“Shubbak: A Window on Contemporary Arab Culture” kicks off on Saturday, July 1, with an opening ceremony at the Barbican, featuring Cairokee Band from Egypt and the Lebanese singer Tania Saleh. The largest biennial of contemporary Arab culture in London will go on with daily events, until July 16.
Kon Ma3a El Fann (Be with Art), the latest program launched by Cultural Resource, is represented in the festival, in an all-day symposium entitled “Survival of the Artist“, hosted by the British Museum on July 2. The symposium will focus on organizations’ support of artists in the Arab region, discussing the obstacles that unprecedentedly face artists and art institutions, which ended up with the ‘survival of the artist’ being a topic of the hour. Discussions lasting for a full day are divided into three sessions, focusing on how artists and art spaces can be brought to safety; how to preserve creativity in periods of civil and political conflict; and how to respond to the endless threats to cultural heritage.
Kon Ma3a El Fann’s session will be from 02:00 pm to 03:15 pm, entitled “Representing the Artist”. Discussions will be about organizations’ efforts to protect artists at risk, and the issues of hosting such artists in local and international spaces.
In addition to this contribution, Culture Resource supports its Arab artist partners and beneficiaries, by showcasing their work at the festival, through CR’s partnership with Shubbak Festival.
Kon Ma3a El Fann Program aims to support the rights of artists and cultural actors in the Arab region to live and work in safe environments that secure their freedom of expression and creation.
