Archive

The Tamil diaspora living in Switzerland is predominantly an asylum diaspora. Using narratives from two generations of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Switzerland, we are able to understand how they interact with their homeland as well as their host-land, Switzerland, after the end of the war in 2009. This sheds light on characteristics of the Tamil diaspora, as complex, diverse groups with different visions of belonging and identity.

Tanuja Thurairajah is reading for her PhD at the Human Geography Unit, Department of Geography of the University of Zurich. She has a MA in Peace & Conflict Studies from the University of Innsbruck. Tanuja’s current research looks at Swiss Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora engagement and agency. Her research interests include diasporas, migration and conflict. Tanuja has over a decade of experience working in the development and humanitarian sector in Sri Lanka.

The title is a reference to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s well-known essay “Can the Subaltern speak?” (1988). In it, Spivak analyses how discourse has the power to shape the colonial subject as ‘the other’. In this vein, the essay highlights the existence of a hierarchy of knowledge production, whereby certain forms of knowledge and self-representation are dismissed and the dominant forms of knowledge are reproduced.

This analysis will be presented along with a presentation on the question of whether migrants/refugees can make art. At the same time, processes of exclusion will be examined, along with structural experiences of being made to remain unintelligible, and of being excluded from forms of self-representation. Topics such as the cooperation of privileged creators of culture/art together with the underprivileged (such as refugees) in society will be discussed, with the aim of addressing the following questions: “Can the subaltern make art?” And if they can, is the art they make really subaltern?

Niştiman Erdede (*1979, Silvan, Turkey) is a decolonialist artist, curator, freelance radio journalist and text-writer. He came to Zurich, Switzerland in 2008 as a political migrant and has lived and worked in Zurich ever since. He used to work as a medical laboratory analyst in the city clinic of Diyarbakir, in Turkey. Nistiman Erdede supported several NGOs in the domain of human rights as an organiser and interpreter in south east Anatolia. His political activities lead to his first pretrial detention, in the aftermath of which he faced the decision of becoming either a political prisoner or leaving his country. After fleeing in 2008, it took six years before his asylum application was processed and he could begin a new, active life as a recognised refugee. Between 2010 and 2014 he was active in a collective organisation founded by refugees. Still an asylum seeker at the time, he applied to study at the Zurich University of the Arts, was accepted, and studied from 2013 to 2016 in the Art and Media department. Even at this early point in time he was beginning to question the connection between history, memory and emancipatory action in the context of involuntary emigration movement. His understanding of this work is also an investigation into the ways in which his own and collective experiences of imprisonment can be overcome, be it through writing or the expression/practice of decolonialist art.

What happens when someone who is subaltern, or seen as inferior or disadvantaged, makes art? Can their work be considered art or even perceived as such? The title is a reference to Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s well-known essay “Can the Subaltern speak?” (1988). In it, Spivak analyses how discourse has the power to shape the colonial subject as ‘the other’. In this vein, the essay highlights the existence of a hierarchy of knowledge production, whereby certain forms of knowledge and self-representation are dismissed and the dominant forms of knowledge are reproduced.

This analysis will be presented along with a presentation on the question of whether migrants/refugees can make art. At the same time, processes of exclusion will be examined, along with structural experiences of being made to remain unintelligible, and of being excluded from forms of self-representation. Topics such as the cooperation of privileged creators of culture/art together with the underprivileged (such as refugees) in society will be discussed, with the aim of addressing the following questions: “Can the subaltern make art?” And if they can, is the art they make really subaltern?

Niştiman Erdede (*1979, Silvan, Turkey) is a decolonialist artist, curator, freelance radio journalist and text-writer. He came to Zurich, Switzerland in 2008 as a political migrant and has lived and worked in Zurich ever since. He used to work as a medical laboratory analyst in the city clinic of Diyarbakir, in Turkey. Nistiman Erdede supported several NGOs in the domain of human rights as an organiser and interpreter in south east Anatolia. His political activities lead to his first pretrial detention, in the aftermath of which he faced the decision of becoming either a political prisoner or leaving his country. After fleeing in 2008, it took six years before his asylum application was processed and he could begin a new, active life as a recognised refugee. Between 2010 and 2014 he was active in a collective organisation founded by refugees. Still an asylum seeker at the time, he applied to study at the Zurich University of the Arts, was accepted, and studied from 2013 to 2016 in the Art and Media department. Even at this early point in time he was beginning to question the connection between history, memory and emancipatory action in the context of involuntary emigration movement. His understanding of this work is also an investigation into the ways in which his own and collective experiences of imprisonment can be overcome, be it through writing or the expression/practice of decolonialist art.

As a lecture performance, Anupras Jucius will present a short contextual retrospective and self-reflection about some first experiences and observations of being in Zurich. He will present sketches about cultural shock and some thoughts on system effects and their influence on empathy.

Anupras Jucius is an actor from Lithuania. Since finishing his Bachelor studies (Stanislavski method) at Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, he has been part of the ensembles at two State theatres and been working in parallel as a freelance actor and stage light designer/technician in various performances, movies and TV-series productions.
In 2019, he became the CEO of the municipal theatre «Menas» in Lithuania, and subsequently was awarded the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Scholars and Artists. He has started a Master’s degree in acting studies at the Zurich University of the Arts.
Anupras currently lives in between two countries, is experiencing as much as possible and plans to start an international performance festival.

The Tamil diaspora living in Switzerland is predominantly an asylum diaspora. Using narratives from two generations of Sri Lankan Tamils living in Switzerland, we are able to understand how they interact with their homeland as well as their host-land, Switzerland, after the end of the war in 2009. This sheds light on characteristics of the Tamil diaspora, as complex, diverse groups with different visions of belonging and identity.

Tanuja Thurairajah is reading for her PhD at the Human Geography Unit, Department of Geography of the University of Zurich. She has a MA in Peace & Conflict Studies from the University of Innsbruck. Tanuja’s current research looks at Swiss Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora engagement and agency. Her research interests include diasporas, migration and conflict. Tanuja has over a decade of experience working in the development and humanitarian sector in Sri Lanka.

As a lecture performance, Anupras Jucius will present a short contextual retrospective and self-reflection about some first experiences and observations of being in Zurich. He will present sketches about cultural shock and some thoughts on system effects and their influence on empathy.

Anupras Jucius is an actor from Lithuania. Since finishing his Bachelor studies (Stanislavski method) at Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, he has been part of the ensembles at two State theatres and been working in parallel as a freelance actor and stage light designer/technician in various performances, movies and TV-series productions.
In 2019, he became the CEO of the municipal theatre «Menas» in Lithuania, and subsequently was awarded the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Scholars and Artists. He has started a Master’s degree in acting studies at the Zurich University of the Arts.
Anupras currently lives in between two countries, is experiencing as much as possible and plans to start an international performance festival.

The choir ‘The Voice of Colours’ sees itself mainly as offering a space for people to come together. The choir meets and rehearses weekly at the venue Mosaik, Hardstrasse, and unites people, voices, songs, languages, styles and instruments. Under the direction of Hakan Can, the choir has performed many different song repertoires and has held various concerts since 2014. Within the scope of Abendschule Import, Hakan Can und Ülkü Can aim to give an insight into the inner workings of the choir.

Hakan Can is a musician, composer and music arranger. He has sung and played instruments since childhood. He was born and grew up in Diyarbakir, and later studied music in Izmir. In 2014, he founded the choir ‘The Voice of Colours’ in Zurich. He is currently working on a new musical set with a trio.

Ülkü Can is a singer. She runs the breathing and vocal training sessions for the choir ‘Voice of Colours’. She performs as a solo singer at concerts.

The Kingdom of Kush, which was located in the region of Nubia, represents an important part of ancient culture in Sudan. In his artworks, the painter Shahto Ali refers to different figures and symbols related to Kush culture. He says: “In my work I try to combine ancient samples and artefacts with contemporary materials in order to blur the lines of what it means to be ‘traditional’ or ‘contemporary’.” In his presentation he will explain different examples of traditional cultural items and how he arranges them in his paintings. Furthermore, he will talk about the appearance of references to ancient cultures in the context of current political movements in Sudan.

Shahto Ali is a painter and lawyer. He holds a Bachelors degree in Fine Art from Sudan University of Technology and a PhD in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy. His paintings were exhibited in Sudan and Ethiopia, as well as in different places in Switzerland. As a political activist, he regularly publishes videos on his YouTube channel, in which he analyses the current political situation in Sudan. Shahto Ali lives in Rafz with his family.

How is the human existence changed by the experience of seeking refuge? What roles do terms such as ‘identity’, ‘foreignness’ or ‘home’ play in a refugee’s life? What does it mean to be almost exclusively perceived as a ‘refugee’ by Swiss society? How do experiences of racism and structural discrimination influence self-perception? Using personal experience as a starting point, Kanchana Chandran will analyse and discuss the question of identity from a sociological and journalistic perspective.

Kanchana Chandran, from Sri Lanka, has been living in Switzerland for 10 years. She had to leave her home due to her actions and work as a journalist. She studied social science at the University of Colombo. She currently works as a freelance journalist for Radio Lora, among other organisations, and as an education officer for the Swiss Refugee Council.

The choir ‘The Voice of Colours’ sees itself mainly as offering a space for people to come together. The choir meets and rehearses weekly at the venue Mosaik, Hardstrasse, and unites people, voices, songs, languages, styles and instruments. Under the direction of Hakan Can, the choir has performed many different song repertoires and has held various concerts since 2014. Within the scope of Abendschule Import, Hakan Can und Ülkü Can aim to give an insight into the inner workings of the choir.

Hakan Can is a musician, composer and music arranger. He has sung and played instruments since childhood. He was born and grew up in Diyarbakir, and later studied music in Izmir. In 2014, he founded the choir ‘The Voice of Colours’ in Zurich. He is currently working on a new musical set with a trio.

How is the human existence changed by the experience of seeking refuge? What roles do terms such as ‘identity’, ‘foreignness’ or ‘home’ play in a refugee’s life? What does it mean to be almost exclusively perceived as a ‘refugee’ by Swiss society? How do experiences of racism and structural discrimination influence self-perception? Using personal experience as a starting point, Kanchana Chandran will analyse and discuss the question of identity from a sociological and journalistic perspective.

Kanchana Chandran, from Sri Lanka, has been living in Switzerland for 10 years. She had to leave her home due to her actions and work as a journalist. She studied social science at the University of Colombo. She currently works as a freelance journalist for Radio Lora, among other organisations, and as an education officer for the Swiss Refugee Council.

In December 2018 large numbers of the Sudanese population began to rise up against the then-President Oman Al-Bashir’s government. In April 2019, the government was toppled by a coup and a military transitional government was put in place. However, the street protests continued and the people demanded a civil government, as well as far-reaching changes in the country’s political power structures. In June 2019, the military, security forces and the RSF Militia carried out a massacre against a peaceful sit-in protest in the capital city Khartum. Hundreds of people were killed, raped and injured. Under the threat of a country-wide general strike, the militia agreed to include civil members in the workings of the transitional government. In July 2019, an agreement on the formation of a sovereign council was signed, which should consist of an equal number of representatives from the military and from the protest movement, and should govern for three years until the implementation of a new constitution.

In her presentation, the activist Lina Rasheed will share her assessment of the recent events in Sudan, as well as her evaluation of the current situation. At the same time, she will address the question of the role of women in the protests in Sudan.

Lina Rasheed is a lawyer. She studied at the University of El Neelain in Khartum and completed her Master’s degree in children’s rights at the University of Fribourg. She has been working as a counsellor since 2014 in the victim’s protection programme Makasi at the FIZ centre, in Zurich, which is an advocacy and support centre for migrant women and female victims of trafficking.

In this course, Setsofia Nyamedi gives an introduction to its creative process. He then invites you to experiment with recycled fabrics. You compose a large tableau together with other participants. In the end, it will be shared and distributed. A practical experience of communal experience, of which you take home a piece as a souvenir.

A request: Bring light fabrics that you no longer need! (old T-shirts, jeans, clothes etc.)

Setsoafia Nyamedi is a painter from Togo. He did his graduate studies in Marketing Communication and a training course in tailoring in Burkina Faso. His passion for painting led him to experiment with several techniques by giving a second life to materials by creating pieces that oscillate between abstract painting and expressionism. He has had several exhibitions both abroad and in Switzerland, where he lives and works since 2016.

Tigrigna is spoken in Eritrea and in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. This course gives you the opportunity to get to know the language and to practice first conversations. Azmara Benama will share her experiences as a community interpreter and gives you the chance to practice useful phrases from her daily life in intercultural communication.

Azmara Benama comes from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. She came to Switzerland in 2002. After 11 years working in the restaurant “Le Galopin” in Freiburg, she began a training as an official interpreter for migrants. Today she works together with the service “Se comprendre” of Caritas Switzerland. With her experience as a migrant and her knowledge of the reality of life in Ethiopia and Switzerland, she sees herself as a “bridge” between two cultures. She helps, for example, as a translator at medical appointments, during administrative procedures or other needs and she helps those who have recently arrived to this country to express themselves. Very dedicated to issues related to migration, she has been working in this field for eight years.

In this course, you get to know melodies and rhythms that are thousands of years old. Leila Golbangi makes you experience her musical talents. She also introduces you into some traditional ways of Iranian singing – techniques that have survived through the ages. Leila Golbangi is be supported by the musician Mathieu Clavel. Together, they make you discover the history of the traditional Iranian music and give a presentation of some of its instruments.

Leila Golbangi is an Iranian singer specialized in traditional music. She has performed several concerts both in choir or solo in Iran. She continues to do so in Switzerland whenever she has the opportunity. She also has a degree in psychology and practiced this profession for 20 years. Living in in Switzerland since 6 years, she has been pursuing a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Fribourg.

Mathieu Clavel is a Master’s student in Digital Humanities at EPFL. As a musician he is passionate about the traditions of the Persian world. At the age of 19, he hitch-hiked through Iran for the first time. Today he takes groups there as a guide and introduces them to the music of the region. He gives or organizes conferences and concerts in Switzerland on that topic too.

Get an introduction to the world of the Iranian-Swiss Drag Queen Gigi Lou. Gigi Lou talks about the context, the identity of a drag queen and the different existing currents. What are the limitations and possibilities to practice this art in Iran? What are the stages of transformation before appearing as a Drag Queen? Gigi shares her experience with and answers your questions too. In a second part you will experience Gigi Lou as a live performance.

Danial Seyed is a young man from Iran, a country of culture, but without freedom. He grew up in a very strict and religious society, in which the art of drag, but also art in general, was portrayed as an unforgivable sin. He left his country in 2015 and came to Europe to follow his artistic intentions without restrictions. Here, he invented the figure of Gigi Lou. Danial Seyed is an autodidact and comes from theater and film.

The Kurdish cuisine is not just about food and pleasure. For Shirin Youssef and Parichan Osman it is also a way to connect with their culture and share it. In this class you get to know three recipes of Kurdish gastronomy: Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Kotelk (stuffed rice balls) and Köfte. At the end of the workshop, you can take samples home with you and spoil yourself and your friends.

Shirin Youssef and Parichan Osman are two Kurdish friends from Syria. Shirin grew up in a small town. She studied pedagogy at the University of Damascus and became a teacher for young children. She loves this work and is now close to the recognition of her diploma in Switzerland. She is also a passionate and experienced cook.

Parichan Osman comes from a small village in Syria. Kurdish cuisine is a natural part of her life. She too has a great affinity for children and would like to get an education to work in this field in Switzerland.

In conjunction with the Abendschule Import programme, the artist Sana al Mor was exhibiting a selection of her works from 27th May until 2nd June in an exhibition space in Cabaret Voltaire. Her photo series Shades (2016), Hypothesis – People’s Shadows (2018), Zurich City Streets (2018) and her video piece My homeland did not devour me (2016) were on show. Sana al Mor said of her photo series Shades: “While I was waiting for the decision for my asylum case, I was walking around this beautiful city, which had been converted into an open air prison for more than two years, yet I was trying to cope with Zurich, with its regulations and sometimes with its monotony and conservative modernity, so I started to document my relationship with Zurich through photography, or perhaps I had documented, unintentionally, my mood that I was throwing in the streets of this city.”

Sana al Mor is a Lebanese photographer and filmmaker. She graduated from Beirut Arab University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature. She joined the Al-Jazeera Training and Development Center and completed a training course in television journalism and as a press reporter. Later she took professional photography and Photoshop classes at the New York Institute of Photography. As a director, she completed her first short documentary “A Tawakul” in 2013 in Istanbul, the same year the film was officially chosen at the Renaissance Film Festival in London. She also exhibited two sets of artistic photographs by participating in three exhibitions between Zurich and Basel in Switzerland. She is in the final stages of her second documentary “On the Edge of Waiting”.

Literature written by women writers, such as Colette Al-Khoury and Ghada Al-Samman, plays a huge role in shaping the consciousness of Syrian women. Their texts are centred around women’s freedom and a woman’s right to control her own life, love, and eroticism. Both authors were pioneers of Arabic feminism and rebelled against conservative Damascan society, shocking the Arab world with their first publications; Colette Al-Khoury published her novel “Days with him” in 1961 and Ghada Al-Samman published a collection of short stories in 1962, entitled “Your eyes are my destiny”. The course offers an insight into the biographies and texts of the two authors.

Rima Issac is from Syria; she was born in Damaskus and grew up in Kaffaram, a village in the mountains known for its apples and its liqueur. Her aunt, who worked as a civil engineer, was her feminist role model and Rima grew up surrounded by her books. Rima studied English Literature at university in Homs from 1994 to 2003 and worked privately as a teacher. She was subsequently employed in a state school.

The course offers an insight into many traditional fashion trends in Senegal. The course is designed to offer participants a tour around different exhibitions of clothing pieces, head coverings and fabrics. The teacher will also present her own fashion creations.

Antoinette Mendy has been involved in fashion and clothing since childhood. She and her cousins used to visit the local tailor when they were children to collect snippets of leftover fabric to make dolls’ clothes. Later, she worked in the design sector and as a beautician. She is enrolled at the Zurich F+F School for Art and Media Design, where she has been studying Fashion and Design since last year.

The presentation elaborates the regional and international aspects of the Kurdish women’s movement. Fidan Güler will report on her work in the women’s council and as a social worker in Şirnex (Turkish: Şırnak). Özen Aytaç will highlight how Kurdish women are taking part in the organisation of the Swiss Women’s strike on the 14th June 2019, focussing on demonstrating the importance of global solidarity in the women’s movement in the past, as well as today.

Fidan Güler worked in city council administration in Şirnex (Turkish: Şırnak). She was a member of the women’s council and amongst other projects, worked in social counselling. The Kurdish administration consists of a co-system with democratic structures and is not recognised by the Turkish state. Fidan Güler had to leave her home because of her cultural and political activities.

Özen Aytaç is a spokesperson for the committee of foreign affairs of the Kurdish women’s movement. As representative of her group, she is part of a Swiss-wide strike network that is planning the women’s strike on 14th June 2019.

This is an evening discussing African cinema. We will explore the historical journey of the development of African cinema. We will deal with elements attributed to what we call African cinema; various schools of thought and trends observed in African Cinema. We will examine the role of political and social conditions in shaping the topic and form of the films. Examples of films will be viewed. We will discuss challenges and advantages of the past as well as contemporary African cinema. We will also become acquainted with a few notable filmmakers and their works. At the end we will watch Aron’s latest futuristic short film “Dagu” that premiered at Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt in March 2019.

Aron Yeshitila (*1982) was born in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He graduated from the University Addis Ababa (AAU) in Theatre Arts and later worked as theatre and filmmaker. At the 3rd International Ethiopian Film Festival in 2008 he won the award for best screenwriter for the film “Mizewochu” (The Best Men). Aron Yeshitila has worked as a journalist and editor for several weeklies in Ethiopia. Since moving to Switzerland in 2010, Aron has made his first documentary film “In the Face of God and Gun” (2013). He has taken part in various theatre pieces as a dramatic advisor and performer, including “Semiramis” that was shown in various cities of Switzerland and FITMO international theatre festival Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. “Kings of Interest”, a theatre piece he wrote and directed, premiered in Theater Tuchlaube, Aarau in February 2018. His latest short film “Dagu” was premiered at the Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt in March 2019. He is currently developing his next theatre piece “The Possibilities” to be premiered in March 2020 in Theater Tuchlaube.

Literature written by women writers, such as Colette Al-Khoury and Ghada Al-Samman, plays a huge role in shaping the consciousness of Syrian women. Their texts are centred around women’s freedom and a woman’s right to control her own life, love, and eroticism. Both authors were pioneers of Arabic feminism and rebelled against conservative Damascan society, shocking the Arab world with their first publications; Colette Al-Khoury published her novel “Days with him” in 1961 and Ghada Al-Samman published a collection of short stories in 1962, entitled “Your eyes are my destiny”. The course offers an insight into the biographies and texts of the two authors.

Rima Issac is from Syria; she was born in Damaskus and grew up in Kaffaram, a village in the mountains known for its apples and its liqueur. Her aunt, who worked as a civil engineer, was her feminist role model and Rima grew up surrounded by her books. Rima studied English Literature at university in Homs from 1994 to 2003 and worked privately as a teacher. She was subsequently employed in a state school.

Literature written by women writers, such as Colette Al-Khoury and Ghada Al-Samman, plays a huge role in shaping the consciousness of Syrian women. Their texts are centred around women’s freedom and a woman’s right to control her own life, love, and eroticism. Both authors were pioneers of Arabic feminism and rebelled against conservative Damascan society, shocking the Arab world with their first publications; Colette Al-Khoury published her novel “Days with him” in 1961 and Ghada Al-Samman published a collection of short stories in 1962, entitled “Your eyes are my destiny”. The course offers an insight into the biographies and texts of the two authors.

Rima Issac is from Syria; she was born in Damaskus and grew up in Kaffaram, a village in the mountains known for its apples and its liqueur. Her aunt, who worked as a civil engineer, was her feminist role model and Rima grew up surrounded by her books. Rima studied English Literature at university in Homs from 1994 to 2003 and worked privately as a teacher. She was subsequently employed in a state school.

Uzbekistan is a country rich in natural and mineral resources. It boasts deposits of copper, gold and iron ore, which have been exploited since the 50s mostly via Soviet combines. In his presentation, Tokhir Saydullaev will offer course participants an insight into his work in metallurgy, including the practical aspects and the science behind the scenes.

Tokhir Saydullaev studied ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy at the Tashkent State Technical University from 1999-2006. During this time, he completed an internship at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine. In his role as a scientist, he was mainly but not exclusively involved in optimising copper mining processes.

Uzbekistan is a country rich in natural and mineral resources. It boasts deposits of copper, gold and iron ore, which have been exploited since the 50s mostly via Soviet combines. In his presentation, Tokhir Saydullaev will offer course participants an insight into his work in metallurgy, including the practical aspects and the science behind the scenes.

Tokhir Saydullaev studied ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy at the Tashkent State Technical University from 1999-2006. During this time, he completed an internship at the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine. In his role as a scientist, he was mainly but not exclusively involved in optimising copper mining processes.

This is an evening discussing African cinema. We will explore the historical journey of the development of African cinema. We will deal with elements attributed to what we call African cinema; various schools of thought and trends observed in African Cinema. We will examine the role of political and social conditions in shaping the topic and form of the films. Examples of films will be viewed. We will discuss challenges and advantages of the past as well as contemporary African cinema. We will also become acquainted with a few notable filmmakers and their works. At the end we will watch Aron’s latest futuristic short film “Dagu” that premiered at Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt in March 2019.

Aron Yeshitila (*1982) was born in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. He graduated from the University Addis Ababa (AAU) in Theatre Arts and later worked as theatre and filmmaker. At the 3rd International Ethiopian Film Festival in 2008 he won the award for best screenwriter for the film “Mizewochu” (The Best Men). Aron Yeshitila has worked as a journalist and editor for several weeklies in Ethiopia. Since moving to Switzerland in 2010, Aron has made his first documentary film “In the Face of God and Gun” (2013). He has taken part in various theatre pieces as a dramatic advisor and performer, including “Semiramis” that was shown in various cities of Switzerland and FITMO international theatre festival Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. “Kings of Interest”, a theatre piece he wrote and directed, premiered in Theater Tuchlaube, Aarau in February 2018. His latest short film “Dagu” was premiered at the Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt in March 2019. He is currently developing his next theatre piece “The Possibilities” to be premiered in March 2020 in Theater Tuchlaube.

Using specially selected film excerpts from African cinema, Diego Ndombasi will take his course participants on a journey through African film and television. What is it like to work as a filmmaker in African countries? The different film excerpts will serve as a starting point for an interactivediscussion. With his own film projects and experience as a basis, Diego will give course participants an insight into the practical work of a filmmaker.

Diego Ndombasi (born in Kinshasa) is a filmmaker from Mali. He worked for the first pan-African television channel Africable Television in Mali. He showed his film ‘In Erwartung Europas’ at the Wildwuchs festival in Basel in 2015. He has also worked on many projects with ZDF, the Kaserne in Basel and the Wildwuchs festival. He campaigns to help bring together and connect people from different cultures in Basel.

The presentation elaborates the regional and international aspects of the Kurdish women’s movement. Fidan Güler will report on her work in the women’s council and as a social worker in Şirnex (Turkish: Şırnak). Özen Aytaç will highlight how Kurdish women are taking part in the organisation of the Swiss Women’s strike on the 14th June 2019, focussing on demonstrating the importance of global solidarity in the women’s movement in the past, as well as today.

Fidan Güler worked in city council administration in Şirnex (Turkish: Şırnak). She was a member of the women’s council and amongst other projects, worked in social counselling. The Kurdish administration consists of a co-system with democratic structures and is not recognised by the Turkish state. Fidan Güler had to leave her home because of her cultural and political activities.

Özen Aytaç is a spokesperson for the committee of foreign affairs of the Kurdish women’s movement. As representative of her group, she is part of a Swiss-wide strike network that is planning the women’s strike on 14th June 2019.

The colour saffron refers in the context of India to the right-wing Hindu nationalist movement (Hindutva). India has a long history of discrimination against many communities, among them transgender people. At the same time, transgenders are a trendy attraction for research scholars. But do they genuinely approach this topic politically or just romantically? Let’s discuss some inside perspectives of a transgender activist from India and gain some insight into the resistance movement against the saffronization of transgenders in
India.

Living Smile Vidya, as Smiley, is an Indian transgender and theatre activist, hospital clown, essay writer, poet, sketch artist and now currently asylum seeker in Switzerland. She has been involved in theatre since 2004 and holds a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from Tamil University Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Her latest performance work with a Swiss team “Ef_femininity” has been staged 10 times. Smiley received the Charles Wallace Award in 2013 from the British Council for her excellence in theatre.

‘Your will will work wonders.’ Aya Althoman’s father’s words started her on her journey to art. From then on, drawing and painting were her constant companions. And all this, despite customs and traditions in Syria that restrict girls’ education and do not recognise many women’s talents. Despite the societal structures that she (re)encountered as a woman seeking asylum in Switzerland. These obstacles were her stepping stones to becoming a kindergarten teacher. Aya continues to draw and paint. In her course, she paints a picture through narrative, personal research, conversation and practical drawing exercises of what art work means to her and invites course participants to reflect on their own path to art.

Aya Alothman is 22 years old. She came to Switzerland from Syria 5 years ago. Her father encouraged her from a young age to explore painting and drawing. She works in Basel in a kindergarten.

To integrate into a new society doesn’t only make it necessary to learn a new language, new habits and rules. Culture is deeply defined by certain ways of thinking. In order to integrate into a new society, foreigners need to launch themselves into fundamental notions of the concerned society on topics such as individualism vs. collectivism, traditionalism vs. modernism, etc. Terrel Abeysingha will guide you through an open discussion based on his own experience and reflect with you on concrete concepts such as the role of language, different philosophies of life and the role of science in western and eastern societies.

Terrel Abeysingha lives in Switzerland since 9 years. He fled Sri Lanka eleven years ago after having worked as an activist and journalist, focusing on topics of the war in his country. Belonging to the Sinhalese majority ethnic group, he fought for the rights of minorities who were discriminated against during the war.

In this course, you will get to know melodies and rhythms that are thousands of years old. You will discover the history of the traditional Iranian music and get a presentation of some of its instruments. Leila Golbangi will make you experience her musical talents and also introduce you into some traditional ways of Iranian singing – techniques that have survived through the ages.

Leila Golbangi is an Iranian singer specialized in traditional music. Whether in choir or solo, she has performed several concerts in Iran and continues with it in Switzerland whenever she has the opportunity. At the same time, she obtained a degree in psychology and practiced this profession for 20 years. For the past 6 years in Switzerland, she has been pursuing a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Fribourg.

Using specially selected film excerpts from African cinema, Diego Ndombasi will take his course participants on a journey through African film and television. What is it like to work as a filmmaker in African countries? The different film excerpts will serve as a starting point for an interactivediscussion. With his own film projects and experience as a basis, Diego will give course participants an insight into the practical work of a filmmaker.

Diego Ndombasi (born in Kinshasa) is a filmmaker from Mali. He worked for the first pan-African television channel Africable Television in Mali. He showed his film ‘In Erwartung Europas’ at the Wildwuchs festival in Basel in 2015. He has also worked on many projects with ZDF, the Kaserne in Basel and the Wildwuchs festival. He campaigns to help bring together and connect people from different cultures in Basel.

‘Your will will work wonders.’ Aya Althoman’s father’s words started her on her journey to art. From then on, drawing and painting were her constant companions. And all this, despite customs and traditions in Syria that restrict girls’ education and do not recognise many women’s talents. Despite the societal structures that she (re)encountered as a woman seeking asylum in Switzerland. These obstacles were her stepping stones to becoming a kindergarten teacher. Aya continues to draw and paint. In her course, she paints a picture through narrative, personal research, conversation and practical drawing exercises of what art work means to her and invites course participants to reflect on their own path to art.

Aya Alothman is 22 years old. She came to Switzerland from Syria 5 years ago. Her father encouraged her from a young age to explore painting and drawing. She works in Basel in a kindergarten.

This workshop consists of discovering and getting to know a painting technique for abstract paintings and experimenting with it by working on a common art piece. Setsoafia Nyamedi, guides you in this activity, both recreational and creative, with the introduction of one of his artistic approaches. He also will present of some of his own paintings. By collaborating in the artistic process the participants make an experience of self-confidence and cohabitation.

Setsoafia Nyamedi is a painter from Togo. He did his graduate studies in Marketing Communication and a training course in tailoring in Burkina Faso. His passion for painting led him to experiment with several techniques by giving a second life to materials by creating pieces that oscillate between abstract painting and expressionism. He has had several exhibitions both abroad and in Switzerland, where he lives and works since 2016.

Familiarize yourself with the Farsi language. This language is spoken in Iran as well as in parts of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Discover its history, its alphabet and some aspects of its pronunciation. An opportunity to practice a simple conversation.

Ahmadwali Modaber comes from Afghanistan where he studied business administration and business management. At ease in languages, he also taught English. He lives in Switzerland.

Ahmadwali Modaber comes from Afghanistan where he studied business administration and business management. At ease in languages, he also taught English. He lives in Switzerland

Tigrinya is spoken in Eritrea and the Tigray region in Ethiopia. The letters of the language are taken from from the Ge’ez script. The course participants will learn the letters and will practice reading and writing simple words together. Afterwards, the course instructor will discuss the grammatical structure of the language in more detail.

Kidane Ghebremedhin is 38 years old and was born and grew up in Eritrea. He completed a course in the Teacher Centre in Asmara in 2006 and taught Tigrinya and mathematics in a primary school from 2007 to 2009.

The colour saffron refers in the context of India to the right-wing Hindu nationalist movement (Hindutva). India has a long history of discrimination against many communities, among them transgender people. At the same time, transgenders are a trendy attraction for research scholars. But do they genuinely approach this topic politically or just romantically? Let’s discuss some inside perspectives of a transgender activist from India and gain some insight into the resistance movement against the saffronization of transgenders in India.

Living Smile Vidya, as Smiley, is an Indian transgender and theatre activist, hospital clown, essay writer, poet, sketch artist and now currently asylum seeker in Switzerland. She has been involved in theatre since 2004 and holds a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from Tamil University Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Her latest performance work with a Swiss team “Ef_femininity” has been staged 10 times. Smiley received the Charles Wallace Award in 2013 from the British Council for her excellence in theatre.

The colour saffron refers in the context of India to the right-wing Hindu nationalist movement (Hindutva). India has a long history of discrimination against many communities, among them transgender people. At the same time, transgenders are a trendy attraction for research scholars. But do they genuinely approach this topic politically or just romantically? Let’s discuss some inside perspectives of a transgender activist from India and gain some insight into the resistance movement against the saffronization of transgenders in India.

Living Smile Vidya, as Smiley, is an Indian transgender and theatre activist, hospital clown, essay writer, poet, sketch artist and now currently asylum seeker in Switzerland. She has been involved in theatre since 2004 and holds a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from Tamil University Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. Her latest performance work with a Swiss team “Ef_femininity” has been staged 10 times. Smiley received the Charles Wallace Award in 2013 from the British Council for her excellence in theatre.

Calligraphy is considered the quintessential art form of the Islamic world — Arabic letters decorate objects ranging from bowls to buildings. Numerous scripts have emerged over the centuries that serve a multitude of religious, political, social, and cultural functions. This course explores the variety and versatility of Islamic calligraphy and historical efforts to perfect and codify scripts and generate new forms.

Sana al Mor is a Lebanese photographer and filmmaker. She graduated from Beirut Arab University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature. She joined the Al-Jazeera Training and Development Center and completed a training course in television journalism and as a press reporter. Later she took professional photography and Photoshop classes at the New York Institute of Photography. As a director, she completed her first short documentary “A Tawakul” in 2012 in Istanbul, the same year the film was officially chosen at the Renaissance Film Festival in London. She also exhibited two sets of artistic photographs by participating in three exhibitions between Zurich and Basel in Switzerland. She is in the final stages of her second documentary “On the Edge of Waiting”.

Calligraphy is considered the quintessential art form of the Islamic world — Arabic letters decorate objects ranging from bowls to buildings. Numerous scripts have emerged over the centuries that serve a multitude of religious, political, social, and cultural functions. This course explores the variety and versatility of Islamic calligraphy and historical efforts to perfect and codify scripts and generate new forms.

Sana al Mor is a Lebanese photographer and filmmaker. She graduated from Beirut Arab University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature. She joined the Al-Jazeera Training and Development Center and completed a training course in television journalism and as a press reporter. Later she took professional photography and Photoshop classes at the New York Institute of Photography. As a director, she completed her first short documentary “A Tawakul” in 2012 in Istanbul, the same year the film was officially chosen at the Renaissance Film Festival in London. She also exhibited two sets of artistic photographs by participating in three exhibitions between Zurich and Basel in Switzerland. She is in the final stages of her second documentary “On the Edge of Waiting”.

Tigrinya is spoken in Eritrea and the Tigray region in Ethiopia. The letters of the language are taken from from the Ge’ez script. The course participants will learn the letters and will practice reading and writing simple words together. Afterwards, the course instructor will discuss the grammatical structure of the language in more detail.

Kidane Ghebremedhin is 38 years old and was born and grew up in Eritrea. He completed a course in the Teacher Centre in Asmara in 2006 and taught Tigrinya and mathematics in a primary school from 2007 to 2009.

Healing treatments have always been part of the eastern culture and the peoples living there. From China via India to Iran, the knowledge was passed on and thus reached the West. Massages are part of this rich culture, which aims to harmonize body, mind and soul, thus improving health and wellbeing. In a spiritual and physical excursion, Shala Mirshahi takes the participants on the journey of healing touch and tries to teach them massage techniques based on reflexology.

Shala Mirshari is originally from Iran and has been living in Switzerland for many years. After initial interest in massage techniques, she specialized in foot reflexology and completed her diploma in this field.

This class gives the opportunity to familiarize oneself with the basics of the Arabic language. Several aspects, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, the construction of sentences and simple notions of conversation are developed.

In Switzerland since two years, young Syrian Alaa Aude is active in the association LA RED, where he gives arabic classes within the frame of the language exchange program between Swiss people and migrants.

Today, with the advancement of technology, more and more people are relying on automated devices. Automatic also means less control over the parameters that define the particularities of your pictures and videos. However, in the professional world, it is necessary to be able to control the different parameters. By learning basic but important rules, it is possible to have results that meet our expectations whether with a professional device or a simple mobile phone with a camera.

Born in Iran, Farshad emigrated from his country at the age of 17. After a trip to more than 10 countries, rich in experiences and encounters, he finally chose to settle in Switzerland permanently. He is now 21 years old and is in his first year as an Interactive Media Designer at Eikon.

Take your camera with you or your smartphone.

In Switzerland, Shekoofeh Toohami is often confronted with the stereotypical preconception that women in Iran are oppressed and excluded from professional sphere. But is this really true? It is this question that she will examine in her course, drawing on her experience in a gymnasium school for mathematics and science, where women were by no means in the minority and the level of education was high. She will also address which professions women in Iran actually work in and examine the phenomenon of women in work from a Swiss perspective, where she is the only woman on her course as a facility manager. Shekoofeh will also take us through insights into the differences between Iranian and European mathematical methods.

Shekoofeh Toohami comes from Iran. She has been keen on science and technical topics since childhood. She has lived in Switzerland since 2011 where she is doing an apprenticeship as a facilities manager, in which she has found the perfect opportunity to learn more about her interests and develop her knowledge further.

The precursor to cartoon movies is flip-book animation, where a series of pictures are bound together. As you flick through the pictures, the minute differences between them bring the pictures to life and they appear to move. Course participants can arm themselves with paper and pastel colours and explore this simple, kinematic technique for themselves. The graphic designer Pelin Inal Sahiner will accompany the participants on their creative journey to make their own flip-book and also provide insights into her own artistic work.

Pelin Inal Sahiner comes from Turkey, where she studied Graphic Design. She expresses her passion for the related field of design in many ways; she likes to paint portraits of others and she recently taught herself the process of tattooing.

Exploring Persian literature is like opening a treasure chest to reveal a huge and eclectic literary culture. What does it mean for a young person in Basel to live with a passion for this literature? Starting with an introduction to classical Persian literature, Yasin Sarwari and Rahmat Qorbani take their course participants on their own literary journey of discovery. They examine their own texts and address what it means for them to organise a regular book club for Persian literature in Basel and found a political magazine.

Yasin Sarwari has lived in Switzerland for two and a half years. Exchanging ideas and views with others is an important part of his life. In addition to the Persian book club, he organises Farsi classes in Basel for Afghan children and young adults. He writes poetry in Persian.

Rahmat Qorbani also pens his own work, now preferring to write in German over Farsi. He has lived in Basel for three years and is involved in various projects, such as founding the political magazine Fiasko, to name but one.

Oriental music differs from European music in many ways. There is a wide spectrum of scales due to the quarter tones and the differing rhythms create very defined styles. This course relies on examples to offer the participants an insight into the wealth of this musical tradition. Singing remains centre-stage and in the practical part of the course, we will practice short passages for voice together.

Abdull-Hamid Al-Hasan is from Aleppo, Syria. He grew up their with the culture of oriental singing and has always sought to develop himself further. He has lived in Switzerland since 2007 and is currently working on recording his first album.

Exploring Persian literature is like opening a treasure chest to reveal a huge and eclectic literary culture. What does it mean for a young person in Basel to live with a passion for this literature? Starting with an introduction to classical Persian literature, Yasin Sarwari and Rahmat Qorbani take their course participants on their own literary journey of discovery. They examine their own texts and address what it means for them to organise a regular book club for Persian literature in Basel and found a political magazine.

Yasin Sarwari has lived in Switzerland for two and a half years. Exchanging ideas and views with others is an important part of his life. In addition to the Persian book club, he organises Farsi classes in Basel for Afghan children and young adults. He writes poetry in Persian.

Rahmat Qorbani also pens his own work, now preferring to write in German over Farsi. He has lived in Basel for three years and is involved in various projects, such as founding the political magazine Fiasko, to name but one.

Cooking is an important constant in Tenzin Tensing’s life. For many years he worked as a cook in a Tibetan monastery. He has been living in Basel since 2012 and is trying to establish a regular meeting place, where he can offer his Tibetan Momo dumplings. In this workshop, Tenzin Tensing will show us how to make momos and talk about his experiences as a cook, his work in Basel and his vision of a meeting place.

Tenzin Tensing lived in a Tibetan monastery on the border with Nepal from the age of 8 until he came to Basel 6 years ago. He is involved in various projects as a cook, such as “Zur Bleibe”, “Euer Werkhof Gundeli” and “BaselWandel”. He is also active in the Tibetan community, where he organizes workshops on Tibetan yoga, amongst other topics.

Traditional embroidery on cloth is part of the crafts and knowledge, which afghan girls have been learning at home for generations. This class allows for an access to this ancient technic.

The lecture deals with the status of art and literature production in environment of totalitarian regimes, deeply deviant, brutally violent and cynical, such as Nazi Germany 1933-45 or Soviet Union during Stalin’s era 1924-56, or Mao’s China during Cultural Revolution. For artists in such circumstances, imminent estrangement is inevitable. To comply or to ignore? To adjust or to defy? To relent or to refuse?

A pen, a ruler, a piece of paper. These are the tools with which Danial Arabzadeh guides the participants of this class step by step to create their own geometric drawings.

This course focuses on cultural issues that arise throughout life. How do you build a perspective on “culture” through your own background, context and disciplines? In the first part, different definitions are explained (culture, identity, cultural references, etc.), followed by a discussion.

This class gives the opportunity to familiarize oneself with the basics of the Arabic language. Several aspects, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, the construction of sentences and simple notions of conversation are developed.

The nomadic lifestyle of inhabitants of the region was radically disrupted in 1925 when the British colonialists curved out a chunk of the land in deal with the Italians who then governed southern Somalia. Families were torn apart and a brutal regime of curfews and concentration camps were instituted by the Kenyan government after independence.

Mansur Cali is a Somali translator and cultural mediator who lives and works in Zürich. He specializes in Kiswahili literature and politics.

The course offers an overview of the history of Tamil and its current geographical and social state. The participants will then learn several of the 247 characters and practice writing them in short exercises. To conclude the course, the teacher will talk about her job teaching Tamil within the subject social studies in Switzerland.

Vaaheesan Siromani has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Jaffa University, Sri Lanka. She has been teaching Tamil in Switzerland for 18 years.

Practical hairdressing course. Additionally, hairstyles and trends of Kurdish women in Syria and Irak will be presented and discussed.

Ruskia Abdullah is a qualified hairdresser who studied in Meditni, Syria. Later, she worked in Damascus and also taught girls in refugee camps after the outbreak of the war.

This course examines the theory and practice behind portrait photography, including framing principles for portraits and the rule of thirds. After a short overview, the participants will have the chance to apply their newfound knowledge of portrait photography and will learn tips on how to improve photos taken with a smartphone.

M. Reza Jafari studied photography and film in Teheran. He is currently doing a preparatory course in photography at the Zurich School for Art and Design.

Feminist movements have been gathering momentum in many parts of the world since 2016. Millions of women have taken to the streets to protest against sexual harassment, the systematic murder of women and to demand rights at work, equal pay and freedom. We will look at various examples and examine how these protests started, as well as how they developed.

Meral Cinar has a Bachelors degree in Chemistry from the University Eskişehir Osmangazi, Turkey. She ist extremely engaged with feminist theory and is cofounder of Campus Witches, a well-known and growing feminist group that fights against sexual harassment and patriarchal structures at universities in Turkey.

A brief history of African cinema // Various schools of thoughts and movements concerning African Cinema // Elements attributed to African cinema // Contemporary African cinema and its advantages and challenges // Notable filmmakers and films

Aron Yeshitila (*1982) was born in Addis Abeba in Ethiopia and works as an author, screenplay writer, theatre and filmmaker, journalist and dramatic advisor. He studied Theatre Arts at the University Addis Abeba (AAU) and subsequently worked as a theatre and screenplay writer. He was awarded best screenplay writer at the third international Ethiopian Film Festival in 2008 for the film MIZEWOCHU (The Best Men). Aron Yeshitila has worked as a journalist and editor for several weekly newspapers in Ethiopia, as well as on various video projects and the book „Theatre in Sub-Saharan Africa“, which has been translated into German. Aron has lived in Switzerland since 2010, where he filmed his first documentary In the Face of God and Gun (2013). He was the dramatic advisor for Szenart’s What we can build together. He lives in Windisch, canton Aargau. In winter 2016/2017 he appeared in the play Semiramis, a GeeGee Express production performed in market gardens.

Wars are affecting individuals and groups, but they are not affecting them in the same way. First of all wars deeply change the physical performances of the people. War conflicts result in deaths, injuries, disability and psychological trauma to men, women and children.

But how does war change human behaviours and attitutes concretely? How does it change the inherited and traditional performances of the body? And furthermore, do the changed performances examining cultural resistance to social norms? And how do they get transformed after?

This course has two aims. First, we will provisionally map the still-emerging field of research on performances of humans in war and post-war environments, including culture anthropology and ethnography. Second, we will tell some stories about the relationship between humans and the war from our own experiences, also giving some concrete examples how war enviroment changed the performance of people.

Performance theorist Jon McKenzie writes: “Perhaps one of the most striking cultural paradoxes of the late twentieth century was that while many critics, practitioners, and scholars sadly observed theatre’s precipitous decline as an art form, it nonetheless continued to provide vibrant and supple models for studying and producing events outside the theatre.”

P. Vijayashanthan is an experimental theatre maker and a theatre performance artist. He is the founder and artistic director of EXPERI Theater Zürich. His works represent a convergence between the tradition of avant-garde and experimental theatre, which incorporated different elements, and the residual atmosphere created by society. He is also experimenting theatre in different public spaces.

Patrick B. Yogarajan is an actor and performer. He did his Master of Arts in Acting at the ZHdK in Zürich. He is a founding member of the EXPERI Theater Zürich and worked as an actor in several theater and film projects. In the film „Soundless Dance“(2018) by Pradeepan Raveendran, he is embodying the leading character Siva. The film is talking about war and bitterness of exile.

The role of women in Syria has changed dramatically. Compared to the prewar period where traditional roles were very defined, today, in very different political, economic and social circumstances, there are new challenges and demands on the role of women in Syria.

Lubna Abou Kheir, from Syria, studied at the Hier Institute for Dramatic Arts in Damascus. She works in theatre and as a freelance journalist.

The course focuses on examples of calligraphy in contemporary Arabic art. Arabic calligraphy is introduced as a beautiful – and for many in the west a previously unknown – expression of poetry.

Ola Ahmed, 21, is from Aleppo, Syria. She has been in Switzerland for two years. A book of her poetry in both German and English has been published in Zurich.

The course gives an introduction in laboratory analysis and bloodtests. Laboratory blood analysis is discussed as a tool to examine diseased erythrocytes, diseased pellets, sperm quality and diabetics.

Feeras Ahmed is from Aleppo, Syria. Studied laboratory medicine.

How can an individual with an immigrant (different ethnic) background use their ‘cultural capital’ as a tool to gain recognition in a foreign society? How can you be yourself successfully in a foreign land where assimilation is seen as a key component of integration?
Cultural capital comprises ‘all of the material and symbolic goods, without distinction, that society considers rare and worth seeking’. It consists of the non-financial assets that involve educational, social, and intellectual knowledge. This workshop explores the challenges and opportunities of being a successful artist whilst being ‘the other’; how being ‘the other’ can be a uniqueselling proposition and how to walk the fine line between cultural pride amidst exoticism.

Tracy September aka TRA is a South African vocalist, songwriter and beat maker. TRA shares her experiences as an immigrant living and working as a professional musician in Switzerland and how she uses her cultural capital in her music.

A great deal of the work that goes on at an airport is aeroplane maintenance. There are strict rules to adhere to regarding licences and procedures. This course gives participants an insight into different aspects of the standards required, as well as some technical basics and more detailed information. The employment situation in Iran will also be looked at.

Safoura Bazrafshan is a qualified Aviation Technician and worked at Teheran Airport for 8 years.

The war machine is extrinsic to the state. It was developed to fight hierarchical order. It’s main aim is not war, but this becomes inevitable once the state takes it over. The course examines a chapter from Gilles Geleuze and Fèlix Guattari’s book A Thousand Plateaus.

Thanks to modern technology, anyone can become a photographer and can depict their life and the stories around them visually. How do you tell a good story without words? In the course, we explore this concept together.

Milad Ahmadvand was born in Iran and studied Film and 3D Animation at the SAE Institute in Hamburg. Following university, he worked as a cameraman and film editor, mainly focussing on documentaries and reports. Having mainly taught himself, Milad built on his film studies to work more closely on photo journalism, looking particularly at competitive sports and subcultures.

The course offers an insight into many traditional fashion trends in Senegal. The course is designed to offer participants a tour around different exhibitions of clothing pieces, head coverings and fabrics. The teacher will also present her own fashion creations.

Maréme Silva has been involved in fashion and clothing since childhood. She and her cousins used to visit the local tailor when they were children to collect snippets of leftover fabric to make dolls’ clothes. Later, she worked in the design sector and as a beautician.

Who is doing art in “Emperor’s New Clothes”? Dressmakers of invisible clothes, or a boy who cries “The Emperor is naked!”, or Emperor himself? Who is Emperor in this tale, who is artist and who is impostor? There are three types of art discernable in the “Emperor’s New Clothes”. We will see what are they and what are their outcomes. Ultimate effect of art: emergence of unimaginable and ineffable revokes the established order dominant in us and among us. That’s what’s this tale is all about.

Sreten Ugričić, Research Fellow at Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Luzern. Born 1961 in Jugoslavija, country which doesn’t exist. Author of ten books: novels, short stories, essays and theoretical texts. Director of the National Library of Serbia from 2001 to 2012. In January 2012, after publicly supporting freedom of speech in Serbia, he was accused by the Serbian Minister of the Interior for supporting terrorism.

More than 350 million people are native Arabic speakers and in many African and Asian countries, Arabic is the second official language. Thus, Arabic is one of the most important world languages today. In this course, we will look at aspects of the language you might need while travelling in an Arabic speaking country.

Mustafa Yassin is 33 and studied English Literature at the University of Latakia in Syria. He has worked as an English teacher and English-Arabic translator.

More than 350 million people are native Arabic speakers and in many African and Asian countries, Arabic is the second official language. Thus, Arabic is one of the most important world languages today. In this course, we will look at aspects of the language you might need while travelling in an Arabic speaking country.

Mustafa Yassin is 33 and studied English Literature at the University of Latakia in Syria. He has worked as an English teacher and English-Arabic translator.

The lecture deals with the status of art and literature production in environment of totalitarian regimes, deeply deviant, brutally violent and cynical, such as Nazi Germany 1933-45 or Soviet Union during Stalin’s era 1924-56, or Mao’s China during Cultural Revolution. For artists in such circumstances, imminent estrangement is inevitable. To comply or to ignore? To adjust or to defy? To relent or to refuse? That should be the alternative between self-censorship and inner emigration. But what if closer look reveals in most cases there is no real political and moral difference?

Sreten Ugričić, Research Fellow at Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Luzern. Born 1961 in Jugoslavija, country which doesn’t exist. Author of ten books: novels, short stories, essays and theoretical texts. Director of the National Library of Serbia from 2001 to 2012. In January 2012, after publicly supporting freedom of speech in Serbia, he was accused by the Serbian Minister of the Interior for supporting terrorism.

A great deal of the work that goes on at an airport is aeroplane maintenance. There are strict rules to adhere to regarding licences and procedures. This course gives participants an insight into different aspects of the standards required, as well as some technical basics and more detailed information. The employment situation in Iran will also be looked at.

Safoura Bazrafshan is a qualified Aviation Technician and worked at Teheran Airport for 8 years.

After finishing the 90min, the participants will be able the understand how does the startups in Switzerland work and how to build it step by step with real examples from Idea level to Founds and Growth stage

Walid Getlawi is 43 years old and has Libyan nationality. He studied at the European University in Geneva and has a Master of Business Administration with specialization in Marketing. He made further studies in Social Media Marketing and has wide range experience working in different international companies. Now his focus is in building start up networks.

The course gives a short introduction into the political situation in Ethiopia. Afterwards it will focus on different aspects of the women’s life in the country, showing how they are particularly suffering from the weak infrastructure in medical health and the politics of the authoritarian regime.

Sara Taddese worked for several years in a Red Cross Group in Ethiopia before she did a job training in the hotel business. Later she worked in a restaurant operated by the government. She is part of the Ginbot 7 opposition movement.

The Persian language in Iran is called Farsi and it is spoken in parts of Afghanistan and Tadjikistan. In the course, participants will learn the Persian alphabet and will be able to read short words, such as ﺏﺍ or ﺑﺎﺑﺎ. By the end of the lesson, participants will be able to write their own names in Persian.

Heydar Ahmadis’ native language is Persian. He comes from Afghanistan.

Participants will be taken on a virtual tour through the 12,000 year old history of the city Hasankeyf – right up to the present day. Hasankeyf is known as the city of caves, some of which are natural and some, man made. The city is a rich archaeological site that has not yet been fully excavated and there are undoubtedly more historical treasures hidden under the surface. The Turkish government is planning to construct a dam which threatens the continued existence of the city and to destroy a piece of history.

Vahap Özoğlu is a qualified teacher (history and geography), born in Hasankeyf (Turkey) and has lived in Switzerland since 2016.

The course starts by focussing on the theory of oriental music, including the various different scales: Mahur, Bayat, Sega, Charga, Raspanjga, Homayun and Newa and subsequently, the role the quarter tones play in producing a large range of keys and styles. Kamran Mohammadi illustrates each observation with a musical example on the saz or the oud and then talks about building musical instruments, in particular the saz. To conclude the evening, there’s a small performance of Lanek Lanek and everyone is welcome to dance.

Kamran Mohammadi is a Kurdish musician. He sings and plays the oud and the saz.