This was an exciting cultural event that interlinked faith, culture, and community in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan. Working alongside partners and the team at Soul City Arts, Birmingham City Council was delighted to support the delivery of this event through the UK Government Community Recovery Small Grant Fund.

This week-long programme of community-led activities, which included the Ramadan Diaries video series, provided a wonderful opportunity for communities and residents across Birmingham to come together safely in marking the month of Ramadan.

At Soul City Arts, we harness the power of creativity to connect communities and inspire change. Our wide-ranging program includes immersive art installations, community events that spark dialogue, and live performances that call on us to reflect on our own narratives. – using art as a force for transformation and connection.

Why has an arts organisation delivered a food market, you may wonder?  We chose to take on this challenge as we feel strongly in our communities being presented in the best form.  We are storytellers and use the arts to present in incredible ways.  Delivering Ramadan Streets, we felt would be a unique opportunity, not just to create an experience around food, but to bring people together through this cultural experience.

Being a cultural experience, we developed a series of films entitled Ramadan Diaries, which were showcased during the event. In these films, the community shared their reflections on Ramadan, projected directly onto the walls overlooking the car park at night.

Ramadan is a sacred month dedicated to fasting, prayer, and contemplation for Muslims. Increasingly, through public Iftars, the spirit of Ramadan has brought people of all backgrounds together. Ramadan Streets was a response to that interest and intrigue in what Ramadan means to much of our community.

Held from March 12-16, from dusk until midnight, the event took place in an empty car park on Coventry Road, Birmingham, providing an opportunity for the community to break their fast together.

Ramadan Streets was supported by Birmingham City Council.

Halal Food Festival have come on board supporting with Ramadan Streets.

They are a team of young British Muslims with a passion for food! Their vision is to create fun, food-filled events for fellow Muslims and beyond, celebrating Halal cuisine from around the world.

 

Dining together is something that binds us all and our community loves eating out.  We see this as an opportunity to bring people together over a shared love of food.

Breaking bread, Breaking fast

Creative workshop

Sessions were led by our resident artist Asia Alfasi. Asia was born in Libya, migrating to Scotland with her family at the age of 7. Growing up in in a home full of Arabic-dubbed classic Japanese anime adaptations of the world’s most famous novels, her work distils influences from the Islamic, Libyan and manga cultures. Alfasi, in collaboration with UN Women, created the animation “Into our own hands” which tells the story of two brave Iraqi women who flee conflict and overcome traditional gender roles to provide for their families.

Her workshops, dubbed the Breaking Bread Workshops, were developed alongside the team at Soul City Arts to explore the themes of Ramadan with participants of all backgrounds, with special emphasis on the importance of food during the month of fasting.`

Coventry Road

Coventry Road in Small Heath is known for being the home of Birmingham City Football Club. It is also the territory of the real life Peaky Blinders from the early 1900s.


The area is now well known as being the heart of Birmingham’s Muslim Community and a vibrant hub of culture and food.  During Ramadan, the area comes to life as families and friends gather to break their fast, with mosques and eateries filled with people sharing in the spirit of the month.


Coventry Road is the perfect setting for a night market that brings together street food, art, and community. 

Ramadan Streets was a vibrant five-day cultural event that brought together faith, culture, and community in celebration of the holy month of Ramadan. In collaboration with partners and the team at Soul City Arts, Birmingham City Council was proud to have supported the event’s delivery through the UK Government Community Recovery Small Grant Fund.

This immersive programme of community-led activities, including the Ramadan Diaries video series, created a meaningful space for communities and residents across Birmingham to gather safely and reflect on the significance of Ramadan.