We hope you are well! We are busy working and planning away at MENA Arts UK, and can't wait to share more on what we're up to!   

Sharing Conversations and Opportunities

• Tamasha Theatre are looking for a new Artistic Director to lead them through an exciting period of growth & creative development, and we emerge from the pandemic.

Deadline: 10th August. Details: https://tamasha.org.uk/jobs/

• Barbican Theatre's Open Lab call out for 21/22 is now open.

Barbican Theatre's Open Lab scheme nurtures and develops creative talents from a range of backgrounds and contexts, supporting the development of socially engaged, inclusive performance that has the potential to reach new audiences. Deadline: 9th August. Details: https://www.barbican.org.uk/take-part/emerging-practising-artists/open-lab/theatre-and-dance

• A callout for a number of roles from one of our members, Theatre Director Neta Gracewell:

“For Borders, a unique drama about two enemies that meet on Grindr, I’m looking for a MENA ACTOR to play George, a 25 year old gay man from Lebanon. This is a two-hander drama and I’d specifically like to find an actor with a wide emotional range, that can bring to life this sensitive and delicate role. George is a character that faces many inner conflicts, and the actor will ideally have the ability to fill text-less moments with emotion.

I'm also looking for a talented PRODUCER with experience in fundraising,

and a STAGE DESIGNER with a knack for minimalist stages.

All roles will be paid at least Equity minimum.

Borders is set to perform in a festival in November, with plans for additional shows after that being made! 

To apply please send over a CV and Spotlight / showreel to neta.gracewell@gmail.com with the title Borders - Casting / Producer / Designer (whichever is applicable) and I'll be in touch!”

• A callout for Voice Actors for the VR Immersive Experience ‘Network’, made in collaboration with the National Film and Television School and StoryFutures Academy:

“We are looking for an older sounding woman, with a Persian/ Middle Eastern accent. She will play the voice of “Mother Earth” and therefore, we would like to find someone who is able to sound both powerful, but also soft and welcoming. Please use this actor as a reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGcUB55muSw
Time and date: 4 hours (at max) at the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield at a suitable date in the last week of July (26th-30th of July). Paid.
If interested: michellebrondum@gmail.com”

• A callout for a Female Dance Artist/Physical Performer for an experimental project that uses jewellery, hair and movement to create a short dance that explores themes around migration, obtaining refugee status, and loosing cultural identity to build a new home.

If you are interested and available, please send over your CV and headshot to: maral.mmghn@gmail.com

Deadline: 6pm Friday 30th July.

• Applications for Vault Festival 2022 are now open.

“We want applications from people who believe in the spirit of cooperation to help us create a fair, affordable, artist-focused, audiene-friednly festival right in the heart of London. If you think you’ve got something which belongs at VAULT festival, we look forward to hearing from you.”

Deadline: 16th August. For more info: https://vaultfestival.com/perform-with-us/application-guide/about-vault/

• Octagon Theatre are recruiting a Participation Practitioner to facilitate their youth theatre and community groups, schools, and education work.

Deadline: 30th July. To apply: https://octagonbolton.co.uk/about-us/work-with-us/participation-practitioner/

Directory Shoutouts! 

Part of our Directory and have a show/project coming up? Let us know so we can shout about it in the next mailout! In the meantime, check out the following shows featuring our wonderful Directory members:

• Massive Congratulations to Directory Member DIYAN ZORA for winning the Genesis Future Directors Award! She will direct "Klippies" by Jessica Sian at the Young Vic in August. Diyan is the first Middle Eastern director to win this award!

For more info and tickets on the upcoming show: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/klippies

• MUNIRIH GRACE will star as Zara Majumdar in the new four-part BBC 4 radio drama TAKE OVER (also available on BBC sounds), directed by John Scot Dryden. ‘High-stake deals and sibling rivalry set in the world of the super wealthy. Meet the Majumdars, a family at war…with itself."

Check it out here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xdxv

• Congratulations to one of our commission competition winners MAY ZIADÉ whos short film was selected to be shown at the BFI as part of the TAPE Collective takeover!

Take a look here:

https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=cultureshockshortfilmprogramme&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=

• Double Directory shoutout! Our very own PHILIP ARDITTI joins the cast of "NO RETURN" for ITV Studios alongside Directory member DAVID MUMENI! The show will be led by the brilliant Sheridan Smith, and will definitely be one to watch!

Read more about it here: https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/sheridan-smith-obe-begins-filming-compelling-event-drama-no-return

• Congratulations to our Chair KERRY KYRIACOS MICHAEL who has been elected to join the Directors and Designers Committee over at Equity UK. It’s very exciting to have a MENA+ voice at the table!

Check out the full list here: https://www.equity.org.uk/news/2021/july/2021-committee-election-results/

And that’s everything! For the new members, mailout is usually sent on a fortnightly basis. Please keep sharing and sending me any of your wonderful work or opportunities you want included in the next mailout to this email. Now more than ever lets keep circulating our brilliant stories; whether its past work, articles, videos, or something you think the membership may find interesting, please do drop me an email! Please continue to sign up to our directory, and share our community with your friends in the industry!

Have a great week,

Jessie x

MENA ARTS UK 

 If you can, please considering support us on our journey. No amount is too small, and please help us by sharing with your networks!  Link to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mena-arts-uk?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet

Our position on endorsement.

Our main areas of work is to help connect the creative industries with UK MENA+ talent, so we will always share castings, job opportunities, or marketing information. We will track these projects in the hope that they are a great example of how MENA+ talent is used. But by sharing this information, it should not be seen as an endorsement of the project.

We will call out work that is appropriating a MENA+ narrative and does not have MENA+ talent at the heart of the creative process; and we will always champion, front and centre, work that is made for and by MENA+ talent.

MENA ARTS UK