Tag Archives: bardo museum

Six Pillars – The Politics of Tunisian Theatre and Dance

The restored CinéVog building, in a quarter nicknamed 'Aston Villa'

The restored CinéVog, in a quarter nicknamed ‘Aston Villa’

At JAOU Tunis symposium on Visual Culture in an Age of Global Conflict, we spoke to Moncef Dhouib, Tunisian film director, actor & screenwriter. The symposium was at the Bardo Museum, Tunisia as it had been last year, despite attacks on tourists this March by militants.

Dhouib, a veteran actor, screenwriter, producer and puppeteer is a pioneer in the Tunisian performing arts. Dhouib describes his project CinéVog, a local theatre complex model for theatres which he wants to spread across the Maghreb to bring the performing arts back to the people.

Also young Tunisian dancer and choreographer Wael Maghni describes how he reconciled his dance practice with his belief in Islam and the current state of employment and opportunities for dancers and choreographers in Tunisia today. Maghni was on the symposium roundtable ‘Maghreb Condition Report I: The Choreographed Body in Tunisian Culture’. Interviews are in French.

Broadcasts: on 104.4FM in London Tues 21:30hrs, repeats Thurs 16:00hrs

Six Pillars Podcast: Film Director Moncef Dhouib + Dancer Wael Maghni at JAOU Tunis by 6pillars

Six Pillars – Antonia Carver, Art Dubai

Six Pillars at JAOU Tunis: Antonia Carver, Art Dubai + Rahilla Zafar, Arab Women Entrepreneurs

JAOU 2015 flier _webAt JAOU Tunis conference May 2015 artist Chris Weaver speaks with Antonia Carver, director of Art Dubai, after the panel ‘Future Imperfect: Art Institutions in the Middle East’, and Rahilla Zafar, author and business consultant about her book on Arab women entrepreneurs.

Antonia Carver has written extensively on Middle Eastern art and film, as a correspondent for The Art Newspaper and Screen ArtDubai International, among other publications, books and journals.

Rahilla Zafar writer, editor and business development consultant for Wondros, contributes to The Economist’s GE Look Ahead, an award-winning series on global innovation trends. Rahilla co-wrote ‘Arab Women Rising: 35 Entrepreneurs Making a Difference in the Arab World’ and is working on a book on women in Saudi Arabia.

After the Bardo Museum attacks on tourists in 2015, JAOU festival did not deter from holding its annual arts events again at the Tunis museum.

Six Pillars: Sultan Al Qassemi on the JAOU Conference, Tunis

Six Pillars JAOU Tunis with Sultan Al Qassemi and Chris Weaver by 6pillars

jaousquareAfter the Bardo Museum attacks on tourists earlier this year, JAOU festival and symposium is more than ever set to hold its annual arts events at the Tunis museum in Tunisia. Sound artist Chris Weaver interviews founder of the Barjeel Foundation, UAE and renowned Arab affairs commentator Sultan Al Qassemi about his participation in JAOU Tunis, from Dubai where they are both currently living. “Personally I’m very much intrigued by post-revolution art and culture in Tunisia. Tunisia is constantly now ranked as the only free country in the Arab world, what does that mean for art, does that mean there is a higher ceiling? What about the taboo subjects that we face in the gulf and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa, can you broach them? Can you approach them? This is a unique opportunity to witness first hand in Tunisia.” Broadcasts Tuesday 21.30 GMT, repeats Thursday 16:00 GMT. http://www.sixpillars.org