The Art Persists Podcast (Bosla Arts)

We launch Season 7 of Art Persists with a special episode recorded live during Refugee Week 2024 in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts.

Three artists / creative producers, Solomon aka. KMT, Boseda Olawoye, and Sally Watkins joined us live to talk about how they use art to create dialogue, connection, and community with people from refugee and minority backgrounds.

Find out more about their work:

Counterpoints Arts: https://counterpointsarts.org.uk/

Solomon aka. KMT: https://www.instagram.com/kmt_may/

Bo Olawoye: https://www.bosedaolawoye.com/

B Side: https://www.instagram.com/bsidefestival/

In this episode, we speak to Iranian visual artist Soheila Sokhanvari. We chat about her experience leaving Iran to the UK as a young woman, the road accident that caused her to leave her career as a biochemist and pursue her dream of becoming an artist, and her current exhibition Rebel Rebel, honouring 28 Iranian female artists who were forced to abandon their careers after the Iranian Revolution in the 70s.

Thank you to Soheila for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

Learn more about Soheila's work.

In this episode, we are joined by Kurdish poet and journalist Nedim Türfent.

The conversation focuses on Nedim’s recent release from prison in Turkey, where he spent 6 years and 7 months imprisoned for his journalism. We talk about his dedication to exposing Turkey’s brutal treatment of Kurdish communities which led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment after an incredibly unfair trial.

Throughout the episode, Nedim talks about poetry as a form of resistance, something that kept him alive for all those years he was kept imprisoned and, for much of it, under solitary confinement. We are honoured to all hear Nedim recite two of his poems; Let My Heart Give Life, and Searching Trails of You, in English for the first time. Towards the end, poet Ege Dündar joins us to read the letter he sent Nedim on his release.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-nedim-turfent

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

This week, we are joined by artist and activist Peter Kennard.

Since the 1970s, Kennard has produced some of the world’s most influential works of resistance and protest. From the Vietnam War and the anti-Apartheid movement to the war in Ukraine and the siege on Gaza, Peter’s five decades of work have been dedicated to fighting for justice and holding power to account.

We talk at length about his career, as well as his latest exhibition, Archive of Dissent, currently on display at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://boslaarts.com/tapp-peter-kennard

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

We launch Season 6 of Art Persists with Chilean feminist collective LASTESIS.

We chat to Sibila Sotomayor Van Rysseghem and Daffne Valdés Vargas from the collective about their work, using performance and video art to unpack feminist texts and to challenge global patriarchy and its impact on women and the LGBTQI+ community. Sibilia and Daffne discuss some of their most important works including Un violador en tu camino (a rapist in your path) - a performance that went viral and was replicated by different groups in over 50 countries.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-lastesis

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the Season 4 finale of the Art Persists podcast, we speak to multi & interdimensional artist Murugiah. We talk about his early life growing up in Wales, and his turn away from architecture to art. He discusses finding his unique style, combining bright, bold colours with surrealism and his Sri Lankan identity. We end talking about his wonderful commission for this year’s Refugee Week, and his exploration into public art. His upcoming 3D sculpture installation, Rangoli Mirrored Cosmos, will launch this month in Greenwich Peninsula.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Find out more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-murugiah

Learn more about MURUGIAH’s work: https://murugiah.com/

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

We speak to Turkish artist, poet, and activist Ege Dündar about his experience of forced exile following the persecution of his father in Turkey, his debut poetry book, All These Things Aren’t Really Lost, and how solidarity acts as ‘medicine’ against oppression.Thank you to Ege for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Ege Dündar is a 28 year old writer and activist from Turkey. He has been working at PEN International campaigning for free expression for nearly 7 years across various projects and positions, most recently as Youth Engagement Coordinator. His debut poetry book All These Things Aren’t Really Lost is due out from Black Spring Press soon. He produced a report for German foundation Körber Stiftung on the state of Exile Media in Europe. Ege was also contributor in our latest issue, Beyond Resilience.Find out more about Ege: https://www.instagram.com/egedundar

The Art Persists Podcast is back with Season 7!

Join us for another incredible season as we chat to renowned artists and activists from all around the world.

We will hear from creative practitioners working in some of the most dangerous countries for artists in the world. As well as guests who use art to build communities, foster solidarity, and combat hate.

Join us for the first episode out Wednesday, 2 October 2024.

We are on Patreon! If you are enjoying the podcast, please consider subscribing to support our costs. From as little as £3 a month.

And don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen.

In the Season 6 finale of The Art Persists Podcast, we sit down with journalist, filmmaker and writer, Dr Myriam François.

We chat to Myriam about how she is dealing with the state of the world today amid Israel's bombardment of Gaza. She questions society's moral boundaries, emphasising the need for discomfort in addressing the conflict. We go on to explore the artist's role in solidarity and resistance. Myriam delves into her film, Finding Alaa, illustrating how grief can unite people across divides. We unpack her background and talk about the racism she faced after converting to Islam as a young woman.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-myriam-francois

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

This week, we are joined by Melissa Bolivar, founder of Kites in Solidarity—a grassroots movement of volunteers founded in 2023 in response to the ongoing siege of Gaza.

Melissa shares with us her decision to start Kites in Solidarity. After witnessing the horrors of the siege in Gaza through her phone every day, she felt compelled to take action.

Since then, the movement has grown across the UK and around the world—a tribute to the power of collective solidarity.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-kites-in-solidarity

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the episode we chat with Cuban artist and activist Tania Bruguera about her 30-year career as a pioneering artist advocating artistic freedom and human rights in Cuba and beyond. We discuss how she uses art as a tool of social change, transforming her audience into “citizens” to bring about real change. She coins the practice Arte Útil - art as a tool.

We go on to discuss the systematic oppression she has faced for her work at the hands of the Cuban state, beginning thirty years ago with the publication of a magazine to today where she lives in forced exile. We end with Bruguera discussing her complex relationship with institutions and the controversy surrounding her current exhibition at the Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende in Chile.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-tania-bruguera

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the latest episode of Art Persists, we speak to journalist, writer, and Chief Contributing Editor of The Art Newspaper, Gareth Harris.

We chat about Gareth’s book, Censored Art Today, two years after its publication. We reflect on how censorship of the arts has changed and transformed since the book’s release - including the silencing of artists in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza. We go on to discuss controversial statues and what to do with them, as well as the ongoing impact of social media on artists and the arts.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-gareth-harris

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the latest episode of Art Persists, we speak to award-winning poet, playwright, author and editor, Joelle Taylor.

Joelle talks about growing up in Lancashire and how punk and live performance introduced her to spoken word and poetry. She opens the conversation by reading an extract for her brilliant new novel, The Night Alphabet. We chat about the central themes of patriarchy and the strength of solidarity between women across the globe, interwoven throughout.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-joelle-taylor

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

We are back! Launching Season 4 with a special episode recorded live during Refugee Week in collaboration with Counterpoints Arts. The conversation brought together 3 renowned artists Laura Nyahuye, Ghafar Tajmohammad, and Olga Tkachenko, together, we spoke about the place of art in mental health recovery, along with resilience and it’s limitations in each of the artists’ contexts; from addressing social issues through art, to the Afghan diaspora experience, and finally escaping war in Ukraine.In this episode, we are lucky to include music by USTAVI, who also performed during the event. As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

In this episode, we speak to Uyghur activist, singer, and translator Rahima Mahmut. Rahima describes the history of persecution against the Uyghur people in China and the genocide happening to them today. She also talks about the rich Uyghur culture, traditions, and music and how singing has acted as a relief amongst her round-the-clock campaigning for Uyghur rights in the UK.

Thank you to Rahima for sharing her story, work, and music. Featured songs (in order of appearance): Leven Yarla, Yighla Shamal, My Dear Son When Will You Return.

Rahima is an Uyghur singer, human rights activist, and award-winning translator of the poignant prison memoir The Land Drenched in Tears by Soyungul Chanisheff. She translated the testimonies of survivors during the Uyghur Tribunal, and is a prominent voice for Uyghurs in the UK. In 2018, Rahima co-founded the SOAS Silk Road Collective, who she is currently the vocalist for. She has performed at music venues and festivals within the UK and worldwide, becoming well-known in Central Asian musical circles. She is currently UK Director of the World Uyghur Congress, Executive Director of Stop Uyghur Genocide, and Advisor to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.

If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Find out more about Rahima’s work here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahima-mahmut-80977823/?originalSubdomain=uk

Follow her on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MahmutRahima?s=20&t=SeEp5vdw_gwEKfrkK0OLkw

And listen to her music here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGVbhMf1IUjxc1G5k984LHA

In this episode, we speak to artist Gianluca Costantini. We talk about his expansive career - becoming a voice for political prisoners worldwide through his drawing, and telling human stories with books including Libia.Thank you to Gianluca for joining us for this episode and Elettra Stamboulis for interpreting. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Gianluca Costantini is an activist and artist who for years fought his battles through the drawing. Accused of terrorism by the Turkish government, he angered many French readers for a short comic about Charlie Hebdo‘s terrorist story. He actively collaborates with ActionAid, Amnesty, Emergency, ARCI and Oxfam organisations. His latest books are Patrick Zaki, una storia egiziana for Feltrinelli, Libia for Mondadori, among others.

Elettra Stamboulis, is a curator and comic writer based in Ravenna, Italy. As a curator, she presented Marjane Satrapi's, Joe Sacco's, Zograf's personal exhibitions and many others international drawers in Italy; she is the founder and curator of Komikazen International Festival of Reality Comics, taking place in Ravenna since 2005.

Learn more about Gianluca's work: https://www.channeldraw.org/

In the latest episode of Art Persists, we speak to interdisciplinary artist and writer Coco Fusco.

Coco talks to us in depth about the historic oppression of artists in Cuba, which has accelerated since 2018 when the government introduced laws that stifle freedom of expression within the country. She tells us about her activism, advocating for the release of imprisoned artists in Cuba including her friend and fellow artist, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who has been imprisoned since July 2021. Coco also tells us more about her interdisciplinary work and writing and reflects on how the art scene has changed since the 80s.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-coco-fusco

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In this episode, we speak to artist eL Seed about his phenomenal career creating immense works in public spaces; from a mural on a minaret in his hometown of Gabes in Tunisia, to a vast mural across the neighbourhood of Manshiyat Nasr in Cairo. We talk about his practice and how he uses art as a way of challenging perceptions and creating unity amongst people.

If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

eL Seed uses Arabic calligraphy and a distinctive style to spread messages of peace, unity and to underline the commonalities of human existence. His artwork can be found all over the world and consistently aim at unifying communities and redressing stereotypes. His work has been shown in exhibitions and in public places all over the world including most notably on the façade of L’Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, in the favelas of Rio di Janeiro, on the DMZ in between North and South Korea, in the slums of Cape Town and in the heart of Cairo’s garbage collectors neighbourhood. In 2017, he won the UNESCO Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. He was named a Global Thinker in 2016 by Foreign Policy for his project ‘Perception’ in Cairo. In 2013, he collaborated with Louis Vuitton on their famous ‘Foulard d’Artiste’.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

Learn more about his work:

https://elseed-art.com/

In this episode, we speak to Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist Jelili Atiku. We discuss his performance work that highlights social issues in Nigeria and beyond including political assassinations, the devasting impact of Boko Haram, and the destruction of traditional values by the British during colonialism.

Thank you to Jelili for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Jelili Atiku is a Nigerian multimedia artist with political concerns for human rights and justice. Through drawing, installation sculpture, photography, video and live art performance; he strives to help viewers understand the world and expanding their understanding and experiences, so that they can activate and renew their lives and environments.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

Learn more about his work:

https://jeliliatiku.webs.com/

In this episode, we speak to architect Sofia Karim about her work as an architect and also as an activist. She talks about her move into art-activism after the imprisonment of her uncle, the renowned photographer Shahidul Alam. Since that moment, Sofia has dedicated much of her career to art-activism, campaigning for the release of political prisoners worldwide.

As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Sofia Karim is an architect based in London. Her practice combines architecture, visual art and activism. She campaigns for the release of political prisoners across India and Bangladesh. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Tate Modern (London), V&A (London), Coventry Cathedral (UK), The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum (UK), CCLM (Chile), Museo Franklin Rawson (Argentina), Rubin Museum (NY), Wrightwood 659 (Chicago) and Documenta 15 (Steidl/ Kunsthaus Göttingen).

Learn more about Sofia’s work here.

In this episode, we speak to Fredrik Elg and Laura Kauer Garcia from Safe Havens Freedom Talks. We discuss their work, which provides open platforms for artists, activists, and human rights defenders from all around the world, and the state of artistic freedom today.

Thank you to Fredrik and Laura for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Safe Havens Freedom Talks (SH|FT) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of artists at risk and artistic freedom. It develops meeting places for various organisations, groups, institutions (non-governmental and state), individuals and artists who defend the rights of the persecuted creatives and academics.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

We speak to Jemimah Steinfeld, editor-in-chief of Index on Censorship magazine, about the role of art in defying censorship and defending freedom of expression worldwide. We also discuss her experience living in China and her work as a journalist and author.

Jemimah Steinfeld is the editor-in-chief of Index on Censorship magazine. She used to live in Beijing and Shanghai and is author of the book Little Emperors and Material Girls: Sex and Youth in Modern China. Her writing has appeared in Guardian, Telegraph, New Statesman, Vice and CNN, to name just a few.

If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, follow, rate & share! Only with your support can these stories be heard.

Find out more about Index on Censorship here: https://www.indexoncensorship.org/

Discover Jemimah’s book, Little Emperors and Material Girls: Sex and Youth in Modern China, here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/little-emperors-and-material-girls-9780857736628/

In the latest episode of Art Persists, we speak to information designer Federica Fragapane. We talk to Federica about her work, humanising data by unpacking it in creative, organic forms.

From visualising the number of civilians killed in Gaza, to showing European attitudes to immigration, or the silencing of environmental activists in Brazil, Federica's work manages to evoke empathy and understanding by bringing hard data to life through art.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-federica-fragapane

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

We speak to Chinese artist Badiucao. In the episode, Badiucao talks about his self-exile from China, becoming a dissident artist who uses his work to stand up to Xi Jinping’s regime and other authoritarian governments. He also draws on the ongoing threat he faces by the Chinese government, extending beyond China to Hong Kong, Australia, and the rest of the world.Thank you to Badiucao for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Learn more about his work: https://www.badiucao.com/

We chat to Sami Tamimi about his life growing up in East Jerusalem where he became interested in cooking after working in a hotel at the age of 17. His career took off when he moved first to Tel Aviv before settling permanently in London. Sami talks about the making of his cookbook, Falastin, which explores contemporary Palestinian food and tells the story of the Palestinians he met along the way. We also discuss how he has been coping since the October 7 attacks and subsequent siege on Gaza which at the time of recording has killed more than 20,000 people.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-sami-tamimi

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

We launch our new series with Lady Liberty Hong Kong, a pro-democracy artivists group in Hong Kong. Forming in the early stages of the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests, the group is committed to rallying Hongkongers, providing support for protestors, and raising international awareness towards Hong Kong's struggle towards democracy.

In the episode, we speak to Flash, a member of the collective who opens up about his life and work. Flash takes us through his experience of the 2019 - 2020 protests in Hong Kong and the ground-breaking pro-democracy artwork they created during and after the subsequent crackdown.

In this episode, we chat to Ukrainian artist Zhenya Oliinyk about her life and work. In the interview, Zhenya talks about how art provides a platform in which she expresses herself and her experience of living in a country under attack. She also describes her decision to stop speaking Russian altogether, and the “internalised Ukrainophobia” she and her peers overcome through language.

Zhenya Oliinyk is an illustrator and cartoonist from Kyiv, Ukraine. She's also a former journalist and a cultural critic. Whatever her occupation is, Zhenya mostly works with human rights related topics. Ever since Russian full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February, he's been creating graphic stories about her experience of living in a country under attack.

If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Find out more about Zhenya’s work here: https://zhenyaoliinyk.com/

And follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/evilpinkpics/

In this episode, we speak to Shilo Shiv Suleman, artist and founder of The Fearless Collective. Shilo describes finding her voice as a artist starting at the age of just 13, founding The Fearless Collective - working with communities across the world to create resistance through creativity, and how through the collective she visualises a fairer future.Thank you to Shilo for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Shilo Shiv Suleman is an award-winning Indian artist whose work lives and breathes at the intersection of Magical Realism, Art, Nature, Culture, Technology, and Social Justice. She began her career at 16 as a children’s book illustrator and had 10 published books by the time she was 20. As an INK fellow, her work became known when her talk made it to TED.com, and got just under a million views in 2012.She is the founder and director of the Fearless Collective- a growing movement of hundreds of artists replacing fear with love in public spaces and the frontlines of resistance movements.She has worked with communities across the world in 16 different countries by facilitating and leading public art interventions and has painted over 40 murals with indigenous communities in Brazil, refugee and migrant communities in Beirut, queer activists in South Africa and transgender activists in Pakistan and more.

The Art Persists Podcast is back with Season 6!

Join us for one of our best seasons yet as we chat to artists and activists from all around the world.

We'll talk about some of the biggest threats facing the arts today, hear from those who are using their work to fight for freedom and justice globally no matter the cost, and have conversations with poets, writers, film makers and more about how art can help make the changes we want to see in society today.

Join us for the first episode out Wednesday, 8 May 2024.

We are on Patreon! If you are enjoying the podcast, please consider subscribing to support our costs. From as little as £3 a month.

And don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen.

In this episode, we speak to choreographer and activist Donna Miranda. Donna talks about her upbringing as a dancer and choreographer in the Philippines before transforming her practice into activism during President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs in 2016. She now works as a land activist, promoting the rights of farmers - leading to her unjust arrest in June 2022.Thank you to Donna for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.Sign the petition in support of Donna and Tinang 83: https://www.change.org/p/resist-intensifying-fascism-in-the-philippines-drop-all-charges-against-the-tinang-83

We speak to Standing Together about their grassroots movement working towards peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis. The organisation gives us insight into Israeli attitudes towards Palestinians, particularly since the October 7 attacks and Israel's subsequent siege on Gaza. We end discussing their Theory of Change towards an equal and just future.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-standing-together

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

On the latest episode of Art Persists, we speak to Omaid Sharifi, Co-Founder & CEO of ArtLords, a grassroots movement founded in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2014, driven by the desire to harness the transformative power of art.

We talk to Omaid about the early days of ArtLords, where he and group of artists and volunteers would paint the empty walls of Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan with murals, focused on bringing communities together.

He tells us about August 2021 where the Taliban retook control over Afghanistan and the devastating days that have followed since - Omaid now lives in exile in the USA. He goes on to tell us about the incredible work that ArtLords continues to do today, both in Afghanistan and out, and the hope he still holds to one day return to his country.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-artlords

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In this episode, we talk to Forensic Architecture, a research agency based at Goldsmiths, University of London, renowned for investigating human rights violations globally.

We speak to one of Forensic Architecture’s Lead Researchers (who will not be named), about the dire situation in Gaza since Israel’s siege began. They talk about the work they are doing to use evidence-based research to uncover the truth and document human rights abuses as the death toll of civilians reaches 10,000 people in one month.

The conversation continues to talk more about Forensic Architecture’s work in Gaza as well as the West Bank and Israel. The team have released preliminary analysis to cast doubt on Israel’s claim that they were not responsible for bombing of Al-Ahli Hospital on 17 October 2023. Using techniques including visual analysis, sound, testimonials, and more, Forensic Architecture were also able to provide evidence in the murder of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as well as uncover invisible tactics of occupation including the lost mass graves in Tantura from 1948, and the herbicidal warfare against Gaza.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Find links and more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-forensic-architecture

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the Season 1 finale, we speak to Sudanese political cartoonist, Khalid Albaih. Khalid talks about his political cartoons, responding to global events including the so-called Refugee Crisis in Europe, to the revolutions that erupted across the Middle East during the Arab Spring, and the more recent revolution in Sudan. Khalid also describes the risk associated with his work, along with shadow banning on Instagram, and Sudan Retold, an artbook he created featuring 31 Sudanese artists who tell stories from their homeland.

Thank you to Khalid for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Khalid Albaih is a political cartoonist from Sudan. His work, a confluence of journalism and art, first came to prominence during the Arab Spring. As one of the most influential Arab cartoonists of his generation, Khalid champions freedom of expression around the world, commenting on subjects such as immigration, race, power, conflict, and identity. He is also founder of sudanartistfund.com, getfadaa.com, Sudanartanddesignlibrary.com, and @dohafahionfridays.

Learn more about his work:

Follow Khalid on Instagram: @khalidalbaih

Discover his Facebook page: @Khartoon!

In the first episode of Season 2, we speak to British-Egyptian photographer, Laura El-Tantawy. We discuss Laura’s expansive career as a photographer, from her moving images of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, exploring her experience as both a photographer and an Egyptian, to the challenges photographers face today, and how she maintains the dignity of her subjects.

Thank you to Laura for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Laura El-Tantawy is an award winning British/Egyptian documentary photographer, artful book maker & mentor. She is a Canon Ambassador, representing the global camera giant’s vision & passion for visual storytelling.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

Learn more about Laura’s work:

Discover her website: https://www.lauraeltantawy.com/

Follow Laura on Instagram: @laura_el_tantawy

In this episode, we speak to Syrian activist and filmmaker Waad al-Kateab. We discuss her early life growing up in Syria and her experience of the Syrian Revolution in 2011 which soon descended into war. Waad describes her life during the war as a young mother, filmmaker, and human being, and her experience of fame after the release of For Sama.

Thank you to Waad for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Waad al-Kateab is a Syrian activist and award-winning filmmaker, whose debut feature film, For Sama, won a BAFTA for Best Documentary and received a nomination at the Academy Awards 2020. Waad, who lives in London with her family, is currently working on a new documentary covering the Olympic Refugee Team, commissioned by the IOC for XTR, working alongside Oscar-winning producer Joanna Natasegara. Waad also dedicates time to her advocacy campaign, Action For Sama.

The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 1st magazine, In Defiance, with the code: TAPP.

In this episode, we speak to creative duo Sai and K, who tell us about their work in arts and culture in Myanmar and the 2021 military coup that changed their lives forever - leading to Sai’s father being imprisoned by the military and the couple fleeing the country for their lives.

Thank you to both Sai and K for sharing their story. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.

Sai is a Burmese multidisciplinary artist. His ongoing work follows the political turmoil that has engulfed Myanmar since the coup of 2021 and specifically the trauma inflicted on his own family, exploring the unjust narrative of the relationship between his father, who has been held as a political prisoner by the Burmese junta since the coup, and his mother, who lives under 24 hour surveillance and in constant fear for her own safety. Sai himself has been in hiding for almost a year. His name is an alias for his safety.

K is a curator, creative director and a leading change maker fellows of the Asia pacific leadership program from the East-West Center, learning how system changes are shaped and formed. As an ethnic minority in Myanmar with global citizenship spirit, K has embraced and has been a driving force in shaping the harmonious and diverse societies and communities of Myanmar through the arts and culture. She envisions the arts not only as healing agents in communities, but also as a bridge of heritages from the past towards the contemporary and the unforeseeable future.

Learn more about their work:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/myanmar-artist-london-exhibition-2086796 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/myanmar-sai-artist-junta/ https://time.com/6149413/myanmar-coup-art-sai/

We speak to Syrian cinematographer and filmmaker, Ayman Alhussein. In the episode, we hear about his early life growing up in Syria and taking part in the revolution in 2011 before making the impossible decision to leave - first to Turkey before finally coming to the UK. We talk about the making of AYMAN and his more recent film Matar, and the importance of lived experience in filmmaking. As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Watch AYMAN here.

Stream Matar here.

Welcome to The Art Persists Podcast - a new series offering a glimpse into the life of artists and activists bridging the arts, activism, and human rights around the world. Brought to you by Bosla Arts.

In Part 2 of the Season 6 finale of The Art Persists Podcast, we continue our conversation with journalist, filmmaker and writer, Dr Myriam François.

Myriam chats to us about the rise of Islamophobia today and why she thinks it is often considered an acceptable form of racism within society. We chat about having hope in youth and why she thinks current student protests in America and beyond are widely misrepresented and misunderstood. We end on thinking about the role of the artist in solidarity movements.

The Art Persists Podcast is independently run by Bosla Arts' small team (Georgia & Faz). If you are enjoying the podcast, please support us via Patreon!

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-myriam-francois

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In this episode, we speak to Ahmed Tobasi, Artistic Director of The Freedom Theatre in the heart of Jenin Refugee Camp in Palestine. We discuss his own experience growing up under occupation and ultimately finding theatre after being imprisoned at the age of just 17. Tobasi talks about theatre as a form of resistance, uniting communities, and giving children their childhood back.Thank you to Tobasi for joining us for this episode. If you are enjoying The Art Persists Podcast, please FOLLOW, RATE, and SHARE. Only with your help can these stories be heard.The Freedom Theatre is a community-based theatre and cultural centre in Jenin Refugee Camp, occupied Palestine that uses culture as a form of resistance.The Art Persists Podcast listeners can get 15% off Bosla Arts’ 2nd issue, Beyond Resilience, with the code: TAPP.Find out more about The Freedom Theatre:https://thefreedomtheatre.org/

We are joined by Palestinian artist, activist, DJ, and producer Nour Palestina.

We chat to Nour about her project, Refugee Chronicles, where she interviews survivors of the 1948 Nakba which saw 700,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced and a further 15,000 killed. Nour talks about her project and its eerie parallels to Gaza today where over 1.8 million people have been internally displaced and at least 15,500 have been killed since 7 October 2023. She talks about media bias and the role of social media in unveiling the truth.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-nour-palestina

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

In the latest episode of the Art Persists podcast, we speak to filmmaker, curator, and member of AVAH Collective, Parwana Haydar. We discuss Parwana’s work and the Afghan artists who have influenced her the most. We then talk about her participation in AVAH Collective, connecting Afghan artists around the world and working to recall the art history of Afghanistan. AVAH’s latest exhibition, CHILDHOOD(S) - of memories in art, is on at Haus Coburg until 10 September.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

More information: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-avah-collective

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong joins us for the latest episode of the Art Persists podcast. We chat about his early life growing up in Hong Kong, at the time still under the control of the British. He then talks about his participation in Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement and 2019 Anti-extradition Law Movement, using his work to connect with fellow protestors and using humour to mock and ridicule the authorities. The conversation ends with Kacey talking about his difficult decision to leave Hong Kong forever, self-exiling to Taiwan.

As always, if you are enjoying Art Persists please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more about Kacey’s work: http://www.kaceywong.com/

Learn more about Bosla Arts: https://www.boslaarts.com/

For our Season 7 finale, we are joined by Iranian photographer and activist Reihane Taravati.

Reihane shares her story of growing up in Iran and the significant challenges she faced as a young woman pursuing a career in photography.

In April 2022, she had the unique opportunity to photograph Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist and human rights defender, during a brief release from prison. These powerful images would later be used to announce Narges' winning of the Nobel Prize. Today, she remains behind bars.

Reihane reflects on the profound responsibility she felt in capturing Narges in her home environment that day.

If you’re enjoying the Art Persists podcast, please consider leaving a review wherever you listen. With your support, we can ensure these vital stories reach more listeners.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-reihane-taravati

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/

This week, we’re joined by Belarusian poet, translator, and writer Hanna Komar.

Hanna shares her early life, growing up in a small village in Belarus, where she found comfort in poetry, and later discovered the power of writing poetry in Belarusian rather than Russian.

She recounts the nationwide protests following the rigged presidential elections in Belarus, in which long-time President Lukashenka seized power once again. The protests were met with a fierce crackdown on activists, leading to Hanna and thousands of others being imprisoned.

While sharing her story, Hanna also recites some of her deeply powerful and emotive poetry. She concludes by telling us about her upcoming play, Body in Progress, coming to London next month.

As always, if you are enjoying the Art Persists podcast please leave a review wherever you listen. Only with your help can these important stories be heard.

Learn more: https://www.boslaarts.com/tapp-hanna-komar

Follow Bosla Arts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boslaarts/