Ten Years, One Vision: Culture as Resistance
Friday December 6, 2024 7:00 pm
Banqueting Suite, Civic Hall, Calverley Street, LS1 1UR
Doors open: 6.30pm
Start: 7pm
Join us for an entertaining and thought-provoking evening celebrating and exploring the idea of ‘Culture as Resistance’.
Be inspired by the powerful voices of Palestinian film-makers and artists
Two short films, both made - incredibly - in the last month in Gaza and the West Bank especially for our Festival
Enjoy the beautiful musicianship of internationally acclaimed oud player.
Be stimulated by the discussion of our expert panel
Exploring the role culture has played in maintaining Palestinian identity, resilience and resistance through the long years of occupation.
Programme
Welcome address
Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung
Nigerian born, with a Masters degree in Development Studies from Leeds University. She was the first African to be elected to Leeds City Council in 2019, and became the first African Lord Mayor of Leeds in 2024.
Compère - Natalie Quatermass
Natalie is a theatre director and community artist based in East Leeds, with over 15 years experience, of embedding herself in spaces where creativity meets social justice, and where art meets activism. She has worked with The Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp in the West Bank, helping to establish regular youth theatre groups, where she learnt the power of creation under occupation and the significance of culture as a form of resistance.
Performer
Saied Silbak
Palestinian composer and oud player. Trained in classical piano from the age of four, before moving onto the oud in his early teens. His unique sound fuses music from Arabic, Turkish and Indian to classical Western styles. He has performed in the UK and around the world at festivals and concert series.
Discussion Panel
Sarah Agha
British actress, presenter, writer, and curator. She founded the Arab Film Club and presented the BBC documentary The Holy Land And Us: Our Untold Stories (2023). Her films include Layla (2024).
Maryam Ghorbankarimi
Filmmaker and Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University, specialising in Middle Eastern cinemas, with a focus on gender representation. Her first monograph, A Colourful Presence: The Evolution of Women’s Representation in Iranian Cinema (2015), examines the roles of women in Iranian film.
Fund-raising appeal
A collection will be held for the Amos Trust Gaza Emergency Appeal. Katie Hegley, on behalf of Amos Trust, will show a short film and talk about their support for this and other grass roots projects.
