Rehearsals are now underway as we begin work on turning the research we have been undertaking with the University of Nottingham’s Hidden Histories project and the Red Cross into ‘a story telling performance lecture (with animations) for three voices and a setar’.

The performance will interweave three stories that explore the history of borders in the Middle East and the implications of their continuing collapse. Andy Barrett will explore the history of the secretive Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 which led to the creation of Iraq and was a key influence on the current map of the Middle East. Ishil Caner, the co-chair of the Nottingham Democratic Kurdish Society, will tell the story of a woman whose sisters all live in one nation and yet find themselves in four different countries; as well as delving into the whole notion of map making and the greater importance of ‘the border in the bed’. And Adel Hamad, who works for the Nottingham Refugee Forum, will share his story of escaping the war in Syria to travel, via the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean ocean, to Nottingham. Iranian born Sherry Fatemi will accompany the story tellers with voice, daf and setar; and projections and animations are by Graham Elstone.

We will be holding a sharing of work in progress on Wednesday January 25th at City Arts in Hockley, Nottingham and if you would be interested in coming along to this then please email andy@excavate.org.uk