Author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan is this year's winner of the Award for Culture by the Arab British Centre (individuals category). Courtesy Nadine Kaadan
Author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan is this year's winner of the Award for Culture by the Arab British Centre (individuals category). Courtesy Nadine Kaadan
Author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan is this year's winner of the Award for Culture by the Arab British Centre (individuals category). Courtesy Nadine Kaadan
Author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan is this year's winner of the Award for Culture by the Arab British Centre (individuals category). Courtesy Nadine Kaadan

Winner of Arab British Centre's Award For Culture spotlights regional talent in the UK


Alexandra Chaves
  • English
  • Arabic

Winners of the Arab British Centre’s Award for Culture were announced in London on Thursday, with children’s book author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan winning the prize in the individuals category and event agency Marsm in the organisations category.

The biennial award, which was established in 2008, recognises contemporary artistic and cultural contributions from the Arab world to British society, with the added aim of providing financial support to individuals and organisations to help bolster their careers.

In 2017, the award was given to playwright Hannah Khalil, who will present a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company in October, and cultural platform Arts Canteen, which put together the first music festival in Gaza in 2010.

This year, Syrian writer and artist Kaadan has been chosen for her work in children's literature. Born in Paris, raised in Damascus and now living in London, Kaadan has been drawing since she was eight years old. Even in her early years, it seems she was certain of her future as an author, distributing a children's magazine to her classmates in the fifth grade.

Her books speak of stories from the Arab world, tackling delicate subjects such as the war in Syria and its effects on children. For example, her 2012 book Ghadan (Tomorrow), which was translated to English last year, follows a pivotal moment in a Syrian young boy's life as he finds that he can longer go outside to play or leave the house to visit his neighbour because of the growing military conflict outside.

Established in 2015, the events agency Marsm has focused on promoting the Arab music scene in the UK through events and music festivals. Founded by Khaled Ziada, who has worked in musical production for over a decade, Marsm has brought many talents to Britain, including Yasmine Hamdan, Lena Chamamyan, Cairokee and 47Soul. Their roster of artists encompasses classical, hip hop and electronic genres.

Kaadan and Marsm will receive a £2,500 (Dh11,300) cash prize, and a travel grant from the British Council to visit a country in the Arab world.

The 2019 Award for Culture panel of judges includes Venetia Porter, a curator of Islamic and contemporary art at the British museum; Lynn Gaspard, publisher at Saqi Books; Karl Sharro, architect and designer and Sir Derek Plumbly, chairman of The Arab British Centre.

At the awards ceremony in London’s Living Room, City Hall, Plumbly spoke to the 250 guests at the reception: “All this positive energy is against the backdrop of dark and very difficult times in much of the Arab world, and great uncertainty here. But that only goes to make the Centre’s role of opening windows on the diversity and creativity to be found in the Arab world all the more important. The scope for prejudice and misunderstanding is great. Polls suggest high levels of ignorance, both of the Arab world and of the contribution Arabs and people of Arab heritage have made and are making to life in Britain.”

The runners-up for the Award were also recognised the ceremony, including artist Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings who creates abstract textile works that glean inspiration from the warm colours of her native Sudan. Meanwhile, Sarha Collective was selected for the runner-up organisation category. Serving as a platform for multidisciplinary events, including exhibitions, performances and film screenings, the collective focuses on emerging artists, particularly those whose works have not yet shown in the UK. One of their most recent projects, for instance, is A Land without Jasmine, the first Yemeni theatre production staged in the UK.

This year's shortlisted candidates predominantly featured Arab women in the individuals category. Namely, stand up comedian Esther Manito, who is Lebanese-British, musician Juliana Yazbeck, whose music comments on immigration and gender inequality, and Samar Ziadat, co-founder of the Dardishi arts festival in Glasgow. In the organisations category, the nominees included The Barakat Trust, and Comma Press.

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While you're here
WOMAN AND CHILD

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Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
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Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

North Pole stats

Distance covered: 160km

Temperature: -40°C

Weight of equipment: 45kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 0

Terrain: Ice rock

South Pole stats

Distance covered: 130km

Temperature: -50°C

Weight of equipment: 50kg

Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m

9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m

War and the virus
What is a robo-adviser?

Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.

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Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.

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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Company%20Profile
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

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