The Bethlehem Cultural Festival Announces Latest Programme

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 and across the UK. Highlights include a tour of traditional dabka dance theatre; a concert of Palestinian songs by Yacoub Shaheen; a talk by young Gazan artist Malak Mattar Women under siege - survival through art; a tasting session of the Levantine spirit Arak and a talk by distiller Nader Muaddi and writer Michael Karam; and ground-breaking Haifa-based duo Zenobia who fly in to perform at the festival's electronic night in Glasgow.

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.

On Wednesday 30 November at Noura in Eaton Square, Nader Muaddi, founder of the award-winning Muaddi Craft Distillery on the outskirts of Bethlehem, leads a talk and tasting with British-Lebanese author and wine writer Michael Karam about Arak, the world's oldest distilled spirit made from grapes and aniseed and known as the milk of lions. In the face of a decline in the aperitif's popularity through the course of the 20th century, Nader is leading an Arak renaissance, celebrating its unique identity and heritage. This will be followed by a discussion and tasting of Kunafeh, the delicacy of Caliphs as far back as Umayyad times and beyond. Expert speakers including is Nermin Khamosia, co-founder of Ta'mini Bakery in Fulham, will explore the history and modern variations of this traditional sweet cheese pastry, originating from Nablus, Palestine.

At The Tabernacle in Notting Hill on 1 December is an evening of 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, from the influential Syriac community of Bethlehem, along with a sneak preview of Jacob Norris' upcoming book The Lives and Deaths of Jubrail Dabdoub. Artist Malak Mattar, having travelled from Gaza, 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 with live recordings from Manger Chorus in Bethlehem and readings. The live stream from Bethlehem includes a performance from South African singer Nomcebo whose song Jerusalema was a viral hit worldwide.

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 including Zenobia, Momin and Hiba.

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, Derby, Manchester, Frome and Totnes. The performance in Totnes includes a specially-recorded performance of Byzantine hymns and religious songs by the Bethlehem Manger Choir.

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 opportunity to discover Palestine and its neighbours through an eclectic range of events including concerts, dance performances, independent film screenings, book launches, and food and drink talks and tastings."

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