Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) has revealed the dates for its 2019 edition, along with the first events from its Dance and Theatre programmes.
The UK’s premier annual Arab arts festival will this year commence on Friday 5 July with a launch event and conclude on Sunday 14 July, with its ever-popular finale celebration, Family Day at Sefton Park Palm House.
The announcement comes as tickets go on sale for two of the festival’s 2019 events taking place at Unity Theatre, The Chronicles of Majnun Layla and Yara Boustany’s ēvolvō and One Day and One Night Beirut.
The Chronicles of Majnun Layla (Sunday 7 July, 7:30pm), is Bahraini poet Qassim Haddad’s powerful rendering of the classic love story of Majnun Layla, often described at the Arab Romeo and Juliet.
The story of love, passion, eroticism and unfulfilled desire has been transformed into a bilingual live experience by renowned Palestinian actor and writer, Amer Hlehel, and radically reinterpreted with an original, contemporary soundscore and live performance by Rihab Azar and Kareem Sahara on acoustic and electric oud.
On Thursday 11 July (7:30pm), Unity Theatre welcomes renowned Lebanese visual artist and performer, Yara Boustany to perform two of her works. Complex, magical and filled with wondrous images and optical illusions, ēvolvō follows a journey from idyllic nature in the mountains of Lebanon, to the busy street-life of Beirut with its startling roofscapes and noisy traffic.
During this journey a strange creature invades the city, is it an ancient monster or an image of the city drowning in plastic pollution? ēvolvō, like an open-ended riddle, leaves the audience to make its interpretation.
One Day and One Night Beirut is Boustany’s shorter work, reflects everyday life in Beirut, depicting 24 hours from sleep to wake – a journey from dreaming to reality.
Both performances are presented by Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and produced by Shubbak.
Each year, LAAF attracts tens of thousands of people from Liverpool and beyond, for a thrilling showcase of the richness of Arab culture, with a packed programme of visual art, music, dance, film, theatre, literature and special events taking place in venues across the city.
Confirmed venues for LAAF’s 2019 edition include Picturehouse at FACT, Bluecoat, Philharmonic Music Rooms, Unity Theatre and OUTPUT gallery, with more to be announced.
For more information and to book tickets visit www.arabartsfestival.com
Event Schedule
Event: The Chronicles of Majnun Layla
Dates: Sunday 7th July 2019
Venue: Unity Theatre
Times: 7:30pm
Running Time: Approx. 60 mins
Prices: £9/£7 (plus £1.50 booking fee)
Minimum age: Age 12+
Booking details: https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/the-chronicles-of-majnun-layla.html
Event: ēvolvō and One Day and One Night Beirut
Venue: Unity Theatre
Date: Thursday 11th July 2019
Time: 7:30pm
Running Time: ēvolvō (40 min) One Day and One Night Beirut (10 min), with a 20 min interval
Prices: £9/£7 (plus £1.50 booking fee)
Minimum age: Age 4+
Booking details: https://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/whats-on/yara-boustany-19.html
Event: Family Day
Dates: Sunday 14th July 2019
Venue: Sefton Park Palm House
Times: 12:30pm – 5pm
Prices: Free
Minimum age: None
Booking details: Drop in
Issued for and on behalf of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
Main Image - Liverpool Arab Arts Family Day 6 Pano Image Credit AB Photography
About LAAF
Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival is a registered charity delivering arts and community programmes that bring diverse cultures together, increasing appreciation and awareness of Arab culture and arts at a local, national and international level.
Our year-round programme of events and community projects includes Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, established in 2002 and still the UK’s premier annual Arab arts festival.
Each year, our festival brings a thrilling celebration of Arab culture to venues across the city and showcases the richness of Arab culture through a packed programme of visual art, music, dance, film, theatre, literature and special events.
