2023 Festival - Liverpool Arab Arts Festival

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival | Thursday 6 – Sunday 16 July 2023

Storytelling has a strong tradition in Arab culture. حكواتي Hakawati means storyteller, and describes a person who can draw people in with their tale.

This year, as we celebrate 25 years since the festival was founded, we invite Arab artists and those of Arab heritage to explore how their stories have shaped them, how they are crafting their own stories through song, theatre, dance, performance, literature and visual art, and how it relates to modern Arab identity.

Explore our festival programme of new commissions, performances and workshops.

2023 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

1:00pm, Thursday 6 July

Other Cinemas: How to build community with film workshop

Join the award-winning Other Cinemas for a practical session on how to use film to create community in your neighbourhood.

6:00pm, Thursday 6 July

An Arab man is crouched in a sandy coloured desert landscape. He is wearing a black turban

And still, it remains

To launch Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah's newly commissioned film And still, it remains, join Arwa and artist Leila Gamaz for this special evening of artist film screenings and discussion, moderated by poet, Amina Atiq.

7:30pm, Friday 7 July

Musician Aar Manta sitting in a skatepark. He is male and wearing sunglasses and a dark blue blazer. He is holding a skateboard. Graffiti is on the concrete behind him.

Aar Maanta

Somali-British singer-songwriter, Aar Maanta, brings his eclectic music blend and celebration of Somali culture to Liverpool Arab Arts Festival in a special concert

12:00pm, Saturday 8 July

Taroo

Taroo is a Parkour and circus comedy show telling stories from streets all over the world. With a fusion of acrobatics, Chinese pole and urban street moves, this show is not all that it seems.

10:45am, Saturday 8 July

LAAF x World Museum Liverpool

Join us for a hands-on day of workshops, laughs, beats and Arab arts and culture at World Museum Liverpool.

10:15am, Saturday 8 July

Yalla Neحky: Interactive Storytelling with Hadi Badi

Hadi Badi co-founder, Hend Badawy, leads this interactive storytelling session at Liverpool Arab Arts Festival for children aged 4-8 years.

12:00pm, Saturday 8 July

Dabke workshops with Fares Farraj

Palestinian dancer Fares Farraj leads three dabke dance classes for all ages and skills at World Museum Liverpool.

12:00pm, Saturday 8 July

Child's drawing of henna patterns on a pair of hands. The hands are yellow against a white background.

Henna Hands family workshop with Layla Gibiliru

In this drop-in workshop at World Museum Liverpool, artist Layla Gibiliru invites families to make their own ‘Henna Hands’ designs on paper, inspired by beautiful Henna patterns and plants.

1:00pm, Saturday 8 July

You’re Up Next: Stand-up comedy workshop with Esther Manito

Award-winning comedian Esther Manito puts you through your paces in a special comedy workshop at World Museum.

2:00pm, Saturday 8 July

MENA Beats taster sessions

A fun and interactive opportunity for young people aged 12 - 25 to experience the basics of DJing and music production from experts.

7:30pm, Saturday 8 July

Arabs Are Not Funny

You might have thought that Arabs couldn’t get any funnier.

2:00pm, Sunday 9 July

Cropped image of warriors protecting a queen using red shields. Swords are drawn. The queen has a tense look on her face in between the shields.

SAFAR Film Festival: The Last Queen

Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and SAFAR Film Festival partner to bring the UK Premiere of The Last Queen (2022) to Storyhouse in Chester.

12:00pm, Monday 10 July

And still, it remains

And still, it remains is a newly commissioned film by the artist filmmakers Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah.

7:30pm, Tuesday 11 July

Passports, Mo Salah, Jinn and Other Complicated Things

Writers Ahmed Masoud and Farah Chamma present an experimental new performance work exploring Palestinian identity beyond borders at Unity Theatre.

7:30pm, Wednesday 12 July

A dancer is crouched down with his head down and arms either side. The top of his head is visible. The stage is dark and the dancer is bathed in a green light.

Self-Entitlement

Self-Entitlement is an autobiographical solo performance by Egyptian dancer Mahmoud El Haddad at Unity Theatre.

11:00am, Thursday 13 July

A man extends his arm in a dance movement. He is wearing a blue shirt and jeans. There are several participants sitting on the floor watching him.

An introduction to Raks Baladi: dance workshop with Mahmoud El Haddad

Egyptian dancer Mahmoud El Haddad invites you to learn the elements of Baladi dancing in this practical workshop suitable for all levels of experience.

8:00pm, Thursday 13 July

Artist lisa luxx is standing with her arms open in a wheat harvest field. Her eyes are closed and head titled slightly upwards.

what the dog said to the harvest

A groundbreaking call for climate justice drawing on opera, dance,
READ MORE

8:00pm, Friday 14 July

Maya Youssef

The award-winning Syrian composer and musician, Maya Youssef brings her globally acclaimed album, Finding Home, to Liverpool Arab Arts Festival in what will be a stunning and intimate performance with an ensemble of string musicians

11:00am, Saturday 15 July

Mona Kareem standing near the sea edge. She is wearing round red glasses, wearing a navy jacket and white t-shirt. The red cover of I Will Not Fold These Maps is to the right of this image, taking up half the screen.

I Will Not Fold These Maps

Poet Mona Kareem launches her fiercely unapologetic new book of poetry at LUSH Liverpool.

12:00pm, Saturday 15 July

The British-Yemeni Society 30th celebration event

2023 marks the 30th anniversary since the British-Yemeni Society was founded. To celebrate this, we welcome you to join us for an afternoon of exhibitions and an enlightening talk in celebration of Yemen, held at the Quaker Meeting House, Liverpool.

12:00pm, Saturday 15 July

LAAF x Bluecoat

As we celebrate the 25 years since we were founded, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival returns to Bluecoat for an afternoon of music, hands-on workshops and storytelling for families.

1:30pm, Saturday 15 July

Our Dreams of Jasmine – book launch and listening event

In the full bloom of Summer, this July you are invited to the launch of Jessica El Mal's Our Dreams of Jasmine publication, and the first public sharing of the sound piece, taking place in Bootle Library’s garden space. An associate event with At The Library.

12:00pm, Sunday 16 July

Family Day

The celebratory Family Day, the showcase of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival,