Bethlehem Cultural Festival 2022 Announces Dates and Events in London, Glasgow and Bethlehem

The Bethlehem Cultural Festival shines a light on the arts, culture and heritage of Palestine, putting the region's historic culture and artistic output centre stage. The 2022 Festival, in its third edition this year, holds events in London, Glasgow and Bethlehem. Highlights include a tour of traditional dabka dance theatre, a concert of Palestinian songs by Yacoub Shaheen, a household name across the Arab world, and a talk by artist Malak Mattar, Women under siege - survival through art, live-streamed from Gaza.

This year's festival opens with the UK premiere of Alrowwad's The Camp's Gate, a powerful multi-disciplinary performance for six dancers at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green on 29 November. The show uses music, theatre and traditional Palestinian dabka dance to recount the story of elderly refugee Abu Ahmad, his past and present, his displacement, his life in a refugee camp and his hopes of freedom. The work was created earlier this year to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the Alrowwad Centre for Arts and Culture which started life in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem in 1998.

At The Tabernacle in Notting Hill on 1 December is an evening of talks, readings, talks and discussions. In 19th Century Travellers of Bethlehem, Khalil Shokeh and Maxim Sansour talk to Jacob Norris about their forthcoming book, the first English translation of Bethlehem in Palastina. The book explores the Bethlehem of 170 years ago through the eyes of Titus Tobler, a young Swiss doctor who travelled to Palestine to undertake medical research. There will also be readings from Water the Willow Tree: Memoirs of a Bethlehem Boyhood by George A Kiraz and a sneak preview of Jacob Norris' upcoming book The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub,. Then, live-streamed from Gaza, artist Malak Mattar will discuss her influences and the impact of war on her practice in her talk Women under siege - survival through art.

Also at the Tabernacle, on 2 December, is a concert of songs from Palestine by Yacoub Shaheen, a singer, multi-instrumentalist and winner of Arab Idol 2017. Yacoub, the son of a carpenter, became a household name across the Arab World after winning the contest, causing fans to call him the young Frank Sinatra of Palestine. Yacoub is from the small Christian Syriac community that is part of the Assyrian nation stretching from Palestine to Iraq.

In Glasgow, there is a weekend of live events from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 December. On 2 December, there is an evening of spoken word featuring Palestinian poet and playwright Dalia Taha, Palestinian author Bader Othman and Glaswegian poet Victoria McNulty at the Ramshorn, a former church building now home to Scotland's National Centre for Languages (SCILT).

On 3 December, a simultaneous lighting of Christmas trees takes place in Glasgow Cathedral and Manger Square, Bethlehem. In the Cathedral, the young Alrowwad dabka group launch a special service including Christmas carols and readings. Also on 3 December, at Glasgow's Civic House, is a late-night music event with up-and-coming artists from Palestine and the UK.

On 4 December Glasgow Film Theatre hosts screenings of Palestinian short films, co-curated by the Irish/Palestinian actress Sarah Agha and award-winning film-maker Wisam Aljafari from Bethlehem.

Alrowwad's The Camp's Gate tours to Salisbury Cathedral on 2 December before going on to Sheffield and Derby with more dates to come.

Festival creative director Melissa Scott says: "How many people know Bethlehem is a real place with a thriving cultural scene? Bethlehem will be on everyone's lips as we approach Christmas but how much thought do we ever give to the people living there? This festival provides an exciting opportunity to discover Palestine and its neighbours through the cultural voices celebrating the wealth and depth of the region and linking them with artists here in the UK. An eclectic range of performances for audiences in London and Glasgow includes concerts, electronic music, dance, independent film, book launches as well as food and drink tastings.

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