Amal provided opportunities that would not otherwise have existed to grow Muslim creativity and representation. Feedback on their experience from partner organisations, artists and participants was hugely positive.
Locations
Amal focused in particular on the three cities with the largest numbers of Muslim inhabitants – Birmingham, Bradford and London – but reached from Aberdeen to Brighton.
We received hundreds of testimonies:
From partners about how they would not have been able to do this work without Amal’s support and how this had developed the way they worked.
From artists about how they’d been able to develop their careers, learn new skills and express themselves as they wanted.
From participants about the confidence the opportunity to be creative had given them, the happiness, the sense of belonging, the healing.
From audiences about how stereotypes had been busted and how much they’d appreciated the opportunity to connect with others.
“I felt like a scrunched-up leaf when I arrived and I am leaving feeling energised and refreshed. Like a healthy leaf I have opened up.”
Creative workshop participant
"What I really enjoyed about this workshop was that the relationship between Amal and the community centre was already greatly established so it was extremely comfortable to facilitate with the ladies. They seemed to trust me right from the beginning…. the foundations were laid before my arrival.”
Creative workshop artist lead
“We’ve got Muslim people, we’ve got Christian people, we’ve got Hindu people, we’ve got people of no faith, enjoying an evening together. I hope it will be used to bring our communities together in a world which is really, really separating people.”
Audience member in Bradford
“The funding from Amal with a very specific objective of working with our Muslim community really spurred on a side of our outreach work we had not previously focussed on, in turn helping to overcome a trepidation of approaching a mosque for an arts project for fear of saying something which could offend. I feel as though a barrier which could prevent people engaging with our work has been lifted.”
