Celebrating the Islamic World: British Museum Late

In celebration of the opening of the British Museum’s new Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World, Poet in the City is joining forces with FMC (Female Muslim Creatives), using live poetry and discussion to animate and explore the experiences of female Muslims throughout history. Part of the Museum’s opening Late event, the evening will unfold in amongst the artefacts themselves, giving you the chance to discover Islamic objects dating from the 7th century to the present day. In the heart of the new gallery, between pieces of coveted Chinese porcelain and pages from the Persian epic Shahnama, Turkish wooden bath plugs or incense burners from Damascus, you may encounter a performance from our Poetic Busker, or Asma Elbadawi, our Poetic Chronicler. Over the course of the event Elbadawi will be translating what she sees, hears and experiences into a poem, to be shared at the end of the night. FMC has curated an intergenerational, all-female Muslim panel discussion, featuring some of the trailblazing poets, artists and activists who have worked to create legacies without compromising their identities. The panel will seek to open up dialogue exploring the female Muslim experience across multiple generations, echoing the contents of the collection, which reflects the links between the ancient and medieval as well as the modern worlds. Together they will examine Muslim women's contribution to Islamic art and society throughout time, discussing how histories are handed down through generations and looking closely at how an artist’s work can reveal their experience of their time.