MENA Arts UK is thrilled to announce their official residency at Theatro Technis @ 26 Crowndale. They will join other renowned companies: The Gate Theatre, Tamasha Theatre Company, Scene & Heard. This permanent artistic home in London allows them to grow events and projects that continue to support and champion the MENA+ community in the UK Arts Industry.
Kerry Kyriacos Michael MBE, the creative director of Theatro Technis @ 26 Crowndale, says:
“It's brilliant that we can give a home to MENA Arts UK, an organisation I'm proud to have been one of the founding members of. We can now make space available to MENA+ creatives to develop their practice, have a place to hang out and where they can also rub shoulders with our other resident arts organisation that like us place developing new talent at the heart of what they do.”
Their first project as a resident company is “Show Up and Write”, a series of sessions where writers attend in-person or Zoom sessions and simply write for three hours and then come together for one hour to connect and discuss all things writing.
All MENA+ writers or writers with a “hyphenated” artist skill set or cultural background are welcome to apply for in-person or Zoom sessions. They’d love to hear what you’re working on or other challenges/successes you’re facing in the UK Arts Industry.
This initiative is in partnership with Hyphen Artist Collective and is spearheaded by Lanna Joffrey, Membership Lead for MENA Arts UK.
Joffrey says: “Often our busy schedules distract us from finding time to commit to writing what we want to write. SHOW UP & WRITE gives us the chance to commit and stick to that commitment. Writing can be a lonely pursuit; this opportunity gives us a chance to write in a community.”
Sessions will consist of a three-hour free-writing session and an hour discussion, and will be facilitated by MENA Arts UK steering group members and Hyphen Artist Collective members.
Writers of all levels and experience are welcome.
MENA Arts UK is a UK-based not-for-profit Arts organisation for professionals who work in Live & Recorded Arts and are connected to the Middle East, North Africa or the surrounding area. The organisation was founded just over a year ago and seeks to support MENA+ professionals to thrive in the arts by increasing access to opportunities, platforming and commissioning their work, lobbying for representation and advocating for change. The free online directory has over 250 profiles and the inaugural Heroes Project films have been viewed more than 14,000 times. www.menaarts.uk