The first half of Free Lab Radio, July 26th 2011 a mid-summer’s Saturday night in the studio. Tracks that lead us to gently dance off the heat at varying paces. Tracks like ‘Naturally Stoned’, ‘Call Me Hung Up’, ‘You’re My Kind of Climate’ and ‘Holiday in Congo’ an even one by the queen of lusty lament: Janis Joplin. Have a listen…
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Women for Women organised a march from the Millenium bridge to Royal Festival Hall led by Annie Lennox. Fari Bradley spoke to some of the groups and individuals taking part.
Groups featured are: The Soroptimists, London Feminist Network, Refugee Council, Afghan Aid and Object.
This podcast also includes the speeches which took place at the end of the march, with Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger, Lynne Featherstone (someone is shouting “get off the fence!” during this!), the highest positioned woman on the Afghanistan Refugee Council in Afghanistan, Helen Pankhurst from Care International (descendant of Emmeline), Berra Kabarungi, Natasha Walter, Judith Wanga, Liz Morgan-Lewis (The Soroptimist president), Sophy Ridge (Sky blogger), Cherie Lunghi.
Lynne Featherstone, and more.
“History and geography are the basis of all the humanities.“
After falling in love with a map of Persia in Harrods, Dr Ala’i spent years researching the cartography of Iran and Persia before publishing two large volumes by Brill, on different maps of Persia from the 1400s to 1925.
Dr Ala’i was invited by Iran Heritage to give a talk in January 2011 on his extensively researched specialty, and Six Pillars interviewed him to find out more about this passion of his.
This is the whole interview, the first part of which was broadcast in January 2011 on Six Pillars to Persia, from the Resonance104.4Fm studios, London.
November saw the launch of the London’s first Iranian Film Festival: UKIFF.
In late October we met with one of the volunteers, Costas Sarkas, at one of UKIFF’s networking events, to find out what it was all about.
Photographer Sara Shamsawari exhibits a selection from her series in City Hall entrance until January 4th.
The exhibition is a series of engaging portraits around the symbolism of the union jack with all its connotations. The photos are accompanied by statements and both promote a questioning of our ideas of what it means to be British now.
Venturing around Iran and Afghanistan with a copy of the Shahnameh tucked under his arm, Nicholas Jubber relates what this pivotal introduction taught him about modern people who still love this medieval text.
Jubber explains how The Shahnameh, or Persian Book of Kings, is still very much alive today for many people, even 1000 years after it’s completion.
His book certainly has it’s own style and he visited the Resonance104.4FM studios to explain certain points: from beards to butchers to free motorbikes.
This show was originally broadcast on 2nd August, 2010
Sanaz Raj discusses her interest in Iranian film and a week of full length film screenings running in conjunction with the Leeds International Film Festival. The week, called the Iranian Diasporic Film Series presents a variety of film: from a documentary about the Shah’s widow to a fiction about a lesbian refugee from Iran who takes on the identity of a dead male acquaintance.
Sanaz and Fari discuss the screenings and accompanying talks, as we well as ‘Certified Copy‘ Abbas Kiarostami’s latest film set in Italy, starring Juliette Binoche.
At the Omar Khayyam Society’s event A Mystic’s War on Terror, Autumn 2010, we caught up with the main Sufi speaker Ammat Un Nur.
Read her speech from the night on the above link, a speech that contained the quote by Jimi Hendrix who said, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”.
Her Sufi website.
Here is some of the event write-up:
Ammat un Nur belongs to a lineage named Chishti-Inayati. (We are supposed to know automatically what that lineage is, I guessed it had something to do with renowned Sufi school rather than an individual). She has also been influenced by the Mevlevi tradition originating from Mevlana Rumi (you’re supposed to know that is the same Rumi, the Sufi poet). Her work involves researching, writing on the Inayatian legacy of the Sufi Orders. (I had no idea what that was).
The debate took the form of a panel, mostly of women, who put forward a speech or an intro and then took questions. One aspect of the write-up that really caught my eye was the promise of a look at the neglect of the feminine in Islam. there is a feminist branch or movement in Islam. I wanted to know what a woman’s role was considered to be in Sufism, as in Iran, in the mountains, some all female Sufi orders do exist….
If the title of the podcast has aroused your curiosity and you are interested in this kind of study, here a SOAS course that could be for you.
You will have to pay a lot mind, to study. If you go to stay with Ammat, your studies will be free. There’s food for thought.
This podcast was made for the ResonanceFM series Six Pillars to Persia by Fari Bradley – the show is a weekly look at the Iranian diaspora, the culture of Iran, Persian heritage and related topics.
An interview with Professor Annabelle Sreberny on the launch of the new Centre for Iranian Studies at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London).
Prof. Sreberny discusses the aims, purpose and interests of the new centre and explains how it came into being.
Launch Event 16 October 2010, 10:00 AM-9:30 PM
The Centre for Iranian Studies will showcase the range of academic research and teaching across the disciplines of SOAS, including History, Economics, Politics, Literature, Music, Art and Media Studies. It will organise lectures, seminars and conferences, and to both showcase and foster the best of contemporary Iranian talent through film screenings and events.
Launch Tickets: £15, £10 of £5 conc.
Contact: vp6@soas.ac.uk 020 7898 4490
An interview with award winning artist Mahmoud Bakhshi as he begins his three day residency and prepares for his historic solo show at Saatchi Gallery. The interview is translated by curator Vali Mahlouji, one of the people who nominated Mahmoud for the Magic of Persia Contemporary Arts Prize (MOPCAP) in the first place.
Mahmoud Bakhshi draws inspiration for his works from the political and social issues that surround him. Born in Tehran, Iran, he is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran, and has exhibited internationally since 2006. Mahmoud is also supported by the Delfina Foundation.
First broadcast on Sept 20th 2010 from ResonanceFM studios
