Beyond Skin: Afghanistan

Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban August 2021 many people have responded to do whatever they can to assist those at risk. Right now in Afghanistan there are musicians and artists hiding in fear of their lives. If they are involved in any creative activity, even listening to music, they can be murdered by the current regime. For girls and women the situation is far more dire with gender apartheid denying them rights.

Zarifa Asghar & Eva Kearney: Afghan Girl

Zarifa  who escaped from the Taliban and came to Northern Ireland was invited to take part in a music project with Beyond Skin partners, Feile, Oh Yeah Music Centre and Amps Studio. Encouraged to try writing lyrics for a song, Zarifa applied herself to be a songwriter and became one with the song “Afghan Girl”. We connected her to Irish singer/songwriter Eva to sing the song. Quickly they became an amazing music duo performing the song at Oh Yeah Music centre and receiving a standing ovation at Stormont Parliament Buildings as part of the Mental Health Arts Festival. In September Zarifa and Eva have been invited to one of the world’s most iconic recording studios, Realworld founded by Peter Gabriel. There they will record an EP.

N. Ireland and Afghanistan music collaboration (2020 – 2021)

Shortlisted UK 2021 Project of The Year. An international partnership developed by Beyond Skin and Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM), home of the Afghan Women’s Orchestra also known as Ensemble Zohra. As part of the programme current & former students from ANIM are collaborating with young female musicians in Northern Ireland including members of Traditional Arts Partnership. Two music videos were produced. Most of the Orchestra were resettled in Portugal now touring as the Afghan Youth Orchestra

Belfast. The Safe Harbour for Afghan Art

To date over 400 paintings by Afghan artists, mostly women in Afghanistan painting at risk, have been exported to Belfast. The paintings are then sold locally and internationally with all the money sent back to the artist. We have also been working closely with the music industry aligning artwork to covers of music albums.

In November 2021 Belfast was awarded UNESCO City of Music status. As an organisation we feel there is a responsibility to preserve and celebrate Afghan creative culture in solidarity with our Afghan brothers & sisters. We have hosted many concerts and also helped the Afghan community in Northern Ireland set up their organisation, Alghochak. Beyond Skin is a founding member of International Campaign to For Afghanistan’s Musicians (ICFAM).

Lead organisation

Beyond Skin

Lead Creatives

Darren Ferguson (Beyond Skin)
Alina Gawhary (artist)
Eqlima (artist)
Zarifa Asghar (musician)
Eva Kearney (performer)

Participating/ target groups

Afghan community in Northern Ireland
Refugee community in Northern Ireland

Collaborating organisations

Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM)
Feile an Phobail,
Oh Yeah Music Centre
Amps Studio

Funders

Arts Council NI National Lottery Fund
Peace NI (European Regional Development Fund)
United Network of Young Peacebuilders
Ibis Hotels, Belfast
Factor
The Womad Foundation
Lush Cosmetics
Network B2B
Orange
Ethical Origin
The Bernard Neville Estate
Go Fund Me (crowd funding)

Lead Creatives

Darren Ferguson (Beyond Skin)
Alina Gawhary (artist)
Eqlima (artist)
Zarifa Asghar (musician)
Eva Kearney (performer)

Participating/ target groups

Afghan community in Northern Ireland
Refugee community in Northern Ireland

Young Irish Trad musicians in Northern Ireland collaborating with young Afghan women in Afghanistan. https://youtu.be/iFQIuGsDu4c?si=AXVmb9jhIl2ljdVg

Remotely managing a festival in Zambia  Video https://youtu.be/9OBZtRBlP4Y?si=qiWls-eylYj52UuO