Throughout continuous lockdown in 2021, we held a series of online creative workshops in Arabic and English with playwright and former Director of Highlight Arts, Sara Sharaawi.
A group of artists and activists from Eqypt, Turkey, Kurdistan, Palestine, Iran and Syria met with Sara to share experiences of lockdown, explore dramatic writing for performance and developing work together.
The workshops supported and developed a community of peer learning and explored themes of importance to artists and activists, who will work towards a collaborative performance later in 2021.
‘I enjoyed the process of growth. Soizig and Sara created an amazing atmosphere and safe space online. It helped me realise that the things I wanted to write, could be written. I write in a strange style but I've come to learn that theatre accommodates many styles and mine is just as valid. I should stop thinking about that and just write!’ Adam Kashmiry, Actor, activist and performer
This series was supported by Glasgow City Council Communities Fund.
* Image: excerpt from Oil, by Ella Hickson (personal archive)