Meeting Points 5

The project Meeting Points 5 was an inner-Arabic platform for contemporary art with simultaneous multi-disciplinary festivals in Tangier, Tunis, Cairo, El Minia, Alexandria, Beirut, Damascus and Amman. The programme consciously avoided playing to the expectations of German audiences, focusing more on unfamiliar topics than Oriental folklore. Curated by Frie Leysen, the festival highlighted the independent art scene which, in contrast to the Arabic state-controlled public art industry and commercial sector, has little chance to expand and develop. Following the festival, Meeting Points 5 was presented at the Hebbel am Ufer Theatre in Berlin, where it developed its own programme based on the regional diversity of the Arabic world in close dialogue with the other eight festivals.

Artistic director: Frie Leysen; Assistant artistic director: Maha Maamoun (ET); Participating artists: Amal Kenawy (ET), Wael Shakwy (ET), Emily Jasir (PAL/USA), Sofian and Selma Ouissi (TN), Rabih Mroue (RL), Mai Abu ElDahab (ET)

Venues and schedule:
Theater Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; festival: 22 November - 2 December 2007;
Simultaneous festivals also in: Tangier (MA), Tunis (TN), Cairo (ET), El Minia (ET), Alexandria (ET), Damascus (SYR), Beirut (RL), Amman (JOR)