The project “Arabic Arts Alive: Strengthening Community Connections Through Film, Music, and Dance” was implemented in 2025 by the Arabic Language and Culture Association of South Australia (ALCASA), in partnership with the History Trust of SA’s Migration Museum. This is the third successful collaboration between ALCASA, the History Trust of SA’s Migration Museum, following the success of “Objects Tell Our Stories” (2021) and “Ahlan wa Sahlan (Welcome): Hospitality in Arabic Culture” (2022-2023).
Supported by the generosity of the City of Adelaide Arts and Cultural Grants, Arabic Arts Alive 2025 is an ambitious project to highlight the significance of Arabic music and dance in South Australia and establish the foundations for an Arabic community singing and dancing troupe. The project was launched with the SA community during the 2025 SA History Festival event with a special screening of the powerful movie Arze – a movie about struggle and survival in challenging times for the people of Lebanon and surrounding countries. An online Expression of Interest (EOI) to participate in the project was opened from mid-April to July 2025, and led to hosting two storytelling workshops in May and July 2025. With the help of the experienced HTSA staff, we collected stories about personal experience in Arabic music and dance and produced an online exhibition published in the HTSA Stories section as Our Stories: Arabic Art Alive (https://arabicartsalive.history.sa.gov.au).
Another positive outcome of the project was offering Arabic singing and dabke dancing workshops where interested community members received guidance and instruction enabling them to perform together on stage for the first time in a “Hafle”, a celebration event to mark the completion of the project.
The project Arabic Arts Alive 2025 was a heartwarming year long celebration, alive with music, dance, and Arabic hospitality. It offered a precious opportunity to collect community stories around personal experience in Arabic music and dance and to establish a platform aiming to create a South Australian Arabic music and dance group. (Follow the links to check the Hafle event and the Hafle photos)
ALCASA Team
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