Friday 12 July - Sunday 21 July, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

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As part of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival’s Port Cities project, we introduce Slow Listening, an invitation to stop and tune in to the sounds of the cities around us.

The identity and culture of a Port City creates a distinctive sound. In Liverpool, the distant ships’ horns, seagulls and the sounds of the River Mersey create a backdrop to daily life in the city. Each port city has its own sound, which helps to provide insight to its character.

Listen to the sounds of Liverpool, Alexandria, Tripoli, Casablanca and Tunis from wherever you are. Whether you are in Liverpool or any of the other participating cities, or on the east coast of America, or the West coast of Africa, tune into the sounds of Port Cities to hear how it shapes their culture and identity.

Listen Now

You can listen to every track on Spotify

You can listen on Apple Podcasts

Stream every track

Liverpool

Listen to the sounds of Liverpool, from its green spaces, to outside the iconic Anfield Stadium, home to Liverpool Football Club

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Liverpool – A bustling Lodge Lane L8

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Liverpool – Church Street Liverpool

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Liverpool – A blustery day at Greenbank Park

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Liverpool – The Pier Head on the Waterfront

Slow Listening Port Cities · Listening to the Kop sing You’ll Never Walk Alone at Klopp’s last home game

Alexandria

Egypt’s Alexandria, a vibrant port city, listen to street sounds and urban life

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Alexandria – Traffic Sounds in Alexandria

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Alexandria – By the old port in Alexandria

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Alexandria – Downtown Alexandria

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Alexandria – Street Sounds by the old port in Alexandria

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Alexandria – The Morning in Alexandria

Casablanca

Explore Morocco’s Casablanca through sound

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Casablanca – Ain Diab beach infront of Hassan II Mosque

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Casablanca – Call to Prayer for Salat on Eid at Fatar in Casablanca

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Casablanca – Casablanca Public Park with Children Playing

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Casablanca – Casablanca Street Sounds

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening – Market in Casablanca Last Night of Ramadan

Tripoli

The vibrancy of Tripoli comes to life from the fish market to the coast

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tripoli – Tripoli Fish Market

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tripoli – Street sounds in the Al-Siyahia Neighbourhood of Tripoli

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tripoli – Al-Dahra Al Eman Malik St on the balcony in the morning in Tripoli

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tripoli – Boat off the coast of Tripoli

Tunis

The rich sounds of life in Tunis

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tunis – Tunis Rue El Bardo

Slow Listening Port Cities · Slow Listening Tunis – Opera practice in Tunis

Artists
Abdellah Hassak – Casablanca

Abdellah M. Hassak is a sound artist, DJ/music producer, and art director. He was born in Morocco / Casablanca. In 2014, his work had already pushed the boundaries of his practice, and he founded Mahattat Radio, where he conducted radiophonic and sound research in interdisciplinary projects with various communities. For 8 years, he participated as an artist, researcher, and radio producer.

Abdellah shapes sound as a material to create sound pieces, performances, acts, and installations. His creative process is often collaborative, involving communities. Currently, his research focuses on memory, which he uses as a creative process based on interaction. He is fascinated by the way humans inhabit their environment.

Listening is at the center of his practice, beyond sound, as a means of grasping the imperceptible or as a pretext for meeting others. His work draws attention to the beings around us. He is interested in the imaginary and the contemporary interpretation that can be made of it, in the dialogue between humans and the context – natural or urban – in which they live, and in what voices tell us beyond words.

Abdellah’s sound pieces have been broadcast on radios around the world, such as Radio Papesse, Hangar, OTO Sound Museum, Pratiques d’hospitalité, and African Crossroads. He has collaborated with many other institutions and cultural spaces in Morocco and abroad in radiophonic and sound practice, such as the 5th edition of the Marrakech Biennale, Le Musée Collectif, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, Port25 – Raum für Gegenwartskunst, Mannheim FFT Düsseldorf, ÉSAD Grenoble, Sonic Matter, and Qanat Collective.

hassak.net

Abdulhafeed Albusefi – Tripoli

Coming soon

Ahmed Saleh – Alexandria

Ahmed Saleh is a musician, composer and sound artist born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt. He has become one of the spearheads of the Electronic music scene in Egypt. (Press – Cairoscene Magazine – March 2015)

Saleh’s experience as a visual artist had a great impact on his music. He composed his first live solo set and made an appearance at the 100LIVE Festival in 2009. Saleh is a member and one of the founders of the acclaimed band Telepoetic, he composed the soundtracks for many films, contemporary dance shows and Theater.

In 2014 he was a part of Jazz Nomades project and performed at La Voix Est Libre Festival (France)

Saleh’s music have been featured on a number of radio shows in Poland, USA, Italy, Germany, France, UK and Egypt.

Currently Saleh is touring his new album “A Ten year walk to the shore”.

Mohammed Souissi – Tunis

Born in 1989, Mohamed Souissi is a Tunis-based multidisciplinary artist and sound producer whose work spans the realms of theater, music, and film. A graduate of the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture (2013), Souissi has developed a reputation for his innovative soundscapes and technical expertise.

At El Teatro Tunis, Souissi excels as an audiovisual technician, creating captivating soundtracks for theatrical plays, live concerts, and films.

His work has resonated not just in Tunis but also in cultural hubs like Lyon and Düsseldorf, showcasing his international appeal and artistic versatility.

In addition to his technical skills, Souissi is an accomplished choir singer with the Théâtre de l’Opéra de Tunis, where his vocal talents enrich numerous performances. His versatility extends to acting, where he has established himself as a professional actor with a keen ability to bring characters to life.

Moreover, Souissi is a skilled percussion player and has contributed significantly to the Symphony International Festival of El Jem in Tunisia, where he mixes and records multitracks, demonstrating his extensive expertise in sound production.

One of the highlights of Souissi’s career is his contribution to the Oscar-nominated film “Golden Butterfly” (2019), a testament to his creative brilliance and impact on the global stage. His work continues to push the boundaries of sound production, merging technical precision with artistic vision.

Souissi passionately defends minority rights through his involvement in associations and the Helsinki Committee’s Project Artist at Risk, advocating for marginalized communities through his art.

Mohamed Souissi’s multifaceted talents and innovative approach make him a distinguished figure in the world of auditory and performing arts, continuously elevating the cultural landscape both in Tunisia and internationally.

Book Tickets

Slow Listening

Listen Now

You can listen to every track on Spotify

You can listen on Apple Podcasts

Stream every track

Liverpool

Alexandria

Casablanca

Tripoli

Tunis

Artists Abdellah Hassak – Casablanca

Artists
Abdellah Hassak – Casablanca