Veillées du Ramadan’ (Ramadan nights) Festival
2- 11 September 2010, Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris
Through Our Shared Europe, the British Council in France supported the 5th edition of the ‘Veillées du Ramadan’ festival organised by the Institut des Cultures d’Islam in Paris in September 2010.A series of events took place at the Institut, and a concert was organised at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in the centre of Paris. In 2010 the festival focused on Islam in Europe. Each night the audience had the opportunity to share the iftar, attend a live performance and a debate.
The artistic programme included a wide range of artists: the London band Transglobal Underground featuring Natacha Atlas, the Moroccan photographer and designer Hassan Hajjaj, the Italian photograher, Nicolo Degiorgis, the contemporary dancer Hela Fattoumi performing her show Wasla, the Sufi music Ensemble Ibn Arabi from Sarajevo, and more. There was a close link between the theme of the live performance and the topic of the debate that followed.
The debates brought together journalists, politicians, artists and scholars who exchanged views, based on their own experiences, and brought new perspective on issues which are often tackled in a simplified way.
The Institut des Cultures d’Islam is sharing the objectives of the British Council to bring together artistic practices and current intellectual debates, allowing for a deeper understanding of Islam and the Muslim culture.
Themes of the debates included:
- Islam in the media
- Islam in contemporary art
- Islam in European cultures
- Islam and immigration
- Muslim identity & European citizenship
- Islam and spirituality
- Islam and feminism
- Islam, Europe and globalisation
- Europe and the Muslim world / stereotypes and perceptions
