Our first series of the Friday Hangouts ran from March – August in 2020. Rapidly devised days after the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, the Hangouts were created to encourage a sense of cultural community during the Covid-19 outbreak, and offer a platform for guests to reflect on the lockdown and talk about their work in a time when for many it had been severely uprooted. Over 12 weeks, hundreds of people attended Hangouts with guests including chef Sami Tamimi, artists Manal AlDowayan, Amado Alfadni and Ghadah Alkandari, actor Youssef Kerkour, organisations Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and MARSM, writer Selma Dabbagh, and many more. You can watch them back below.
After a hiatus, we’re delighted to be bringing back our Hangouts! From February to March 2021, the Friday Hangout: MENA Arts UK Takeover will be running, focusing on platforming MENA+ professionals (Middle East, North Africa and surrounding area) working in the live and recorded arts.
Friday 27 March – inter-disciplinary artist Manal Al Dowayan
Friday 3 April – chef and author Sami Tamimi
You can also check out 3 recipes from Falastin: A Cookbook, which Sami discussed in the Friday Hangout, in The National, who covered the event.
Friday 17 April – painter, curator and publisher Abed Al Kadiri
Friday 24 April – Jack Welsh, Festival Manager of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, and Jamila Boughelaf, co-founder of Hawiyya Dance Company
Friday 1 May – actor Youssef Kerkour
Friday 15 May – artist Ghadah Alkandari
Friday 21 May – focus on Young Shubbak’s Bayti Baytek with Layla Madanat, Reem Karssli and Doha Aboelezz
Friday 29 May – author Selma Dabbagh (recording unavailable)
Friday 05 June with Atef Ben Bouzid, MARSM UK and Sebastian Leitner
Friday 12 June with curator Najlaa El Ageli and artist Amado Alfadni