre gives the ‘Side eYe’ to exclusion’ – Reuters

Credits:

Written by Amal Abdi
Performed by Nadjma Abshir
Directed by Fatima Ali Omar & Adna Ahmed
Produced by Suher Sofi & Raha Mahamoud
Production Managed by Suher Sofi
Stage managed by Katie Twist
Sound design by Calum Perrin
Lighting design by Matthew Hockley
Special thanks to Kayd Somali Arts and Culture, Arts Council England and Liverpool Arab Arts Festival.

Algerian Dance Workshops with Hayet Amar

In these interactive dance workshops, explore Algerian Folk dance with Hayet Amar – a specialist in North African traditional dance forms – in Liverpool.

Sunday 29 September, 1-2pm
Chaoui [sha-wi] Dance Workshop
Price: £7.21 (including booking fees)
Booking link

This workshop will explore a traditional dance from one sub-group of the indigenous people (Amazigh) of North Africa, known as the Chawia. This group is home to the region of the Aures mountains in East Algeria. Chaoui dance is maternal and grounded, truly symbolic of this tribe’s respect to the divine energy of nature and agriculture. Famously known by the “bounce” of the belly, this style is danced with strong isolations in the pelvis area.

Sunday 29 September, 3-4pm
Kabyle Dance Workshop
Price: £7.21 (including booking fees)
Booking link

This class will explore the Kabyle, an Amazigh group of Northern Algeria. This dance is heavily grounded on the feet, connected to nature, and is known for its with strong hip reverberations or “shimmies”.

A cultural form thousands of years old, we connect with a dance from a community that has been a strong leader in cultural preservation of the Amazigh culture, language, and history in Algeria.

To bring: Regular scarf to tie around your hips + another scarf (preferably square)

Hayat Amar Bio:

From her earliest days, Hayet harboured a fervent love for Algerian dances. She honed her skills in Kabyle dance, blending her innate talent with formal training from a professional folk ballet in Kabylia, Algeria. In addition, she underwent instruction in other Amazigh Algerian dance forms, including Chaoui dance.

Her artistic mission is to preserve the genuine techniques of Algerian Amazigh dances, ensuring their transcendence through future generations in their purest traditional form.

Produced by Culturama in association with Liverpool Arab Arts Festival.

Part of DzFest 2024 – The Algerian festival for Arts & Culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venue: VideOdyssey, Toxteth TV, 37-45 Windsor St, Toxteth, Liverpool L8 1XE.

Look back at this year’s festival

Revisit this summer’s Liverpool Arab Arts Festival with our gallery of images.

This July, we had ten days of Arab arts and culture featuring music, theatre, performance, literature, workshops, food tours, exhibitions and more.

You can look back at a few of our festival highlights here.