spaces of (dis)connection showcases new bodies of work from three internationally renowned photographic artists in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

About this event

spaces of (disconnection follows a pioneering project conducted by researchers across the UK to investigate how the pandemic has affected the everyday lives and settlement plans of Polish workers in the UK. This exhibition combines newly commissioned photographic work by Malgorzata Dawidek, Paulina Korobkiewicz, and Sylwia Kowalczyk alongside anonymous testimonies given by Polish essential workers across the UK. The respective works speak to the changing public and private landscapes that resulted from the various lockdowns implemented by the English and Scottish governments. in exploring how spaces have transformed. through depopulation or increased habitation, the artists have produced uniquely insightful and intimate works. Be they spaces of connection or disconnection, these photographs evidence an environment affected by uncertainty and isolation. Forming one of the most prominent migrant groups in the UK, Polish essential workers served on the frontline of the devastating pandemic, risking their lives to deliver integral public services. Already a chronically insecure workforce in the post-Brexit political landscape, the increased personal and professional demands of pandemic life left many in a state of uncertainty.

Palestinian Gala Day

(75th commemoration of Nakba Day) Nakba Celebration, by Written in Film 2023 Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Palestinian people! Free food, films, dance, crafts and final concert with Saied Silbak. Art27 Scotland is honoured to present a special day of events and activities for young and old celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Palestinian people on this, the 75th commemoration of the Nakba. The event features traditional Palestinian music, poetry, and Dabka dancing, as well as panel discussions, curated short films, historic and contemporary photographic exhibitions. Attendees can enjoy a market of traditonal art and crafts and food from Jordan Valley which is included in the ticket price. With special Palestinian guests including the inspiring Dr. Suaad Genem, author and actvist, acclaimed poet Ghazi Hussein, and award winning composer, Oud player and singer Saied Silbak, born in Shafaa’mr, in the lower Galilee of occupied Palestine, a city internationally famous for it’s music and song. A programme of cultural activity curated by the Palestinian community in Scotland who extend a warm welcome to everyone to join them as they mark Nakba Day and reaffirm their Right to Return. Collection go for MAP  

The Great May Day Cabaret, May 2022

The Great May Day Cabaret is a cultural celebration of both International Workers’ Day and the 125th anniversary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC). Showcasing 7 high-calibre acts, we are in for an excellent-value night of entertainment to mark a very important day in the history of workers’ rights. Performing: Rab Noakes, Saber Bamatraf, Becci Wallace, Calum Baird, Iona Lee, Susan Morrison.

From the Horse’s Mouth (Panel) and Hear My New Life (Sound installation), January-June 2022

Presentation by Artist in Residence Elaine Cheng where she explored the binaries of Hong Kong and China through her new sonic composition which premiered in early June 2022, panel discussion and tales of the life of those who have settled in Edinburgh.

About this event

‘Hear My New Life’ is a new sonic art piece by Elaine Cheng, Art27scotland Artist in Residence. The piece features voices from the local Edinburgh Chinese community describing their experiences of living in Edinburgh as a person of Chinese heritage. Elaine has also used recordings from free improvisation sessions, some of which are improvisations based on the words taken from the Chinese community’s experience. Elaine Cheng (she/her) is a composer/sound artist from Edinburgh, Scotland and from Hong Kong descent. Her practice is currently based around producing drone music from analog and modular synthesisers and has come from a compositional background in electroacoustic music. She has recently completed the Creative Practice Masters at Goldsmiths, University of London, under the supervision of Dr. Iris Garrelfs. In her debut album, Instead of Dreams (2021), she explores compositional techniques in drone and takes inspiration from her choral training in early music. Prior to this, Elaine has studied Music at Newcastle University and Musikwissenschaft at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin where she fostered her interest in working in sound. Her final compositional project at Newcastle, Happy Accidents (2015), was composed from field recordings she took in Berlin and Newcastle as well as a collaboration with fellow singer and experimental artist, Meena Daneshyar. Elaine has exhibited sonic artwork in the Culture Lab, Square One and Occasion Festival in Newcastle, as well as at Trinity Apse in the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival (ESAF). In 2017, she was nominated for an award for her work, Happy Accidents, at the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival.

Saber Came to Tea (Short play), June-October 2021 صابر جاء لتناول الشاي

Playing for two nights as an integrated musical and theatre performance, it was followed by an expert-led panel discussion that on the first night highlighted the situation for artists in war, and second the bombardment of Yemen and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.

About this event

Saber and Shatha arrived in Edinburgh from Yemen mid-pandemic, and opportunities for collaboration were limited. Able to respond quickly, Art27scotland’s embedded artist Robert Rae worked with them to develop an appropriate collaborative process. Saber hoped to work with Scottish musicians, and in response to Art27scotland’s Human Rights agenda, Shatha wanted to pursue her art in “Scratched Identities”. Together they wanted to find a way to tell their story. An evening of music, performance, visual art and conversation devised and directed by Robert Rae with Shatha Altowai, Saber Bamatraf and Ghazi Hussein. Audience Feedback: “Powerful , moving , poignant ,compassionate and brave”. – Joanna Boyce

Maryland (play), November 2021

About this event

Maryland, written in response to the murders of Sarah Everard and SabinaNessa,is described by the playwright Lucy Kirkwood as ‘a howl of rage’.Afteran extended sell-outrun at London’s Royal Court in October, this astonishing,visceral cry of furyhasbeenmadetemporarilyavailable for script-in-handperformance andisbeing hosted by Art27Scotland atthe SouthsideCommunity Centre in Edinburgh for one night only. On 20November 2021, amulti-cultural, multi-generational cast of 20 will give two performances of thepiece at [TIME] and [TIME]. It runs for approximately 30 minutes. Theperformances will be socially distanced and all attendees areasked/required?to wear masks throughout their visit. Tickets cost £5 with a suggesteddonation to Rape CrisisEdinburgh of at least £7. [Booking details]‘A tiny enormous play’: Vicky Featherstone, Director, Royal Court‘The culminative effect is as devastating as a punch to thesolar plexus.’Whatsonstage.com

Pride and Dignity (Panel discussion), June 2022

Pride month is upon us and Art27scotland will be celebrating it with the event organised by the Polish artist in residence: Robert Motyka. Following the series of workshops and meetings that Robert held with the Polish community, we focus on Pride and Dignity this year.

About this event

The obstacles that the LGBTQ+ community in Poland faces and how Robert and the other activists have assisted the Polish same-sex couples in legalising their relationships in Scotland. At the moment, Polish law defines marriage only as a union of a man and a woman, but many Poles and their partners travelled abroad to Scotland (before Brexit) and other countries, to see how their lives could be if the community’s rights were recognised in Poland. The event will consist of a panel talk with Robert Motyka and Basia Mindewicz – the artists and activists from the Polish LGBTQ+ community in Scotland – discussing the challenges of their home country and how their fight for dignity and recognition of rights can be supported. They will be joined by Stephen McCabe – a therapist with over a decade’s worth of experience specifically supporting LGBT+ communities, focusing on the therapist’s insights on self-care and wellbeing. The panel talk (in English) will be illustrated with Robert’s large-scale projections based on the press cuttings documenting the process in the Polish media.

Dragon Boat Festival, June 2022

About this event

Our Artist-in-Residence Elaine Cheng, along with her Project Coordinator Yuke Huang have engaged with the Mandarin and Cantonese speaking communities in the Southside area. For the Dragon Boat Festival, where Elaine premiered her sound piece ‘Hear My New Life’, she worked with The Confucius Institute for Scotland at The University of Edinburgh, who provided poetry and music and food. She also worked with the Edinburgh Chinese School, the Edinburgh Chinese Community Orchestra, and the Southside Community Orchestra to create a spectacular programme of music and dancing for the Dragon Boat Festival. Furthermore, Elaine and Yuke engaged with the local community through food, attending local restaurants and cafes and speaking to shop owners about their experiences of being someone of Chinese heritage in Edinburgh. They both have also held 2 Chinese knotting workshops on the 13th and 20th March 2022 at the Southside Community Centre, where they welcomed anyone from the Chinese community or have a Chinese heritage to drop in, have fun and share their experiences living in Edinburgh.

COP26: Conversation with Jeremy Corbyn (Panel, Music & Poetry), November 2021

Jeremy Corbyn chats with Susan Morrison about climate justice, COP26, the urgent need for action, public ownership of energy and transport, his Peace and Justice Project and how he has adjusted after his time as Labour leader.

African Oases in partnership with the Sudanese Cultural Forum, January-June 2022 Picture

In African Oases Maryam Yahia Mohamed explores the diversity and richness of heritage on the African continent, through sculptures and portraits of African women.

About this event

“My project is based on the idea of ​​the African heritage of North and South Africa and its costumes and musical instruments. I admire the ancient African civilization because of its music, ornaments, colours and impressive handicrafts. I am presenting it as a meeting of civilizations and diversity of culture, defining a part of the ancient African arts and reflecting them creatively in this work, filtering them through my eyes and sensitivity. ” “The variety attracted me to being an African-Arab, but it also made me live in worlds of imagination where I weave drawings and sculptures. I was born in Sudan, but I was raised all my life in Libya and from there I developed the traditional imagination of Andalusian and Berber art – adding the magic of the desert and the beauty of the Mediterranean – but my imagination remained intertwined with all the African diversity”. Maryam’s art is a celebration of many of these diverse African cultures: starting with the civilization of Kush or the Funj, of the Pharaohs in addition to the Byzantines in North Africa, the Berber civilization to the pagan civilization and the heritage of all the religions that Africa and the Middle East were the cradle for: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Sudanese Cultural Forum in Edinburgh creates the space for the Sudanese families and communities to come together to celebrate and highlight the various cultures of Sudan. The Sudanese community is an extremely diverse national group with a rich intangible cultural heritage with 19 major ethnic groups and over 100 languages and dialects. Through our Community Coordinator Azza Dafaalla we were supporting the community’s cultural expression and developing joint exhibitions