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By Damilola Gbinigie 2018 is the year that long vehement screams of injustice on women eventually became loud enough to be heard. Women’s voices of anguish finally shattered the vessels of injustice perpetrated on them. These acts of inequity are deeply rooted in society and have shaped women’s experiences from the world around them. It is of great concern that still today in the 21st Century so many women who fall victims of discrimination and harrasment do not have that com

We had a chat with Jennifer H. the Lighting Designer for ARAWELO at the London Somali Week Festival (the Broadway Theatre, Barking and the Rich Mix). She talks about how she got involved with the production, what she thinks of the story of Queen Arawelo and whether Arawelo’s story still has any relevance in today’s society. Tell us a little bit about you? So my name is Jennifer, I’m 25, and I’m the lighting designer for the show. I’m also a doctoral student at Oxford where I

29th October 2018 By Damilola Gbinigie Underground Stories A baby has 9 months gestation before it’s ready to face the world and in the case of ARAWELO this baby has certainly been longer in the making.  This can only mean that ARAWELO is long over-due, matured, resilient and more than ready to take on the world on arrival.  Way back in September 2017 when Demi Wilson-Smith, Shukri Ibrahim and Poppy Clifford put their heads together in creating a play based on the ancient st

Here is our Official Trailer for Arawelo The Play. Enjoy! ARAWELO is a new original play written by Demi Wilson-Smith, Directed by Poppy Clifford, and produced Shukri A Ibrahim. It is based on the Somali Warrior Queen Arawelo who has a strong presence in Somali folklore. It was first conceived by Shukri, Demi and Poppy in September 2017. A Scratch performance was first shown on March 10th 2018 to celebrate International Women’s Week, and hosted by Queen of Sheba Intl.- Arawel

‘ARAWELO’ is a new original play produced by Queen of Sheba International. The play uses traditional story-telling techniques to make the ancient Somali legend relevant to a contemporary audience. Arawelo is an ancient Somali warrior queen who is said to have existed around the 10th century BC. She is a highly controversial figure in the Somali tradition in terms of female identity and empowerment. She is said to have founded and implemental a matriarchal society in ancient S

We’re creating performing arts inspired by a combination of traditional and modern cultures. We see ourselves as contributing to the arts, and we are doing this through promoting stories from BAME communities. Providing a platform for women to take part in producing works related to diverse cultures. We know that there is a lack of representation of women and BAME in the performing arts.  Therefore, the ‘Arawelo’ project is working towards reducing the lack of representation.

An untold story By Peeplimon BACKGROUND During this period the Somali people are engaging in clan-based warfare, the Buraan droughts have ravaged their lands for many years at this point. The story unfolds as the drought is at its peak and many cattle and grazing land dying, and food and water are becoming scars. Women and female children are left to fend for themselves or left to starve. The role of the women was to look after the farm, tend the herds, and child rearing. It

by Peeplimon “She had begun to create a role reversal like no other. Of course, this made many men luth and fear her.” Sheeko Sheeko! Who comes to mind when you think of great women of history? Rosa Parks, Florence Nightingale, Joan of Arc or maybe Boudica? What if we go a little more back in history- who comes to mind? Cleopatra; Hatshepsut King of Egypt, or maybe the Queen of Sheba? There is another famous queen of a darker nature- the Horn of Africa’s infamous ruler, the

The Scratch Performance Arawelo is a new original play written by Demi Wilson-Smith in collaboration with Queen of Sheba International (QSI) and directed by Poppy Clifford. It tells the story of an infamous nomadic Warrior Queen of the Somali people. It is a period piece that uses traditional forms of storytelling, including exciting twists that incorporate mainstream and regional Somali dance and songs. The story creates a juxtaposition of the old and the new where a 2,000-y

Arawelo The Play A New Play by Demi Wilson-Smith and directed by Poppy Clifford in collaboration with Queen of Sheba International. A story based on Somalia’s most notorious WarriorQueen- Arawelo. In feudal nomadic Somali- the first East African feminist was born! We love performing arts and telling empowering stories from the BAME communities. We are working on retelling one of the most famous Somali folklore using traditional performing arts and incorporating traditional st