Are you a performer* from the global majority? Are you passionate about cultural resistance and looking for an opportunity to platform your talents? Then Young Shubbak is looking for YOU for their first event on May 2nd at Grand Junction.

Communal Resistance by Young Shubbak

For over six months now, we have collectively witnessed and lived through indiscriminate violence and destruction of the spaces and lives of artists and cultural workers and their communities in Palestine, and across the region. Meanwhile, spaces for conversation, expression and coming together are shrinking institutionally within the western world. This is not a new emergence but a recurring facet of the western colonial project in the region, which we continue to challenge.

Communal Resistance is a special evening curated by the Young Shubbak Collective as part of the Elixir Festival at Grand Junction. A night to come together, share experiences, and explore the power of community as a tenet of resistance.

Young Shubbak is a collective of young, diasporic creatives from SWANA or Arab/mixed heritage backgrounds, who programme multi-art form events relevant to young people’s cultural experiences, and promote inclusivity and a sense of community through the arts. We believe in the importance of openness, diversity, inclusivity and promoting shared conversations around issues that affect us all. A learning and development programme for aspiring producers, curators, cultural workers and creative practitioners who are passionate about developing a career in the cultural industries, Young Shubbak offers opportunities for young people to access the behind-the-scenes of a festival and programme events that reflect their socio-cultural experiences as mixed heritage creatives in London, and thus building a spaces for community, sharing, and cultural resistance.

We are looking to platform the work of

  • *Musicians, writers, performers, poets, dancers, and other creatives, including multi-form works in text, sound, video and/or mixed media.
  • We particularly welcome submissions from creatives of Palestinian and Sudanese descent, and encourage young artists with South-West Asian and North African (SWANA) heritage across any creative discipline to apply.
  • Creatives interested in sharing their work and strengthening collective, cultural resistance through community events and building shared solidarities.
  • Artists based in London (Greater London) and available to participate at the event on 2nd May 2024.
  • Your work may be in any language from the SWANA region as long as supporting materials or commentary is available in English or Arabic.

Application Process

Please submit your application to the open call by completing this form by midnight on Sunday 21st April.
You will need to submit the following:

  • a brief note (300 words) on why you'd like to be a part of Young Shubbak's Communal Resistance event, and how your background, work, and creative practice will respond to the theme of the night.
  • Samples of your work or portfolio as attachments or links to your websites, Dropbox, WeTransfer, YouTube etc.
  • Confirmation of your availability to perform on May 2nd.
Apply Here

Please email us at youngshubbak@shubbak.co.uk if you have any questions or if you are having trouble with the application form and would like support with your submission.

Selected artists will be notified by 23 April 2024 and announced as part of a line up of activities including art workshops led by Young Shubbak, spaces for dialogue, a set of performances and exhibitions. Artists performing as part of the line-up will receive a small bursary from Shubbak.

For more information

If you are unsure whether this opportunity is for you, please submit an application anyway. If you need to speak to someone, contact Sukriti Sharma at sukriti@shubbak.co.uk.

We are committed to removing barriers to this application process. If you would like to speak to us about your access needs please contact Shyam Persaud at shyam@shubbak.co.uk. 

Deadline for applications (extended) - Sunday, 21 April 2024 by 11:59 PM
Selections to be made by 23 April 2024.

We look forward to hearing from you!

About Shubbak Festival

Shubbak is Europe’s largest biennial festival of contemporary Arab cultures. We connect London audiences and communities with the best of contemporary Arab cultures through ambitious festival programmes of premieres and commissions of visual arts, film, music, theatre, dance, and literature. Last year's festival featured 200+ artists across 40+ events from 23 June–19 July 2023.