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Liverpool Arab Arts Festival connects digitally for 2020

LIVERPOOL Arab Arts Festival, the UK's longest running annual festival of Arab arts and culture, returns in July 2020, connecting artists and audiences from across the UK and beyond in a digital festival. Featuring artist in residence, Lisa Luxx; cultural and social activist, playwright, and performance poet Dayna Ash; renowned Arabist Tim Mackintosh Smith; award winning, Palestinian American author, poet, translator, artist and educator, Ibtisam Barakat; an exploration of Writing the Palestinian City, and a celebration of Arab Cinema, the festival will be online, for the 1st time in its history, from 9 July to 18 July 2020. Established in 2002, the festival takes place each year in arts and cultural venues across Liverpool. This year's digital programme will see artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers connect virtually from their homes in Ramallah, Kuala Lumpur, Liverpool, Beirut and across the world.

The 1st wave of programme to be announced includes:-

Artist in residence, spoken word poet and performer Lisa Luxx brings her unique voice to the festival. British Syrian, she reflects on identity, sexuality, belonging and gender. Lisa will appear with prominent cultural and social activist, playwright and performance poet, Dayna Ash, in Grinding Saffron; a night of poetic lesbian sisterhood. The event will reflect on LGBTQ+ culture, both online, in lockdown and within Arab society and communities.

Renowned Arabist Tim Mackintosh Smith joins the festival to discuss his acclaimed book 'Arabs:- 3,000 Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires, delves into language and culture to narrate the evolution of modern Arab identity. The historian, who for many years lived in Yemen, will be joined in conversation with Irish novelist and collaborator, Denyse Woods.

In partnership with the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Book Award, described as the 'Arab world's equivalent to the Nobel Prize,' Ibtisam Barakat will deliver a special workshop encouraging participants to explore and develop their writing skills. Barakat won the 2020 Sheikh Zayed Book Award for illustrated children's book Al-Fatah Al-Laylakeyyah (The Lilac Girl.)

Writing the Palestinian City, in partnership with Comma Press, brings together three writers, whose work includes both fact and fiction set in and about Gaza, Ramallah and East Jerusalem, to explore the issues, challenges and opportunities of writing about Palestine. Talal Abu Shawish (The Assassination of a Painting, Goodbye Dear Prophets, Middle Eastern Nightmares), Maya Abu Al-Hayat (No 1 Knows his Blood Type) and Mazen Maarouf (Jokes for the Gunmen, Our Grief Resembles Bread) join Ra Page from Comma Press for a discussion.

In a celebration of Arab Cinema, LAAF, in partnership with BBC Arabic Festival, shares a programme of short films from Female Directors in Today's Arab World. Each short film by:- Dina Naser, Katia Jarjoura, Yassmina Karajah and Mariakenzi Lahlou, take us through the effects and consequences of war on individuals and their families; and the hope for freedom. Sheyma Buali, BBC Arabic Festival Director, will chair a special discussion with the selected filmmakers.

The award winning feature documentary Jaddoland follows filmmaker, Nadia Shihab, as she returns to her hometown in Lubbock, Texas, to visit her mother, an artist originally from Iraq. Touching and challenging, the film is an intimate portrait of a mother through a daughter's eyes, which raises questions about what we call home.

Yemen in Conflict is a national partnership between LAAF, the University of Leeds and the University of Liverpool exploring how Yemeni literature and poetry can be safeguarded, and how it can further the understanding of the situation in Yemen. An online exhibition will premiere poem film commissions by artists:- Olivia Furber, Mariam Al-Dhubhani, Diyala Muir and Noor Palette, created in direct response to original poems by contemporary Yemeni poets:- Ahmed Alkhulaidi, Liverpool based Amina Atiq, Hamdan Damaag and Abel Hakim Al Qadi. This will be accompanied by an essay by writer and poet Deryn Rees-Jones and a selection of material from a series of national workshops held with Yemeni communities, in Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool and Sheffield throughout 2019.

The 2nd wave of festival events will be announced later in June 2020.

Jack Welsh is Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Programme Manager:- "LAAF has always been committed to delivering its annual festival, which attracts audiences from Liverpool, the UK and across the Arab world. The past 2 months have shown vital art and culture is to connecting people in these challenging times. As the UK's longest running Arab art festival, a digital programme means we can support artists and performers from across the Arab world and bring them into the homes of our audiences. While we would love to host festival events in the City; like our Family Day at Sefton Park Palm House; it is important, now more than ever, that art and culture shares the experience, stories, and reflections from people and places across the world."

Mustapha Koriba is Chair of the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Board:- "The mission of our festival is to bring diverse cultures together, and to increase the appreciation of Arab culture and art on a local, national and international level. This year, while it is delivered online, we are still eager to be able to provide a platform for the art and artists we care so passionately about."

For more details on festival events go to:- ArabArtsFestival.com. Audiences members can register for events taking place online. While all events will be free, we would welcome any donations from our audiences. All donations received during the festival period will go towards supporting artists in 2021.

Will local or regional lockdowns help stop a 2nd wave?

THE Scottish 1st Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, confirmed the news that no new Coronavirus deaths had been recorded in Scotland's Hospitals over the previous 24 hours. But, she stressed that:- "We can’t read too much into a single day’s figures and we know registration of deaths are relatively low at weekends, but nevertheless this is a headline we’ve all longed to see."

This is the 1st time no Coronavirus deaths from patients testing positive in Scottish hospitals, which have been reported on since March, and is possibly a clear indication to England that we should follow their example and not ease off lockdown so fast. This announcement came as Scotland moved from Phase 0 to Phase 1, which allowed them a bit more freedom after weeks of strict lockdown. But, the move raises questions on how Downing Street has handled the easing of lockdown?

As England's has far higher mortality scores than the rest of the UK, plus the highest population density per square kilometre, within the 4 countries that make up the United Kingdom, to many medical experts it would make more sense to have kept England in lockdown for longer. This is even more important when you look at England's death rate and 'R' rates. In fact, England has almost double the population density of Germany. Germany applied lockdown rules faster than us and acted more quickly to engage with other nations. They were some 2 weeks ahead of us a the onset and are apparently recovering more steadily than us, making it even more of a question as to why we are pushing so fast to re-open now?

According to the World Health Organisation, globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, the seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected. Should England and the rest of the UK be on course for a 2nd wave of Coronavirus infections, this worrying statistic could mean that we would be harder hit still, if we do not keep to social distancing and ease off lockdown too fast?

Since the UK confirmed its 1st case, its response has proved to be 1 of the least effective and many medical professionals are begging Boris Johnson to stop the rhetoric, before its too late. Most health chiefs say there should be no further easing before a comprehensive test and trace system is firmly in place and has been proved to work.

Already, Scotland, even though it has a lower population density than England, has shown that sticking to harder lockdown rules does have a dramatic effect, as other countries have also demonstrated.

The Government is worried about the impact on the economy, but Britain’s plight is set to be made worse as they are focused on Brexit debates instead of putting it on hold and taking on the issues we face over Coronavirus.

Already organisations including the Royal College of GPs, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers are calling on Boris Johnson to open up "honest and open debates" in order to make a comprehensive plan to protect Hospitals and Care Homes from a 2nd peak in Covid-19 infections.

If 'R' number is at 1 or higher, then the virus is expected to spread exponentially through the population. An 'R' number of less than 1 indicates the virus is in decline, but this rating only helps if you use it on a more localised level. With the Government focused on national level of infection, that currently stands between an 'R' rate of 0.7 and 0.9 for the UK as a whole, questions are now being asked why this could not be done more effectively on a more local level? If local areas got real time data and could rules put in place to enable local areas to enforce protection measures, like local lockdowns, this could drastically reduce the overall risk, should any flare up happen. This would also reduce economic harm to the country. Interestingly current data shows that the seaside areas have been the hardest hit since the bank holidays, giving even more evidence that powers to restrict movement on local and regional levels should be granted to local Councils and City Regions, like Manchester and Liverpool City Regions. If introduced it would allow a better and quicker response to any increases, like that seen in Somerset.

Has the Government's strategy of allowing people to flock to beauty spots, without any distance restrictions been detrimental? This despite the local areas warning of total lack of facilities in these areas. Hasit presented another health hazard, whilst greatly increasing the chance of spreading the Coronavirus?

Interestingly, Swansea University's research results that have recently been published supports the idea of localising, with their findings concluding that:- "Simply looking at strategies to 'flatten the epidemic curve’ at national level is not an effective country wide management strategy, because the majority of cases occur in spatial clusters and also spread into remote Regions with some delay. Disease transmission depends on connections and if there are ways to safeguard or cut the most risky connections, then locally applied measures could perhaps be better than overarching and socio economically detrimental lockdowns."


Examining their results, and also other findings of a similar nature, should we not take notice and act on this? National lockdowns can't last for ever, but to keep the economy going, we must look at ways to open up and whilst still being aware of the implications of the virus. In a joint statement issued on Sunday, 7 June 2020, both Regional Mayors, Steve Rotherham and Andy Burnham, released a joint statement about local lockdowns. Both have said that they have "serious concerns" after new data suggested that the North West of England’s reproductive rate ('R' Rate) of Coronavirus is around 1. They are also worried that:- "At present, there is very little information available to Local Authorities on the Government’s policy of using local lockdowns. But what we do know gives us cause for serious concern and in the view of some our Local Council Leaders it is simply unenforceable." They also warn that if any local lockdowns are used then the Government must put measures in to help mitigate any financial impact it has on those affected. Both the Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotherham and Greater Manchester, Mayor Andy Burnham have also called for Government to:- "Consider a form of 'local furlough’ scheme for people whose workplaces may be closed down or who are unable to get to work."

With so many people questioning Boris Johnson’s strategy and claims, like the UK would have a "world beating" test and trace system by the start of June, have we lost the ability to act cohesively? Has the loss of public confidence in his handling of the pandemic, along with the focus on rhetoric turned off any hope of avoiding a even more damaging impact of a 2nd wave? Or is his handling better than many people fear? We would love to hear your thoughts and views on this issue, so please send them to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.