A celebration of Arab culture and music

22 Mar 2024

AMES welcomes creatives from the Middle East and North Africa to University of Manchester Students' Union

On Wednesday 6 March, staff from the Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) hosted the first large-scale event since the pandemic where creatives from the Middle East and North Africa came together with students at Club Academy, University of Manchester Students’ Union, to celebrate Arab world cultures. 

The cultural programme included Palestinian textiles, film in Arabic Sign Language, Palestinian and Arab music and the unique UNESCO-listed ceremonial heritage, the Algerian Chedda. AMES students contributed to the programme through reciting Quranic verse, reading poems and singing songs in Arabic, English and Farsi. Prizes for the best 'Year Abroad Photo' were presented to Final Year students learning Arabic in Amman, Jordan and Fez, Morocco.

More than 100 people attended from AMES and the Language Experience for All Programme (LEAP), and in the spirit of Middle Eastern hospitality, there was plenty of food and a warm welcome for everyone. 

This event was kindly funded by the SALC Welcome Back Fund and Subject Enhancement, SALC Information Advice Guidance (IAG).