significant cultural processes and productions that come to mind for you?

The other day I found some old papers (as you do). Three years ago I had emailed a number of people (see below), attempting a small random 'survey' (very Sydney-centred, I admit) to prepare for a presentation at UTS called: "Facing Fear: Community Anti-Racism after September 11, 2001".

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16 Nov 2004

dear friends

i will be doing a brief presentation at this upcoming forum, and i would like to begin a broad overview of contemporary arab australian cultural production of the last 3 years - although in the long term i am more interested in documenting and critically reflecting on work of the last 15 years. (for the forum i will also focus on 1 or 2 productions that i have worked on).

if you have time, could you help me in a bit of a survey? would you write down the names of significant cultural processes and productions that come to mind for you? i.e. within any timeframe, as i am NOT going to speak to the sept 11 timeframe...

at this stage i will probably just compile a chronology, but i would like to do more of this work in the future...

thanks so much
alissar

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It is now interesting to see what 7 people had replied 3 years ago...

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DK wrote:
ok, last 15 years,
politics of belly dancing
club arak! club arak! club arak!
i remember 1948
that's all i can think of right now...

MA wrote:
i remember 1948
beirut to baghadad
wattan forum
5 plays by Western Sydney writers at the Riverside Theatre (can't
remember event name)
For Palestine concerts (dunno if they count)
GirlGaze

MA wrote:
... in the last 3 years the ones I’m aware of are the ones you’ve been involved in. Others: Loubna Haikal’s book “Seducing Mr MacLean” . Jad El-Haj “The Last Migration”. Samia Keisso’s Multimedia production at Artspace last year can’t remember what it was called. There’s also non-fiction writing like Ghassan Hage, Ahmad Shboul, Paul Tabar’s, Paula’s work and mine....

VD wrote:
Alissar - hi, I don't understand. How can I help you ??

NS wrote:
Jirrin journey and Arabmade

AA wrote:
When I first read this I somehow immediately thought of the Gibran Khalil Gibran play devised by Taqa Theatre. I guess because it was a work that was pre-2001 and therefore not really about “us” responding to “them” and being forced into taking up the challenges and considerations that are posed by (mis)representation. I saw it as an exploration of the life of a person who contributed to Arabic culture and philosophy and who has been revered in the Arab world long before new age hippies “discovered” him. It was an interesting representation in a contemporary context of his works and his personal struggles.

I think a lot of contemporary Arab Australian art since 2001 has been labelled “political” and seen as a response to the vilification of our communities – all understandable in the current contexts and demonstrating how art can create these responses and dialogues etc. Just funny how pre-2001 is also very political but not recognised as that by all so obviously – given that Gibran’s work and life are also very misrepresented and misunderstood.

In more recent works – I think the Arab queer stuff stands out, and the work of ICE with Arab youth of course. I guess both have made these communities more visible.

CC wrote:
...significant Arab Australian cultural processes and productions that come to my mind are: Girlz Gaze (2004); Westies - the film with young Arabs in Western Sydney done with Virus Media; Family Affair - No Time for Pink Dresses, a play written with young Arabs in Bankstown looking at dreams, family and Palestine (2003); SAWAH - a creative development piece made with young Arab Women from Bakstown Girls High School in conjuction with UTP and Arabic Council - they're the main ones that come to my mind...

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SO, WHAT ARE THE SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL PROCESSES AND PRODUCTIONS THAT COME TO MIND FOR YOU NOW??

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