In a vibrant display of creativity and collaboration, The Albany arts centre in Lewisham hosted the fourth edition of Haramacy, a series of live art performances aimed at addressing various social issues such as conflict, oppression, and themes of identity, community, and solidarity.
Haramacy is a five-day intensive residency where nine artists from diverse disciplines form groups to create three unique 15-minute performances, each inspired by current issues such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
All artists are members of the “global majority” – a term highlighting that most of the world’s population consists of people who are non-white and/or from the global south.
Cindy Liu, a Lewisham local who attended Haramacy, told EastLondonLines: “What resonated with me most was being in a space inhabited by the global majority, reminding me that I’m not alone and there is a community that welcomes me.”
The evening opened with a guided meditation, before the audience was invited to share their thoughts and feelings.
Many expressed numbness, anger, or hopelessness amid the ongoing crisis in Gaza, while others shared their relief and joy to be present after a gruelling week at work.
Liu enjoyed the meditation, saying it not only helped break the ice but gave the audience a safe space to process their feelings and hear others share their thoughts.
The first performance of the evening was “Scenes of Mourning” featuring artists Karim Shohdy, Asena Nour, and Tasnim Siddiqa Amin. The performance blended the stylings of their distinct artistic practices such as music composition, video art, and live performance.
Three scenes were happening simultaneously, creating a powerful dialogue that engaged the audience in a shared experience of mourning and reflection.
Liu says: “I believe the performance portrays the complexities of the mourning people experience every day in relation to the ongoing genocide happening in Palestine. The grief, anger, anxiety, and exhaustion the artists displayed were like knives to my heart, leading me to mourn with them.”
The curator and director of Haramacy and founder of the community arts organisation, Commun, Zahed Sultan, told EastLondonLines: “Every edition we do, usually the groups on board the residency tend to respond to circumstances at the time. At this particular time, there’s some very torturous conflicts around the world. There’s genocides happening, so people respond.”
Shohdy, an Egyptian actor, director, and music composer, was in charge of the lighting and sound design, his segment of the performance incorporating Egyptian rhythms and music.
He told EastLondonLines: “It’s crisis after crisis, death after death. And as artists it might be a cliche to say that we’re sensitive, that we have empathy, that we feel things in a different way, but it’s true. What can I do when I’m forced to be a bystander?”
A movement tutorial led by Malaysian movement artist and facilitator Ashley Lim followed. The audience formed a circle, introduced themselves with dance moves, and collaboratively created a spontaneous choreography, creating an interactive environment for the evening.
The night’s second performance, Searching, featured Lim, Tasneim Zyada, and Kushagra Anand blending video art, poetry, and dance.
Lim, with years of dance training, performed in her signature style, emphasising groove, tension, explosive energy, and fluidity.
Lim told EastLondonLines: “The performance was meant to inspire and give hope to those who feel like they aren’t able to do something about our current world issues. That everyone is counted for and that there’s power in showing solidarity.”
The evening concluded with Air Pangea, a captivating final performance featuring Leila Afghan, Adam Hasyim, and Amal Khalidi.
Khalidi, a North African poet, musician, and storyteller, reflected on the creative freedom they had in exploring themes, particularly around ideas of death and the afterlife, which allowed the group to bring a sense of lightness and even absurdity to traditionally heavy subjects.
“Working with people from such different artistic backgrounds was both challenging and rewarding,” Khalidi told EastLondonLines, describing how, despite initial communication barriers, the group found a rhythm by understanding each other’s unique languages and contributions.
The program aims to challenge the obstacles faced by artists in connecting and collaborating.
Sultan said: “We feel that due to funding structures and very true barriers that exist, such as intersectional issues of race, class, etc, that they don’t have opportunities to engage with each other.”
