The 3oubour: A River Between Mountains exhibition was presented by The Arab British Centre, A.MAL Projects and Takafes at the Crafts Council Gallery – London from 13 – 22 November 2025.

This exhibition showcased work created during the 3oubour residency, which took place in the medina of Fes throughout September. Artists who participated include www (a collaborative research project by Aïda Jamal, Imane Elkabli, Lori Kharpoutlian), Mehdi Ouhmane, Nabil Himich, Dima Srouji, Monya Riachi, and Alia Hamaoui.

The project encouraged artists to critically consider the concept of technical knowledge and innovation, not just as something which always has to be ‘new’, but also as existing within the realm of inherited and locally bound practices that go back several centuries, and how these revelations could illuminate ways of being, sustainable thinking and collective acting in-between local and global contexts.

The artists collaborated with master craftspeople from Fes who work with wood, tiles, metal, leather, tapestry, horn, jewellery, plaster and more. Artworks created include sculpture inspired by the zellige mosaic tilework, pottery and wood carving found in Fes; a performance inspired by water scarcity and steadfastness; sound installations that dialogue with local architecture; experimentations in clay that manifest land politics, geological time, processes and pigmenting; and deconstructions of the leather industry which blur the lines between industrial and artisanal labour.

The exhibition was free to visit and had an accompanying events programme, including panel discussions on Islamic art, crafts, heritage and Craft, and on colonialism and ecologies; performances such as We Are Free to Change the World: Ready by www (world war water); and singing workshops and performances by Sarah Ouhrahmane, Hamza Bouzhar and Fatima Lahham.

3oubour was developed as part of the British Council’s International Collaboration Grants programme, which supports UK and oversees organisations to make connections and create new work around the world. 3oubour is co-produced by The Arab British Centre, A.MAL Projects and Takafes, with the support of British Council in Morocco, Henry Moore Foundation, Artsadmin, and Freelands Foundation. In partnership with Crafts Council. Design by Salt & Sister Studio.