Exploring the Future of Islamic Art and Culture
Salaam Festival brings local, national and international artists of diverse backgrounds and art forms, to produce innovative and progressive new work in Manchester and beyond.
What Time Is It?
'What Time Is It ?' is a project working with local artists inspiring students to write a collection of poetry and prose based on science, astrology, space and identity. The project aims to bring an astrolabe out of collections to share and display history through new perspectives.
Artist
Elmi Ali and Nasima Begum
Inspired by the Astrolabe
Workshops and classes with schools in Manchester
Explore our Culture
We are redesigning an annual festival and new work with artists and communities. Salaam Festival promotes diverse cultures from around the world. We believe that cultural exchange is an essential part of creating a more connected and understanding society. Through our festival, we will provide a platform for artists and performers to showcase their work, while also providing audiences with the opportunity to experience new and exciting cultural expressions.
From music and dance to visual art and literature, our culture offers a diverse range of events that aim to educate and inspire our audiences through a rich tapestry of global cultures.
Watch this space in 2024.
Art in Community
We are committed to engaging with and serving the creative needs of communities. We are working closely with community groups, businesses and art institutions to identify areas where we can collaborate and make a positive cultural impact.
Through our community engagement initiatives, we aim to build stronger relationships and create meaningful opportunities for individuals and groups to connect and participate in the cultural life of our city. Whether it's through organising conversations, workshops, or cultural activities, we strive to create a sense of belonging and real meaning.
Subjects include visual and performance art, art and health projects and diversity through artist representation.
We work with museums, art galleries, venues and arts organisations to host events, design ideas and collaborate on projects.
Salaam for Schools
We are working with artists, schools, colleges and universities to promote how Islamic art can be included and positively represented. We are dedicated to ensuring Islamic art and culture is presented accurately and sensitively in spaces of learning and education.
We have been programming culture days, boot camps and enrichment classes and provide practical recommendations to support curriculum learning goals, artist practice, parent engagement, and most importantly empower and inspire a young generation.
Subjects include: arabic calligraphy, geometric pattern, quranic illumination, ebru, drumming, taekwondo and nasheed singing.
For enquiries please email hello@salaamfestival.co.uk
Elmi Ali
is based in Manchester and writes poetry and short fiction for the stage. His work has been received in venues across the country from the Power House Library in Moss Side to The British Library in London. His writing is published in Scarf Magazine – of which he is an associate editor – Sable 15 and Critical Muslim 13 respectively. Elmi is a member of Inna Voice – a Manchester based spoken word collective – and is resident artist at Numbi – an artist’s collective in the East End of London. Elmi is also a member of Inscribe – Peepal Tree Press’s writer development programme. He is currently facilitating performance poetry and creative writing workshops with the Festival reimagining the Astrolabe.
A series of workshops have been designed to raise awareness of Islamic art and history by being hands on with art objects and museum collections.
Working with local artists across four schools; an anthology of poems and collection of artworks will reinterpret how we see the Astrolabe today.
Salaam=
Welcome
"Exploring new ways of showcasing visual art and culture from around the world"
"Beyond Colour, Creed or Interpretation"
A bold vision
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