Rest, Play, Feast: an urban retreat for families

Rest, Play, Feast: an urban retreat for families

Lama Amine, Tatreez Collective & friends

A holistic day focused on nourishing the body, the heart and the soul in Kilburn. No matter what your walk of life, you are invited to join us in this free day of events.

To give parents some well-deserved rest, we will have children’s workshops and a play-space with a licensed childcare provider, as well as first aid trained volunteers and facilitators. So you can put your mind at ease and enjoy the schedule of activities below:

11:00am - 1pm 

Let yourself be guided back to the wisdom of your body in a movement workshop by Lama Amine. Move from Your Soul is a somatic release session focusing on visualisation exercises to connect to yourself and harness rootedness in the present moment. This is a safe space: no previous experience necessary, all movement ranges, abilities and bodies are welcome. Wear comfortable clothing. Lama Amine who is the Head of Arts at @Seenaryo, will be running a movement workshop using the participatory method as part of the Shubbak Festival 2023.

12:30 - 2:30pm 

Join Tatreez Collective in a Palestinian embroidery circle. Learn the art of cross-stitch from women who have inherited the intergenerational practice and teach it to communities as their act of resistance. Have coffee, relax, and be in community.

10:45am - 1pm

Child’s Play: Whilst you join the movement and embroidery workshops, your kiddos can join activities bringing together storytelling and interactive free play. Suitable for 2 - 10 years old, older children will have additional activities. Facilitated by actor, puppeteer, and writer Peyvand Sadeghian, who brings some fun puppetry activities for children to engage with.

1 - 2:30pm

Music-making workshop led by the wondrous Syrian musician Rama Alcoutlabi and multi-instrumentalist Mario Christofi. Children will spend the afternoon singing, learning and playing with all kinds of Arabic instruments! Suitable for 2 - 10 years old.

At the end of the day, the groups will gather with the rest of the audience to combine their new skills, engaging in a shared jam session, encouraging all to sing, play, dance. 

Performances: The duo will also present music primarily from the Levant with additional songs from Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Iran. We promote the blurring of borders and incorporate the stories of the songs, cultures and people from which the music originates. Mario will be playing a variety of instruments and Rama will be singing and playing percussion. 

2:30 - 4pm 

Feast and music: After a day of workshops, join us in a free feast over food and ideas.  Throughout, chill to the backdrop of soothing live music.

This day of nourishment and regeneration is suitable and free for all, and we particularly welcome women and non-binary folx from the Global Majority world, as well as those experiencing socio-economic barriers and other forms of marginalisation. 

Presented in collaboration with Metroland Cultures.

Metroland Cultures is an arts charity based in and serving the London Borough of Brent. Their vision is that Brent is known globally for its arts and culture, and its people and communities are recognised and celebrated for shaping it. Their mission is to build, share and support art and culture in Brent: supporting communities to amplify stories of Brent life, and working with artists to tell new stories.

This event is a part of Metroland Cultures' Collective Rhythms programme.