Moroccan Memories in BritainNational Touring Exhibition

PRESS PACK

www.moroccanmemories.org.uk

December 2008

Welcome! Bienvenue!

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The Moroccan Memories project invites you to discoverthe rich heritage of one of the UK’s most exciting – anduntil now most hidden – communities…

Moroccan Memories in Britain is anoral and visual history projectdesigned to showcase thepresence of the Moroccancommunity in the UK, which goesback to before the 19th century.

Until now the experiences ofMoroccans arriving in the UK in thelast 40 to 50 years have goneunrecorded. Organised by theMigrant and Refugee CommunitiesForum (MRCF) and funded by theHeritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for twoyears the Moroccan Memoriesproject has collected over 100 oraland visual testimonies across threegenerations. By recognising anotherwise ‘invisible’ group withinBritish society, Moroccan Memoriesaims to illustrate how Moroccanshave contributed to enriching

British society and culture at manydifferent levels.

In order to make this uniqueresource available to as wide anaudience as possible the oral andvisual history archive collection isbeing deposited at the BritishLibrary, as well as in a number ofother repositories.

Another exciting aspect of thisproject is the national touringexhibition, which welcomes you tolearn more about this dynamiccommunity and will travel to citiescentral to the migration ofMoroccans including London, St.Albans, Crawley, Manchester, andEdinburgh.

Further information about theseactivities follows in this pack.

Dr Myriam Cherti

Myriam is the coordinator of the Moroccan Memories Project.She has been working in the voluntary sector for the past 8years. In 2005 she coordinated an oral history pilot projectwith Moroccans in West London from which she developedthe Moroccan Memories project. She holds a PhD in MigrationStudies from Sussex University where she is also currently avisiting research fellow. She is also the author of Paradoxes ofSocial Capital: A Multi-Generational Study of Moroccans inLondon (Amsterdam University Press, 2008).

The Moroccan Memories exhibitionLong standing connections, hidden histories

The Moroccan Memories exhibition explores the long history ofBritish-Moroccan relations and celebrates our shared heritage. Ithas two main aims: to create a supportive environment for British-Moroccans to share their diverse migration stories and to invite thewider British public to discover and reflect on how this communityhas enriched the cultural make-up of today’s society.

The exhibition is in three parts:

Early Connections highlights the long standing relationship betweenMorocco and Britain through diplomatic, social and cultural exchanges.

Hidden Histories brings to light the life stories of Moroccans who havearrived in Britain since the 1960s. Using the stories collected through theMoroccan Memories project, this section explores the themes that emergedmost often in the interviews.

Shared Heritage considers how Moroccan heritage is viewed and utilizedby both British-Moroccan and non-Moroccan artists. This section also drawsattention to the common collective heritage of British-Moroccans, highlightingtheir dynamic and complex identities.

Early connections Diplomatic relations, from the 12th

century mapping of England by aMoroccan geographer to theambassador’s visit in 1637.

The occupation of Tangier: 22 yearsof British rule and Moroccanresistance in the, 1662-1684

The age of piracy Trade exchange: cloth, sugar, dates,

almonds… Mutual appreciation: admiration on

both sides and love across borders atthe highest level.

Moroccans in Manchester: from“Manitshistir” to the zebra crossing

British writing on Morocco, fromShakespeare to Orwell.

Engraving of view of Tangier in the 17th

century.

El-Idrissi’s 1154 map of Europe.

Hidden histories New Moroccan Communities in Britain:

from the labour migrants of the 1960s totoday’s skilled professionals

Female pioneers: women arrive on theirown in the 1970s, a unique feature ofMoroccan migration to Britain

A new beginning: first impressions bothpositive and negative

Families together and apart Working lives: from the hospitality

industry to today’s diverse professions Living cultures: food, fashion, language

and everyday life in the diaspora Communities of faith Transnational lives: living apart and

staying in touch Local identities: British-Moroccans,

Scottish-Moroccans, West-London-Moroccans…

Shared heritage Crossed lenses: two photographers

share their vision. Crossed musical notes: British and

Moroccan musicians and composersshare their experiences of performingtogether.

British Moroccan artistic expressions Young voices: a new generation

speaks Cultural fusions: you thought Morris

dancing was British and (mint) teaMoroccan? Think again!

The exhibition also contains a number of items on loan from the Jewish Moroccan HeritageMuseum in Belgium and from the Moroccan synagogue in Hendon, work produced by youngpeople as part of the education workshops, and original work by the artists profiled in thispack.

Left: GolborneRd, west London.Photo by MyriamCherti.

Below: AbedellatifOussellam, 1973.

Above: photo by Reda Khelladi.Below (left to right): Tea cups by Boshra, age12, Photo of her hand by Hafsa, age 12,Mustapha El Moumni, Gnawa musician.

The Moroccan Memories ExhibitionVenues and Dates

From December 2008 to February 2009 the MoroccanMemories in Britain touring exhibition will be travellingaround the U.K., visiting the towns and cities with the mostsignificant Moroccan heritage. At each venue theexhibition will be accompanied by a programme of specialevents.

British Library, 1 December 2008 (project launch, privateview)

Westminster Academy (255 Harrow Road, London W25EZ), 6-7 December 2008

Brunei Gallery (SOAS, University of London, LondonLondon WC1H 0XG), 15-18 December 2008

Starts Town Hall, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, 8-11 January2009

Broadfield Stadium, Crawley, West Sussex, 15-17 January2009

Trowbridge Civic Hall, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, 22-25 January2009

International Society, Manchester, 31 January -1 February2009

Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 8-9 February 2009

Meet the artistsThe Moroccan Memories in Britain exhibition showcases the workof six UK-based artists all of whom are inspired in different waysby the visual and material culture of Morocco and the Moroccanheritage in the UK.

Reda KhelladiBorn in Rabat in 1974, Reda Khelladi grew up in a family that valued visual artand encouraged expression through it. His father bought him his first cameraas a teenager and he embarked on a new learning experience which he hasenjoyed ever since. Reda's current interest is in documenting, throughphotography, some of the diversity within our society as well as the impact ofmodern life on traditional Moroccan culture. Presently, Reda works as acommunity worker and uses the arts, including photography as a medium toengage with communities to bring about positive change.

Simon BarberSimon Barber trained in the late 70’s as amedical photographer working at King’sCollege Hospital in London. Forapproximately 20 years he worked in theNHS in the field of communications andmedia relations pursuing photography in myspare time. He is now a freelancephotographer and communicationsconsultant. His recent work has concentratedon two areas: working as photography tutorfor the Moroccan Memories project andorganising and running landscapephotography workshops in North WestScotland. For Moroccan Memories he bothtrained the fieldworkers in portraitphotography and led after-school workshopsfor children from the Moroccan community.His experience with the project has led himto develop a personal project exploring“London Britishness”.

Boats in Essaouira byReda Khelladi

Mohssin Faraji

Mohssin is a second-generationMoroccan born and brought up in WestLondon. His grandfather was wellknown for his mosque designs, andMohssin attributes much of his skill indesign to him. Following a childhoodfascination with models and technicaldrawing he completed a foundation inArt & Design, and then a HND inGraphic Art, where he developed hisskills in video editing, motion graphicsand camerawork. His design and editingportfolio includes the Portobello FilmFestival, Concert for Afghanistan at theRoyal Albert Hall and a host of clientsfor APTV (Associated Press Television)where he currently works.

Mohssin has done all the design for the Moroccan Memories project, includingthe website, the exhibition panels, the logos and the template for this pack.

Assia Faraji

“For as far back as I can remember art has been a big part of who Iam. When I walk down the street I look at how colours contrast witheach other, how shadows and light change the shape of a building, Ilove old buildings the way the old stones crumble to leave suchfascinating textures. I am unable to be without this ability to developnew ideas for my art. When I try to switch off I don't feel whole.”

Assia Faraji studied fashion designat the London College of Fashionwhere she did an extensive coursein textile design and embroidery.She went on to work for HallCouture Fashions in Knightsbridgeon their bridal and evening wearcollections, before establishingherself as a freelance designer. Herinterest in painting developed whenshe took time out to care for herfamily.

“Worked constantly on my painting without deadlines to meet I was able todevelop my work the way I wanted [and I] turned to my Moroccan roots.Morocco is such a wonderful country with amazing historical features, maybeit was just my way to show my identity. I am very passionate about my work.”

Karimah Bint DaoudKarimah is an artist, designer and writer who describes her work as “bringingdignity back into fashion.” A graduate of St Martins School of Art and Design,since her conversion to Islam eight years ago Karimah has been increasinglydrawn to Moroccan textiles and in particular the beauty and craftsmanshipmanifest in the production of kaftans. As well as collecting kaftans, she hasmade research trips to various parts of Moroccan photographing the tailorsand embroiderers that produce some of the finest textile finishes in all ofAfrica. Her first fashion couture collection was recently shown at LeightonHouse Museum.

Karimah at work at Leighton House (© www.24hourmuseum.org)

Samples of Karimah’s spring/summer 09 collection will appear in afashion extravaganza ‘Moroccan Mode’ during the final stage of the MoroccanMemories touring exhibition at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.

David ArdittiDavid was born in London in December 1934 and moved to Tangiers,Morocco in 1936. He completed his secondary schooling during the 1940sand 1950s while Tangiers was under the International Statute. Afterwards,David moved to Paris in 1956 and trained as an architect. In1962 he moved toLondon and worked in various architectural firms. His interest in cartoonscame about during his adolescence in Tangiers in the 1940s and 1950s. AsDavid mentions, “[My] drawings cover themes of daily life in a town whoseidentity was formed in part by the rivalry of colonial powers carving up theAfrican continent.” His drawings also reflect his diverse friendships in amulticultural and cosmopolitan Tangiers.

Tangier in the 1940sby David Arditti(2003).

Masaraat (Life Journeys)The Moroccan Memories film, dir. Saeed Taji-Farouky

Masaraat (Life Journeys), is a specially commissioned filmexploring the experiences and journeys of Moroccans inthe UK. Through interviews with a range of first andsecond generations Moroccans in Britain, Masaraat notonly recounts the journey from Morocco to Britain, butasks crucial questions about the formation of national andcultural identities.

Palestinian-British filmmaker Saeed Taji Farouky reconstructs part of theliving transnational memories across three generations through a mix of directtestimonies and observational documentary methods. Masaraat aims not toecho the experiences of the film’s subjects, but to examine their memoriesand the consequences of these memories through the many layers of oralhistory storytelling.

Masaraat will be premiered at the British Library on 1 December. It will also bescreened at the various venues around the UK, including the Brunei Gallery,SOAS, where Saeed will be present to discuss his work on Tuesday 16December (film-screening at 7pm).

Saeed Taji FaroukyCo-Director, Tourist with a Typewriter

Saeed is a freelance journalist, photographer anddocumentary filmmaker who specialises in issuesof human rights and social justice, particularly inthe Arab World. His work has been broadcast onChannel 4, Al-Jazeera English and CBC, andpublished by The Guardian, The Independent,The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, BBC Online andThe Economist Group amongst others. Saeed isalso a board member of the Arab British Centre.

His most recent documentary - The Path of Most Resistance – was directedby Gareth Keogh (co-Director of Tourist With A Typewriter Ltd) and followsconscientious objectors attempting to leave the US military. The Path of MostResistance will be broadcast on Al-Jazeera English in in December. For moredetails, visit www.touristwithatypewriter.com

Moroccan flavours on the CD include:

gnawa (healing music which derivesfrom West African slaves), performed byMustapha El Moumni (with HumanFlesh) and Mouna Eddrou (withHaleshla);

music of the Aissawa religious andmystical association, performed byMouna Eddrou (with Moroccan ‘RollConvention);

music inspired by the ancient Arabo-Andalucian musical tradition,composed and performed by Larache-born Abdelkader Harir (with Harir Band)and by Mohamed Abdi and ChafikKobitti in their arrangement of thefamous Andalousi song “Ana ManaFiyach”;

sha’abi (popular) music performed byCasablaca-born Ahmed Sais (and SaisBand), London Rai and Mohamed andChafik;

an arrangement of an ‘aita folksongfrom central Morocco by multi-instrumentalist and Marrakechi HassanErraji.

Moroccan Melodies in BritainMusical journeys

There are a number of talented Moroccan musicians living andmaking music throughout the UK. The aim of the MoroccanMelodies in Britain CD was to create a compilation CD that wouldpromote the music and raise the profile of some of thesemusicians.

As all Moroccans and anyone who has visited Morocco will know, Moroccanmusic is extremely diverse, each region of the country boasting its own,unique styles and genres of music. The musicians featured on the CD havemigrated from all over Morocco to various parts of the UK and it is thereforeno surprise that their music reflects their diverse geographical and culturalbackgrounds. Every track on the CD reflects the varied physical and musicaljourneys and encounters that each musician has experienced over the pastfew years.

What is striking about all of thesemusicians, as they negotiate theirvarious musical identities in theircompositions and performances,is the themes they sing about.Although there is great stylisticdiversity in their music, thethemes they cover in their lyricsoften resonate together. Song isone of many ways in whichMoroccan artists in Britain canbegin to express themselves andtheir experiences of life far awayfrom home - Moroccan memoriesthrough Moroccan melodies inBritain.

The oral history archiveA unique resource

One of the key features of the Moroccan Memories project is the use of oralhistory to bring generations together. Oral history helps younger generationsof Moroccans to explore memories of their own community and their lives inthe UK, as well as adding a new dimension to historical research. The oralhistory project presented an important opportunity for Moroccans in the UKwho have been hidden from UK history to have their voices heard andcelebrated.

As Sue Bowers, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager in London said: "This projectwill have two major benefits for everyone involved. It will open up, preserveand celebrate the stories, heritage and identity of Moroccan people acrossBritain, and bridge the gap between young and old. It is so important foryoung people to explore their roots, and interviewing the elders in theircommunity is an ideal way to do that."

This feeling of intergenerational involvement is felt by everyone who hasparticipated in the Moroccan Memories project. Commenting on herinvolvement with the project ten-year-old Samiha said that she enjoyedinterviewing her parents and discovering how much in common she had withwhen they were her age.

In order to make this unique resource as widely available as possible the oralhistory archive collection will be deposited at the British Library SoundArchives, HISTORYtalk, Mass-Observation Archive at the University ofSussex, and The Living Memory Association in Edinburgh.

The oral history archive in figures…

120 interviews recorded 25 fieldworkers and volunteers Over 300 hours of recordings.

Education programmeLife journey canvases

One of the key objectives of the Moroccan Memories project is to build andreinforce intergenerational ties amongst members of the Moroccan communityand to create platforms for the three generations to communicate and expressthemselves. Through the medium of art, Moroccan Memories has successfullybrought three generations of British-Moroccans together by organising artworkshops in four schools in London: Avondale Supplementary School,Pimlico Supplementary School, Al Nour Supplementary School and DalgarnoSchool.

The art workshops helped many children learn more about their Moroccanroots in addition to developing skills, such as using a camera. As Sara, aparticipant, said, “I think this project is really good because we got to takepictures of what we wanted”. Another participant, Hanan, mentions that the artworkshops were like “a dream come true. I never felt that I could show how Ilive in so many ways”.

There children’s work was showcased in exhibitions. Newsletters featuringtheir creative writing were also published.

www.moroccanmemories.org.ukThe Moroccan Memories website, designed by MohssinFaraji, allows visitors to discover the full range ofresources developed by the project. It also uniquelyprovides remote access to extracts from the oral historyarchive, opening up the diversity of the Moroccancommunity in Britain to a wide audience.

Resources available on line include: extracts from interviews with first andsecond generation migrants, the educational resource pack, images from theproject workshops, resources for oral history and further study, videos, gamesand more…

The website was designed by Mohssin Faraji.

Further information:

Contact details

Moroccan Memories in BritainMRCF (Migrant and Refugees Communities Forum)2 Thorpe CloseLondon W10 5XL

Project co-ordinator: Myriam ChertiTel: 020 8962 3045

For press queries please contact Sanaz Raji or Mary Stevens onpr.mmib@gmail.com.

www.moroccanmemories.org.uk

The project sponsors The Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum: Migrant and

Refugees Community Forum is a user-led infrastructure, capacity buildingand respected community alliance that brings together more than 40community and voluntary organisations. It promotes access by refugeeand migrant communities to the rights and entitlements, which will improvetheir chances of integrating into mainstream social and economic life in theUK.

The Heritage Lottery Fund: The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) wasset up by Parliament in 1994 to give grants to a wide range of projectsinvolving the local, regional and national heritage of the United Kingdom. Itdistributes a share of the money raised by the National Lottery for GoodCauses. This year, it will allocate around £220 million to projects inEngland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Kensington Housing Trust: Kensington Housing Trust wasestablished in 1926 to provide homes for those in need. Today it providesaround 2,500 affordable homes in West London to families, single people,the elderly and people with special needs.

Council for the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME): visithttp://ccme.org.ma/.

Association for the 1200th anniversary for the foundationof Fes

Purchasing the CDThe CD, Moroccan Melodies in Britain, is available for a minimum donation of£5. For more information or to acquire a copy contact Sandra Coker(sandra.coker@mrcf.org.uk) or Myriam Cherti (myriam.cherti@mrcf.org.uk).