Shubbak Festival

Shubbak Festival Shubbak: A Window From Contemporary Arab Cultures
www.shubbak.co.uk www.shubbak.co.uk

Shubbak supports and champions the diversity of Arab artists' creativity and innovation through its biennial London festival, professional and engagement programmes, and national touring.

Stay with us after 63 Days of Sit-In on 5 September for a post-show Q&A.Following the performance and screening of the a...
25/08/2026

Stay with us after 63 Days of Sit-In on 5 September for a post-show Q&A.

Following the performance and screening of the accompanying documentary film, join us for a 30-minute public Q&A with Hamad Samamra and Hussam Ghosheh ( ), the artists who contributed to the creation and development of the work across its different stages.

A chance to hear more about the work, its origins, the lived experiences and stories that shaped it, and the process of bringing 63 Days of Sit-In from lived experience to stage and screen.

The evening:
→ 40-minute performance
→ 35 minute documentary film screening
→ 10 minute break
→ 30-minute Q&A

63 Days of Sit-In, from Basta Theatre Collective (Basta Theatre ), is based on the 63-day sit-in staged by Palestinian disability rights activists inside the Palestinian Legislative Council during the COVID-19 pandemic, demanding the implementation of disability rights legislation and equal access to healthcare and public services.

📅 5 September 2026
📍 Theatro Technis, London
🎟️ Tickets via the link in bio
Age guidance: 13+

Access: The performance is in Arabic with English captions. The performance on 4 September includes audio description, preceded by a touch tour. Both performances are relaxed. Theatro Technis is fully wheelchair accessible, with guide and hearing dogs welcome, a loop system in the main hall.

Please get in touch with [email protected] if you require a companion ticket.

IMAGES: (2 Khawla Darsalim), (3-4 Ikhlas Sawalha), (5 Nikos Kanistras)

©️63 Days of Sit-In was originally developed with the support of the Disability Under Siege (DUS) Network, University of Birmingham.
The London presentation is supported by Wijhat (an initiative of Al Mawred Al Thaqafy – Culture Resource).
The accompanying documentary film was directed by Hussam Ghosheh and Mahmoud Abu Shamsiyeh, and produced with the support of the British Council in Palestine through the Jerusalem Creative Spaces Programme, in collaboration with the Disability Under Siege (DUS) Network, University of Birmingham.

Meet the artists currently bringing 63 Days of Sit-In to the stage.This September, the work arrives at Theatro Technis (...
21/08/2026

Meet the artists currently bringing 63 Days of Sit-In to the stage.

This September, the work arrives at Theatro Technis (Theatro Technis @ 26 Crowndale )as part of Shubbak’s year-round programme, alongside a screening of the accompanying documentary film and a post-show conversation on 5 September.

Created by Palestinian theatre collective Basta (Basta Theatre ), 63 Days of Sit-In draws on lived experience, interviews and archival material to revisit the 63-day sit-in led by Palestinian disability rights activists inside the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Blurring theatre, testimony and political memory, the work brings a vital story of resistance, rights and collective action to the stage.

More about the artists: https://www.shubbak.co.uk/63-days-of-sit-in-2/

4 & 5 September 2026
Theatro Technis, London
Age guidance: 13+

🎟️ Tickets: https://www.shubbak.co.uk/63-days-of-sit-in-2/

تعرّفوا على الفنانين الذين يقدّمون «63 يومًا من الاعتصام» حاليًا على خشبة المسرح.

في سبتمبر، يُقدَّم العمل في Theatro Technis ضمن برنامج شُبّاك على مدار العام، إلى جانب عرض الفيلم الوثائقي المصاحب، وحوار بعد العرض يوم 5 سبتمبر.

من إنتاج التعاونية المسرحية الفلسطينية البسطة، يستند 63 يومًا من الاعتصام إلى شهادات وتجارب معاشة، ومقابلات ومواد أرشيفية، ليستعيد قصة الاعتصام الذي استمر 63 يومًا، وقاده نشطاء فلسطينيون من ذوي الإعاقة داخل المجلس التشريعي الفلسطيني.

يمزج العمل بين المسرح، الشهادة والذاكرة السياسية، ليعيد إلى الواجهة قصة النضال من أجل الحقوق والعمل الجماعي.

المزيد عن الفنانين:
https://www.shubbak.co.uk/63-days-of-sit-in-2/

4 و5 سبتمبر 2026
Theatro Technis، لندن
التصنيف العمري: 13 عامًا فما فوق

🎟️ التذاكر
https://www.shubbak.co.uk/63-days-of-sit-in-2/

©️63 Days of Sit-In was originally developed with the support of the Disability Under Siege (DUS) Network, University of Birmingham.
The London presentation is supported by Wijhat (an initiative of Al Mawred Al Thaqafy – Culture Resource).
The accompanying documentary film was directed by Hussam Ghosheh and Mahmoud Abu Shamsiyeh, and produced with the support of the British Council in Palestine through the Jerusalem Creative Spaces Programme, in collaboration with the Disability Under Siege (DUS) Network, University of Birmingham.

Mustafa Al Sous (Mostafa al sous ) came had his UK debut at Shubbak Festival 2025, straight after graduating from the ex...
21/08/2026

Mustafa Al Sous (Mostafa al sous ) came had his UK debut at Shubbak Festival 2025, straight after graduating from the extraordinary ( Creative Space Beirut ),having spotted his distinctive touch and talent.

Now, the Lebanon-born designer and textile artist is bringing ATHR to London’s ( Palestine House 🇵🇸 ) Palestine House for a night of fashion and fundraising with Runway Fundraiser: Our Families Between the Lines.

A proud full-circle moment — and a chance to see how Mostafa is continuing to craft a practice and a brand with impact.

Mustafa Al Sous / ATHR
Runway Fundraiser: Our Families Between the Lines
📍 Palestine House
Friday 21 August · 7pm

THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SHUBBAK WITH US. شكرًا على مشاركتنا إحتفاءا بمرور خمسة عشر عاما على مهرجان شُبّاك....
04/08/2026

THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SHUBBAK WITH US. شكرًا على مشاركتنا إحتفاءا بمرور خمسة عشر عاما على مهرجان شُبّاك.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at V&A South Kensington to mark 15 years of Shubbak Festival.
We’ve come a long way in that time. Seeing the Victoria and Albert Museum bursting at the seams with friends old and new, brought together by a desire to experience excellence in Arab & SWANA arts and culture, was a beautiful sight to behold.

Our co-curated evening with the V&A felt like a one-night festival, with so much happening across the space at once. From Kazna Asker ’s Yemeni henna celebration echoing through the courtyard, to Yasmeen | ياسمين ‘s cultural and sensory exploration of the mighty nigella seed, TootArd توت أرض ’s live sets against the backdrop of the Raphael Cartoons, and so much more, we came together in a new space to experience works that challenged us, delighted us and constructed alternative narratives that reach beyond the present moment.

Take a look back at some of our favourite moments from the night, and stay with us over the coming days as we spotlight each activation and the incredible artists who brought the evening to life.

Our official wrap-up is still to come.

©️Photography by Daniaal Khalid Dan K with thanks.
🔗 Discover ~BECOME A FRIEND OF SHUBBAK~ via the link in our bio.

Panel Discussion: 15 Years of Arab & SWANA Arts in the UKJoin us in this panel discussion reflecting on 15 years of Arab...
28/07/2026

Panel Discussion: 15 Years of Arab & SWANA Arts in the UK

Join us in this panel discussion reflecting on 15 years of Arab & SWANA arts and culture in the UK. Shubbak’s Executive Director, dr dima mekdad will be in conversation with playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak, artist Aya Haidar and V&A curator Rachel Dedman.

Together they will share a plurality of perspectives, observations and experiences on shifts and trends over the past decade and a half.

جلسة نقاش: 15 عاماً من الفنون العربية وفنون جنوب غرب آسيا وشمال أفريقيا في المملكة المتحدة

انضموا إلينا في جلسة نقاشية تستعيد 15 عاماً من مسيرة الفنون والثقافة العربية وفنون جنوب غرب آسيا وشمال أفريقيا في المملكة المتحدة.

بإدارة من المديرة التنفيذية لشُبّاك، الدكتورة ديما مقداد، في حوار مع الكاتب المسرحي حسن عبد الرزاق، والفنانة آية حيدر، وأمينة المعارض في متحف فيكتوريا وألبرت (V&A) راشيل ددمان.

يتبادل المشاركون/ات خلال هذه الجلسة مجموعة من الرؤى والتجارب ووجهات النظر المتنوعة حول التحولات والاتجاهات التي شهدها المشهد الفني والثقافي على مدى العقد ونصف العقد الماضيين.

Friday Late at V&A South Kensington
Co-curated by Shubbak and the V&A

Friday 31 July | 19:45 | The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
| Free entry

🔗 Discover BECOME A FRIEND OF SHUBBAK via this link: https://www.shubbak.co.uk/support-us/become-a-friend/

BASMA Sudanese DJ  presents an ongoing DJ set inspired by wedding anthems and the musical traditions of Sudan, the Sahel...
26/07/2026

BASMA
Sudanese DJ presents an ongoing DJ set inspired by wedding anthems and the musical traditions of Sudan, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. As the host of Khartoum Arrivals on NTS Radio and co-host of Hear, Sense and Feel, her set will soundtrack the evening from the Grand Entrance.

بسمة
تفتتح منسقة الموسيقى السودانية بسمة الأمسية بمجموعة موسيقية تمتد على مدار المساء، تستلهم إرث أغاني الأعراس والموروثات الصوتية في السودان، ومنطقة الساحل، والقرن الأفريقي.

ينطلق هذا العمل من الموسيقى بوصفها مساحةً للذاكرة الجماعية، الاحتفاء والانتماء، حيث تتقاطع الإيقاعات الشعبية مع المشاهد الصوتية المعاصرة لتنسج تجربة تستحضر حيوية الطقوس الاجتماعية وتقاليدها الموسيقية.

تُعرف بسمة بتقديمها برنامج Khartoum Arrivals على NTS Radio، كما تشارك في تقديم برنامج Hear, Sense and Feel. وفي هذا العرض، تتحول الموسيقى إلى خيطٍ يرافق الزوّار عبر فضاءات المتحف، بدءاً من المدخل الرئيسي.

🗓 31 July 📍 V&A South Kensington | The Grand Entrance, Cromwell Road
🎟 Free
Friday Late at V&A South Kensington Co-curated by Shubbak and the V&A

NAZAR- نَظَرOn 31 July, Nazar by Lara Habib Kobeissi Lara Habib Kobeissi • لالا returns from Shubbak Festival 2025 to Fr...
25/07/2026

NAZAR- نَظَر

On 31 July, Nazar by Lara Habib Kobeissi Lara Habib Kobeissi • لالا returns from Shubbak Festival 2025 to Friday Late at V&A South Kensington as part of Shubbak’s 15th anniversary.

Part memoir, part immersive archive, Nazar brings together live performance and VR to reconstruct the artist’s childhood home, tracing three decades of conflict, migration and a mother-daughter relationship shaped through rituals of protection. Combining visuals, sound, scent, taste and touch, the work unfolds through experiential poetry, recordings of surveillance drones, motion-captured gestures and oral histories, creating a multi-sensory experience rooted in embodied memory and intergenerational care.

نَظَر

في 31 يوليو، يعود عمل «نَظَر» للفنانة لارا حبيب كوبيسي، الذي قُدِّم للمرة الأولى ضمن مهرجان شُبّاك 2025، ليُعرض مجدداً في Friday Late بمتحف V&A South Kensington، احتفاءً بالذكرى الخامسة عشرة لمهرجان شبّاك.

يقف «نَظَر» عند تقاطع السيرة الذاتية والأرشيف الحي، مقدّماً تجربة تجمع بين الأداء الحي وتقنيات الواقع ال الإفتراضي لإعادة بناء منزل الفنانة في طفولتها. ومن خلال هذا الفضاء، يستكشف العمل ثلاثة عقود من الصراع، الهجرة، وعلاقة أم وابنتها، حيث تتجلى طقوس الحماية والرعاية بوصفها أشكالاً للمقاومة والذاكرة.

ينسج العمل تجربة متعددة الحواس، تتداخل فيها الصورة والصوت والرائحة والطعم واللمس، عبر قصائد أدائية، وتسجيلات لطائرات المراقبة المسيّرة، وحركات مؤداة بتقنيات التقاط الحركة، إلى جانب شهادات وروايات شفوية. ويفتح هذا النسيج الحسي مساحة للتأمل في الذاكرة المتجسدة، الحنين، والرعاية العابرة للأجيال.

📍 V&A South Kensington | The Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre
🗓 31 July | 18:45 & 20:15 – 🎟 Free
Duration: 30 minutes

Friday Late at V&A South Kensington
Co-curated by Shubbak and the V&A.

BECOME A FRIEND OF SHUBBAK TODAYShubbak is a charity, and we rely on the generosity of our supporters to make our work p...
24/07/2026

BECOME A FRIEND OF SHUBBAK TODAY

Shubbak is a charity, and we rely on the generosity of our supporters to make our work possible. At a time when arts funding is shrinking, the cost of living is rising, and competition for funding is increasing, it has become harder than ever to sustain Arab and SWANA arts and culture in the UK.

YET THE NEED FOR OUR WORK HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER. Arab and SWANA artists remain underrepresented across much of the UK’s cultural sector. At the same time, many in our communities face growing censorship, anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia alongside inequitable access to the arts.

SHUBBAK EXISTS TO CHANGE THIS.

For fifteen years, Shubbak has championed Arab and SWANA creativity by commissioning and presenting ambitious artistic works in our biennial festival. Shubbak supports artists and cultural workers through programmes such as Young Shubbak and creates opportunities for underserved communities to engage with the arts. Through initiatives including our Assisted Tickets Scheme, we are committed to making culture accessible to everyone.

BECOME A FRIEND OF SHUBBAK FROM JUST £5 A MONTH AND HELP US CONTINUE THIS VITAL WORK. You’ll join a vibrant cultural community while directly supporting artists, preserving cultural heritage and championing new works, and ensuring Arab and SWANA voices are heard.

As a Friend of Shubbak, you’ll receive exclusive “behind-the-scenes” content curated just for you, updates and invitations throughout the year, and the option to be recognised on our website as one of our valued supporters.

🔗 Find out: https://www.shubbak.co.uk/support-us/become-a-friend/

Shubbak Sofa Sessions | حكي عالصوفا مع شبّاكCome and have a Zaytoun ~date~ with the Shubbak team. Whether you have a spe...
18/07/2026

Shubbak Sofa Sessions | حكي عالصوفا مع شبّاك

Come and have a Zaytoun ~date~ with the Shubbak team. Whether you have a specific question, want to find out more about what we do, or simply fancy a chew and a chat, we’d love to meet you.

Part of Friday Late at V&A South Kensington, Shubbak Sofa Sessions is an open invitation to pause, connect and gather in the spirit of Arab hospitality. Drop in, take a seat and join the conversation throughout the evening.

حكي عالصوفا مع شبّاك ضمن أمسية الذكرى الخامسة عشرة | Friday Late في V&A South Kensington

على مائدةٍ تمور وشاي، يدعوكم فريق شبّاك للقاءٍ مفتوح. إن كانت لديكم أسئلة، أو أردتم التعرّف أكثر إلى شبّاك، أو رغبتم فقط في جلسةٍ لطيفة وحديثٍ عابر، فسنكون سعداء بلقائكم.

Friday Late at V&A South Kensington
Co-curated by Shubbak and the V&A

Friday 31 July | 18:30–21:00 | The Poynter Room, Main Café
| Free entry

THE FULL PROGRAMME IS NOW LIVE.To mark 15 years of championing contemporary Arab and SWANA arts, Shubbak collaborates wi...
15/07/2026

THE FULL PROGRAMME IS NOW LIVE.

To mark 15 years of championing contemporary Arab and SWANA arts, Shubbak collaborates with V&A to present //Friday Late: Body as a Vessel//; an evening of live music, performance, installation, fashion, food, film, and collective encounters unfolding across the museum.

Featuring TootArd توت أرض , Kazna Asker , .ayyashi , Kasra Jalilipour کسرا جلیلی پور , Athar and more, the programme brings together artists whose practices move across memory, resistance, ritual, imagination and joy.

Co-curated by Shubbak and V&A South Kensington, Friday Late: Body as a Vessel invites audiences to experience the museum through a series of multi-sensorial artistic encounters.

Explore the full line-up and plan your evening.
📍 Friday 31 July | 6:30p.m - 10:00p.m | V&A South Kensington

البرنامج الكامل

احتفالًا بمرور خمسة عشر عامًا على دعم الفنون في منطقة جنوب غرب آسيا وشمال أفريقيا، يتعاون شبّاك مع متحف V&A South Kensington لتقديم Friday Late: Body as a Vessel؛ أمسية تحتفي بالموسيقى الحية، العروض الأدائية، التركيبات الفنية، الأزياء، النكهات، والسينما، وتجارب جماعية تمتد عبر أرجاء المتحف.

يضم البرنامج أعمالًا لفنانين/ات، من بينهم توت أرضTootArd، وكازنا عسكر، وياسمين عياشي، وكسرى جليلي‌بور، وأثر، إلى جانب ثلّة من الفنانين الذين تتقاطع ممارساتهم مع الذاكرة، المقاومة، والطقوس، والخيال، والسعادة.

يأتي Friday Late: Body as a Vessel بتنظيمٍ مشترك بين شبّاك وV&A South Kensington، ليقدّم سلسلةً من اللقاءات الفنية متعددة الحواس، ويدعو الجمهور إلى اختبار المتحف بوصفه فضاءً للتأمل، والاكتشاف، والحوار.

اكتشفوا البرنامج الكامل، وابدأوا التخطيط لأمسيتكم.
📍 الجمعة 31 يوليو | V&A South Kensington
🎟 الدخول مجاني
🎟 Free

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1 Gough Street
London

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Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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