Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival in July - Page 3

Caroline_afifi · 07-21-2008, 02:21 PM

Hi Deelybopper,

Thanks so much for your support at the seminar and I am glad you got alot out of it.
The reason why it was not a surprise is from experience and talking to Shira and others. We have tried this sort of thing before at the festival and it was the same. Also I have attended and presented seminar in other festivals and it has been the same in the past. However, I did present a seminar at Majma and it was full so that was good.

Shira was telling me about the first conference in canada and how it has taken time to build interest etc. it is now a very successful event.

I agree, with all your points and it does come down to priority.
I highlighted Shira in particular as she is not resident in the UK and it was the first opportunity to see this presentation (hopefully not the last!) and in the Northwest of England.

As for money, people pay huge amounts of money to attend festivals all over the country so it is nothing new. Also the festival was subsidised by funding as the real expense for what was on offer ran into multiple thousands and one year of work.

karena · 07-21-2008, 05:42 PM

Oh no now I feel really sad.

I really wanted to go to that conference - I had seen the one in Canada and thought it looked great so really wanted to go. It was so up my street, and yes £30 really isn't much for a conference. £100 is cheap in my world, but that is where institutions pay so is a bit of a different thing maybe, anyway I digress. But I had promised someone who's pretty dependent on me that I would do something, and really didn't want to disappoint him. But now I am gutted.

Oh, I'm sorry Caroline. I wish I had juggled now! Next time, now I realise that these things are often poorly attended, I will juggle the other way. I hadn't realised that these type of things were not being attended, as all the workshops etc are always bursting at the seams.

Re getting it more attended, is there any mileage to linking to a university, and then getting it in that circuit? Then you might get the people whose institutions pay to make it more viable financially. There is usually a higher institution rate etc. Maybe you've already thought of that.

fatinah · 07-21-2008, 06:21 PM

I was not complaining about the cost....infact I happen to think everything was very very reasonable price wise. I was just saying I think its a tad unfair to think people don't make the effort.
I hope to make next years as I can do the confrence maybe instead of the show and change.
I wasnt knocking the festival or the price and I think the festival is amazing for this city, a place Im very proud to call my home!...now hehehe 8 years here must make me a honorary scouser surely...im married to one...that must count :P

lizaj · 07-21-2008, 06:25 PM

Fatinah
I think caroline means that there are dancers in our area who have been on the scene for years and didn't bother to support either the symposium or , workshops or shows as well. I know for a fact some didn't tell their students about the whole 3 weeks of great events.
And you have done more as a newbie of the scene to support the event than some!

fatinah · 07-21-2008, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deelybopper

It's not at all obvious to me that people would rather go to the performances -.

Well Im going on the fact that I asked 6 local bellydancers if they went to the shows or confrences and they all said shows...me being 7 now. Just going on what I got told and stuff.

This following is NOT MY opinion but a few girls I know said it was because they dont really like learning about the dance they just love performing.
I dont really agree as I love learning about culture but I guess I understand a little what they are saying. I LOVE reading but once I studied literature in depth it kinda ruined getting cosy with a book for me.
However, studying theology and islam and judaism was just my idea of heaven.

Everyones different....thank God

Eshta · 07-21-2008, 07:53 PM

A massive congratulations to Caroline & everyone who put in time & effort to what sounds like a great success but also an educational & enlightening event that does our artform the credit it deserves!

:c lap:

Assuming my finances have recovered sufficiently from my house move, count me in for next year! I'll be making a weekend of it (anyone know any good bellydancer-friendly B&Bs?!) Nafiseh, I know you're lurking, you up for it darling?!

I empathise with the frustration that a lot of people just want 'belly dance light' rather than to treat it as a proper discipline, but I truly believe that the existence of events like this can only serve to improve the quality of the scene. There are those that don't want to know, but there are lots who want to know but find it really difficult how to go about finding out, if that makes sense. It will take time but I am optimistic. I wonder if it would have even been possible to pull off an event of this kind at all a few years ago...

karena · 07-21-2008, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatinah

now hehehe 8 years here must make me a honorary scouser surely...im married to one...that must count :P

I've been told 25 for Yorkshire, but then that is probably as we have a bigger queue this side of the Pennines!

lizaj · 07-21-2008, 11:59 PM

Well we've taken Ringo's Scouse "nationality" offa him and chopped the head off his topiary statue so I reckon we can give the keys of the city to others but it takes a good while to master the accent.

Caroline_afifi · 07-22-2008, 09:21 AM

I went to see the film Ein Shams last night then went for dinner with Jack Shaheen.

It was a really nice film. It was a little all over the place at the start but it settled in really well. There was a street wedding scene and it could have actually been a real one.
The dancer I am sure was a real club dancer as she didnt dance (if you know what i mean). The men were building cone like splifs by the dozen and drinking beer.

It was the first time I had seen some of the issues addressed in Egyptian cinema like chilhood cancer and the issue of poisonous pesticides that are currently being sprayed on crops in Egypt (which are cheap and happen to be illeagal in most other countries).

The street scenes were very quiet and Ein Shams looked very pretty in some scenes... I am waiting for the real Egyptian film to come out with the real warts and all but Ein Shams was certainly a step in the right direction and has won many awards in European film festivals.

Heya Fawda (Chaos) is on next Sunday at Fact, Liverpool.
Heya Fawda is about a corrupt Police officer in Cairo and stars my husbands very good pal Khaled Saleh. Another film not to be missed.
This film will probably be Yussef Shaheens last and has cost the festival an absolute fortune!!

fatinah · 07-22-2008, 09:55 AM

I am getting quite good at my scally scouse accent...I havent quite mastered the normal scouse accent yet though!
I can do a good "Im from crosby and think Im posh but really dead scouse" accent :P
I must admit it seems bad that people who have been on the scene for years cant be bothered to attend stuff in their own back yard. Nevermind x

07-21-2008, 05:42 PM	#22 (permalink)
karena Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: The North, UK Posts: 811	Oh no now I feel really sad. I really wanted to go to that conference - I had seen the one in Canada and thought it looked great so really wanted to go. It was so up my street, and yes £30 really isn't much for a conference. £100 is cheap in my world, but that is where institutions pay so is a bit of a different thing maybe, anyway I digress. But I had promised someone who's pretty dependent on me that I would do something, and really didn't want to disappoint him. But now I am gutted. Oh, I'm sorry Caroline. I wish I had juggled now! Next time, now I realise that these things are often poorly attended, I will juggle the other way. I hadn't realised that these type of things were not being attended, as all the workshops etc are always bursting at the seams. Re getting it more attended, is there any mileage to linking to a university, and then getting it in that circuit? Then you might get the people whose institutions pay to make it more viable financially. There is usually a higher institution rate etc. Maybe you've already thought of that. __________________ "Nothing is black and white, it's all shades of grey" Me

07-21-2008, 07:53 PM	#26 (permalink)
Eshta Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: London, England Posts: 328	A massive congratulations to Caroline & everyone who put in time & effort to what sounds like a great success but also an educational & enlightening event that does our artform the credit it deserves! :c lap: Assuming my finances have recovered sufficiently from my house move, count me in for next year! I'll be making a weekend of it (anyone know any good bellydancer-friendly B&Bs?!) Nafiseh, I know you're lurking, you up for it darling?! I empathise with the frustration that a lot of people just want 'belly dance light' rather than to treat it as a proper discipline, but I truly believe that the existence of events like this can only serve to improve the quality of the scene. There are those that don't want to know, but there are lots who want to know but find it really difficult how to go about finding out, if that makes sense. It will take time but I am optimistic. I wonder if it would have even been possible to pull off an event of this kind at all a few years ago... __________________ Saqarah - London's monthly Belly Dance Hafla!

07-21-2008, 02:21 PM	#21 (permalink)
Caroline_afifi V.I.P. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Liverpool UK Posts: 1,285	Hi Deelybopper, Thanks so much for your support at the seminar and I am glad you got alot out of it. The reason why it was not a surprise is from experience and talking to Shira and others. We have tried this sort of thing before at the festival and it was the same. Also I have attended and presented seminar in other festivals and it has been the same in the past. However, I did present a seminar at Majma and it was full so that was good. Shira was telling me about the first conference in canada and how it has taken time to build interest etc. it is now a very successful event. I agree, with all your points and it does come down to priority. I highlighted Shira in particular as she is not resident in the UK and it was the first opportunity to see this presentation (hopefully not the last!) and in the Northwest of England. As for money, people pay huge amounts of money to attend festivals all over the country so it is nothing new. Also the festival was subsidised by funding as the real expense for what was on offer ran into multiple thousands and one year of work.

07-21-2008, 06:21 PM	#23 (permalink)
fatinah Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Liverpool Posts: 52	I was not complaining about the cost....infact I happen to think everything was very very reasonable price wise. I was just saying I think its a tad unfair to think people don't make the effort. I hope to make next years as I can do the confrence maybe instead of the show and change. I wasnt knocking the festival or the price and I think the festival is amazing for this city, a place Im very proud to call my home!...now hehehe 8 years here must make me a honorary scouser surely...im married to one...that must count :P

07-21-2008, 06:25 PM	#24 (permalink)
lizaj Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,242	Fatinah I think caroline means that there are dancers in our area who have been on the scene for years and didn't bother to support either the symposium or , workshops or shows as well. I know for a fact some didn't tell their students about the whole 3 weeks of great events. And you have done more as a newbie of the scene to support the event than some!

07-21-2008, 11:59 PM	#28 (permalink)
lizaj Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,242	Well we've taken Ringo's Scouse "nationality" offa him and chopped the head off his topiary statue so I reckon we can give the keys of the city to others but it takes a good while to master the accent.

07-22-2008, 09:21 AM	#29 (permalink)
Caroline_afifi V.I.P. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Liverpool UK Posts: 1,285	I went to see the film Ein Shams last night then went for dinner with Jack Shaheen. It was a really nice film. It was a little all over the place at the start but it settled in really well. There was a street wedding scene and it could have actually been a real one. The dancer I am sure was a real club dancer as she didnt dance (if you know what i mean). The men were building cone like splifs by the dozen and drinking beer. It was the first time I had seen some of the issues addressed in Egyptian cinema like chilhood cancer and the issue of poisonous pesticides that are currently being sprayed on crops in Egypt (which are cheap and happen to be illeagal in most other countries). The street scenes were very quiet and Ein Shams looked very pretty in some scenes... I am waiting for the real Egyptian film to come out with the real warts and all but Ein Shams was certainly a step in the right direction and has won many awards in European film festivals. Heya Fawda (Chaos) is on next Sunday at Fact, Liverpool. Heya Fawda is about a corrupt Police officer in Cairo and stars my husbands very good pal Khaled Saleh. Another film not to be missed. This film will probably be Yussef Shaheens last and has cost the festival an absolute fortune!!

07-22-2008, 09:55 AM	#30 (permalink)
fatinah Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Liverpool Posts: 52	I am getting quite good at my scally scouse accent...I havent quite mastered the normal scouse accent yet though! I can do a good "Im from crosby and think Im posh but really dead scouse" accent :P I must admit it seems bad that people who have been on the scene for years cant be bothered to attend stuff in their own back yard. Nevermind x