Middle East

A regular meetup for those committed to practising and improving their Arabic. It is designed for those who know the very basics and want a structured opportunity to practise reading, listening, speaking, and building confidence. If you're still learning the very basics but want some motivation to keep going, you're very welcome to join. Note: This is a practice group facilitated by a native speaker - not a formal teacher or taught class, and not a Quran teaching session. 📚 SESSION FORMAT: ⏱️ 30 mins Intro & Social: We'll go around and introduce ourselves in Arabic. Feel free to prepare 2-3 sentences beforehand if you don't like being put on the spot! 🗣️ 60 mins Structured Practice: A focused session practising together with guidance : ◾ Taking turns reading passages aloud ◾ Listening to excerpts from an audiobook ◾ Working together to translate and understand the text 💬 Continued Socialising: Feel free to stick around afterwards for more informal chat and connection. ✊ Note: Active Muslims is equally about focusing on the actual activity, in this case, it is a practice session requiring mental engagement and active participation (and not just a social), therefore it is advised to approach and attend these events with that mindset, intention and purpose. 📍 LOCATION: Barbican ⌚ MEET: By the cafe G Level (Benugo) ⏱️ TIME: Meet from **11:00am** for intros and socialising. The practice session starts promptly at **11:30am** insha'Allah. 🎒 What to bring: 📚 Any Arabic texts you would like to read 🎧 Headphones (optional, if you prefer listening privately) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ If you can no longer attend, please update your RSVP to free up your spot for someone on the waiting list. ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ 🌐 **[@Active.Muslims](https://www.instagram.com/active.muslims)** *(Follow for latest events updates)*

🌳 Join us for a beautiful walk in one of London's most popular romantic green spaces, Hampstead Heath ... ✊ *Note: Active Muslims is equally about focusing on the actual activity, in this case, it is a paced walk (and not a stroll), therefore it is advised to approach and attend these events with that mindset, intention and [purpose](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBhPWpdIMKq/?igsh=MWVjdnZrdGZwd3dmYw%3D%3D).* 📍 Meet: Outside **Hampstead Underground Station** (Northern line). ⌚ Meet from: 1:30pm, we start our walk at **1:45pm** sharp insha'Allah *(Magrib is 6:06pm)* 🟢 **WALK:** 📏 10km (6.2miles) 💓 Av. Pace: 5km 🏔️ Elev. Gain: 190m 🚥 [View Walking/Hiking Levels Here](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPRjEOPjW8B/) 🔄 Starts/Ends: **Hampstead Underground Station** (Northern Line) *- **not** to be confused with Hampstead Heath Overground Station.* 🚻 Toilets are available in the park. 🧎 Prayer: We can take a break for prayer in the park if time is short. 🎒 What to bring: appropriate clothing/shoes. 🗂️ "No shows" for previous events may be moved to the waitlist to prioritise reliable attendees / new joiners - ***when there is a waiting list, priority is given by attendance records / new joiners.*** 📊 [[why it matters](https://tinyurl.com/28sh83cn)] ⛑️ *Disclaimer: You are solely responsible for your own safety on these events and are also responsible for your belonging at all times.* 🌐 **[@Active.Muslims](https://www.instagram.com/active.muslims)** *(Follow for latest events updates)* 🚦 **[Walk/Hike Levels:](https://www.instagram.com/share/reel/BBxV4zomeZ)** 🟢 Easy 🟡 Average 🟠 Moderate 🔴 Challenging ⚫ Very Challenging ``` 🌳 One of London's most popular romantic green spaces. A popular place for authors and poets... Alexander Pope, John Arbuthnot, Richard Steele, and later John Keats, Percy Shelley and Leigh Hunt, were frequent visitors.. The Heath is a great semi-natural park, saved from urbanisation in the nineteenth century. It has woods, ponds, walks and fine views over London. Two of the ponds are used for outdoor swimming. On the edge of Hampstead Heath surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, you have Kenwood House, one of London's hidden gems (Kentwood house was also the backdrop in the movie Notting Hill). ```

Life drawing session with a range of poses for 15 mins before a 1hr+ long pose, with a break in the middle. Tutor led with tips and strategies for draughting over a longer period, in a logical, accessible way. CHANGE TO VENUE - it is downstairs from usual venue, in Time & Talents underneath usual venue, opposite where lift opens, Material and half-time tea provided.v

## In this talk, hear how contemporary artists and storytellers, Arsalan Akhavan and Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh, are reconceptualising the Iranian epic *Shahnameh* for contemporary audiences. *Shahnameh*, or *The Book of King*s, is an epic poem recounting the history of ancient Persia, completed at the start of the 11th century by one of the greatest Persian poets of all time, Ferdowsi. Considered the national epic of Iran and one of the most important Persian texts, *Shahnameh* is made up of more than 50,000 beautifully composed couplets recounting the heroes, quests and mythical creatures central to Persian culture. First, join Hollywood producer and cultural storyteller Arsalan Akhavan on a personal journey of discovering the Persian *Book of Kings* and reimagining its epic stories for a new generation through digital media. Next, multi-award-winning writer, artist and scholar Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh will talk about her project *The Book of Queens*, a song cycle in collaboration with composer Emily Hazrati about the queens, women and magical creatures found in *The Book of Kings*, and how she has, from Ferdowsi's ink well, re-written the characters and stories of this historical epic poem through a contemporary feminist lens. The talk will conclude with a Q&A with Arsalan and Nazli. Speakers **Arsalan Akhavan** After learning of his family’s unique connection to a masterpiece edition of the *Shahnameh*, Arsalan’s life changed forever. He traded sunny California for rainy Britain to launch Rug Entertainment, a multimedia company dedicated to making Persian stories both accessible and engaging for English-speaking audiences. Arsalan’s roots in entertainment trace back to the 1950s, when his grandfather, Mostafa Akhavan, founded Cinema Moulin Rouge, Iran’s first major film studio bridging Hollywood, Cannes, and Tehran. Arslan’s recent projects include *Healing History*, an immersive art history exhibition; *The Good Iranian*, a one-man show performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (dir. Sepy Baghaei); *Shahnameh Quest*, a storytelling podcast; and *Billion Dollar Masterpiece*, a documentary short about the *Shahnameh* of Shah Tahmasb. He previously served as Director of Scripted TV Development at Lesli Linka Glatter’s Backyard Pictures with Universal Television and worked in the TV Packaging department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Arsalan has also spoken on the *Shahnameh* at Cambridge University and the House of Lords. He holds a BFA in Drama from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. For more information about Arsalan, please visit the [Rug Entertainment website](https://www.rugentertainment.com/about). **Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh** Nazli Tabatabai-Khatambakhsh BSc. Hons, MLitt, MA, SFHEA is a multi-award-winning international leader and collaborator working across artistic disciplines and contexts in opera, theatre, dance, visual arts, film and performance poetry. Her credits include Royal Ballet and Opera, Welsh National Opera, Birmingham Opera, Britten Pears and Aldeburgh Festival, Oxford Song, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Atmosphere Festival, Tete a Tete, National Theatre of Scotland, Traverse Theatre, Bush Theatre and City Theater Tehran. At the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, she is Professor of Dramatic Writing on the MA in Opera Making & Writing, and she is the inaugural practice-based Post Graduate Researcher in Libretto. She is the inaugural Associate Artist at the Oxford School of Drama and is an External Examiner for the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her work as a coach, mentor and facilitator spans Clore Leadership, IETM and Edinburgh Performing Arts Development. For the International Society of Performing Arts (ISPA), based in New York, of which she is an Arts Council England Grad Fellow, she serves as a member of the Governance Committee. Her ever-evolving portfolio of new work and reinterpretations of existing work is infused by her country of birth, Iran, and is interwoven by the cultures she reconnects with locally across the UK and internationally across continents. For more information about Nazli, you can check out you can check out her [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nomadicnazli/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Nazli_Tabatabai) profiles. This is a free event but you need to reserve a spot. Reservation details: [https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/shahnameh-reunited](https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/shahnameh-reunited) Are you interested in reading fiction and non-fiction in French Spanish, and English? [www.meetup.com/gaia-books](https://www.meetup.com/gaia-books) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -Instagram: @persian_culture_ -Persian Culture Whatsapp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2)

Join us for cricket practice nets organized by East London Cricket, associated with Millwall Stars CC. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to be a part of the East London cricket scene and make a difference together!

**CUDDLE WORKSHOP** **The UK's Longest Running Cuddle Event - nearly 16 years!** **with Anna Shekory (Fortes)** Cuddle Workshops are bursting with fun, connection, deep relaxation, nervous system support, laughter and healing. We include playful light exercises to help everyone relax, boundary and consent practice, some real heart warming exercises and our famously popular Cuddle Pods (where you get to receive your own cuddle wishes from your small group). Whether you're a nervous beginner or a cuddle connoisseur, come and join us! This is a prebook only event. You're welcome to book through Meetup or pay directly using PayPal (without additional booking fees) - just use the email address anna@CuddleWorkshop.co.uk and state the workshop date. \*Please email us first if you do this to ensure there are spaces and so that you get booked in\* Concessions are available on request. www.cuddleworkshop.co.uk **\*\*\*You'll get an email a few days before the workshop with directions and details of what to bring/wear etc. Please contact Anna if you don't receive it\*\*\*** Please note: The number of people indicated as 'attending' on Meetup will not reflect the true number attending. We generally have between 25 - 30 people, and workshops are confidential and will never be photographed or filmed!

## This talk will explore the V&A’s rich and varied collection of objects from Iran—a collection which spans thousands of years in many different media and styles. This is a free talk but you need a reservation. [The V&A](https://www.vam.ac.uk/), the UK’s foremost museum of art and design, has been collecting art from Iran since the museum’s very beginnings in the 1850s. Dr Fuchsia Hart, the museum’s Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections, will introduce us to the Jameel Gallery for the Islamic Middle East, where the museum’s most significant objects from Iran can be seen on display. Highlights include the remarkable 10-metre-long Ardabil Carpet which was woven c.1539, one of the world's oldest dated, largest, and most historically significant Persian carpets, most likely as a royal commission, and mesmerising lustre-glazed tiles from the 14th century, representing the height of ceramic production in Iran. The collection is still growing today, and now includes important modern and contemporary pieces from Iran, such as the work of contemporary printmakers, which will also be presented in the talk. **Speaker** Fuchsia has been the Sarikhani Curator for the Iranian Collections at the V&A since 2022. She holds a PhD in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford. Her thesis explored the shrine patronage of Fath 'Ali Shah Qajar (r.1797-1834) in Iran and Iraq. Currently, her other research and curatorial projects explore painting during the reign of Fath 'Ali Shah, embroidery traditions in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, and the collecting of lustre-glazed tiles from Iran in the UK. Booking details: [https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/arts-of-iran-va](https://www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk/whats-on/arts-of-iran-va) Are you interested in reading fiction and non-fiction in French and Spanish, and English? [www.meetup.com/gaia-books](https://www.meetup.com/gaia-books) [www.meetup.com/gaia-libros](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-libros) [www.meetup.com/gaia-livres](http://-www.meetup.com/gaia-livres) -Instagram: @persian_culture_ -Persian Culture Whatsapp group: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EZk35ZbJZ6W6wwyHyuxoS2)

Welcome back ramblers, rovers, loungers and loafers! Once again, it's time to drift. We're picking up where we left off (well, a little west of there) last month to continue our long-term unguided navigation around the whole of London. We'll stay south of the river this time and keep pushing westwards into the heartland of glorious South London, starting from Greenwich and ending up, most likely, somewhere in Lambeth, via Peckham. These are some of the liveliest, most interesting parts of the metropolis so an extended exploration is a long time coming for us! Since this is a *dérive*, I won't say much more than that. Meet out in front of Greenwich station, serviced by the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) as well as Thameslink (which cost the same as the Tube and run from big stations such as Farringdon and King's Cross) and Southwestern rail services. Check planned TfL disruptions here - there are some disruptions to certain routes on the DLR for March 15th, but Greenwich station will be fine and our day should be all clear for most everybody: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/planned-track-closures.pdf A little background on our City Drifting project here: **Now just wait a minute. What the hell is a drift ([dérive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive))?** A drift is any unplanned journey through the urban landscape in which participants practice a form of radical mindfulness, collectively exploring new ways of relating mentally, ideologically and materially to the "ordinary" urban environment we all think we know so well. First theorised publicly by Situationist thinker, artist and provocateur Guy Debord in his 1956 essay *[Theory of the Dérive](https://libcom.org/article/theory-derive-guy-debord)*, drifting is a sort of *critique of ideology* done by walking, looking, and feeling. **The urban environment of London is not a neutral space:** it is packed with surveillance equipment, anti-homeless architecture, consumerist [Gruen transfers,](https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-the-gruen-transfer.htm) crowd management systems and security perimeters, among a thousand other subtle and not-so-subtle methods of population control. Moreover, our everyday relationship to the city and its pathways is conditioned deeply by our habits of movement and our habitual perceptions: our commute to work, to school, our nips down to the shops, etc. **All these routines create what Marxists call a *reified* relationship with the urban environment: through over-familiarity it becomes something seemingly natural, "just there", ordinary, unchangeable - boring.** This boredom and familiarity kills the radical imagination, without which we're fucked. To be able to start to imagine how society could be transformed, we also need to imagine how spaces, buildings, their use, their whole purpose (and who these serve) could themselves be transformed. A necessary step in this process, according to Debord and the Situationists, is the drift. Like the 19th-century gentleman *[flâneur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A2neur),* by wandering the city with an attitude of "fresh eyes", we can shake loose our ingrained sense of what London and its streets are like. **As a collective, we will work to "estrange our senses" and see the streets, buildings and people differently, as if we were encountering them for the first time.** That is to say: these aren't just random walks around London - with the right frame of mind, they will be opportunities to turn the world upside down, if only for a moment! But don't take it from me - as Debord observed: *"In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period **drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and all their other usual motives for movement and action, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there.** Chance is a less important factor in this activity than one might think: from a dérive point of view cities have [psychogeographical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography) contours, with constant currents, fixed points and vortexes that strongly discourage entry into or exit from certain zones."* See you on the streets comrades, and remember, as [Raoul Vaneigem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raoul_Vaneigem) once wrote: *"All space is occupied by the enemy. We are living under a permanent curfew. Not just the cops — the geometry".*

**Join us on a visit to the [Samurai Exhibition at the British Museum](https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/samurai) in London.** Discover the reality behind a millennium of myth at this exhibition on the legendary Japanese warriors, from the battlefields of medieval Japan to the global pop culture of today. **MEET DETAILS:** **2:30 pm: MEET IN COURT CAFES @ the British Museum** Join us for a coffee in the Court Cafés, which are located on the ground floor of the Museum's Great Court. **3:00 pm \~ ENTER THE EXHIBITION** **4:30 pm \~ Late: PUB SOCIAL** We'll head to Penderel’s Oak pub for a social chit chat over drinks. Address: 283–288 High Holborn, Holborn, Camden, WC1V 7HP **TICKETS:** **Book your ticket** **[here](https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/samurai/21154)**[ ](https://ticketing.britishmuseum.org/samurai/21154)and select the 3:00 pm time slot (or around that time). Tickets are £25 or 50% off for Art Pass holders. [https://www.artfund.org/national-art-pass](https://www.artfund.org/national-art-pass) **GETTING THERE:** **Address:** British Museum, Great Russell St, London WC1B 3DG **Tube:** The four tube stations closest to the Museum are: * Tottenham Court Road: 5-minute walk * Holborn: 7-minute walk * Russell Square: 7-minute walk * Goodge Street: 8-minute walk **Bus:** The following bus routes pass within walking distance of the Museum. * New Oxford Street: 1, 8, 19, 25, 38, 55, 98, 242 * Tottenham Court Road (northbound) / Gower Street (southbound): 14, 24, 29, 73, 134, 390 * Southampton Row: 59, 68, X68, 91, 168, 188 **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:** **If you are on the 'Going' list only,** please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. **The link will be published a few days before the event.** Please let a host know if your WhatsApp name is different from your Meetup name, otherwise we'll assume you're a spammer! **If you are on the waitlist**, please join the WhatsApp group ONLY if/once space frees up and you are moved to the 'going' list. *Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.* **GROUP RULES, PLEASE NOTE:** LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. We limit event numbers as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. **If you can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible.** We remove members from the LoMAZ Meetup group who: * RSVP as ‘Going' but then do not show up (without changing their RSVP) three times in a row. * RSVP as ‘Going' but then change their RSVP to 'No' five times in a row. * Turn up at an event without being on the 'Going' list (i.e. members who have not signed up or are on the waitlist). **Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.** Image credit: Eric Pouhier, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Join me at 3 for dining, at Cafe Istanbul, on Easton. Cafe Istanbul in Easton, Columbus, Ohio, is a Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant known for its authentic cuisine, including various kebabs (lamb, chicken, beef), falafel, and appetizers like Sigara Borek, served in a uniquely decorated setting reminiscent of old Istanbul. It offers a full bar, takeout, and reservations, with popular dishes like lamb shish kebab, doner kebab, and vegetarian options like moussaka. One thing this group doesn't seem to do a lot of is dine out. This is an opportunity for those that like to eat over a meal and connect to do so. Please RSVP by Saturday 4pm

The topic for March is "Our Bodies, Ourselves" Speak Easy: true stories, told live. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast. Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--SpeakEasy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect. The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

The Humanist Monthly Program is our longest running event and still a community favorite. In the old days it used to be called "Going to HCCO" and we still like to think of it as our flagship event. Food and drinks will be provided at the event. Feel free to show up a little bit early to hang out and talk. Our March speakers are Molly Gaines and Zack Parrish, co-organizers of the Secular Education Association: They will share their story of how a small group of Ohio parents grew into a national organization tracking released-time religious instruction and other church–state issues in public schools. The presentation will cover SEA’s early wins and hard lessons, what we’re seeing nationally right now, and how local advocates can play a meaningful role in protecting public education. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the landscape — and practical ways to get involved. Going forward our meetings will be hybrid. You can meet us in-person or attend online Join Zoom Meeting [https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87836564953?pwd=4Mi57ElZkDIFlb1fnlNwOJ0NiOK4tP.1) Meeting ID: 878 3656 4953 Passcode: 760812 One tap mobile +19292056099,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (New York) +13017158592,,87836564953#,,,,\*760812# US (Washington DC) The formal presentation will start at noon

Join the CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group for a dynamic afternoon of B2B networking! This event is perfect for professionals looking to expand their business connections, share insights, and foster collaboration within the community. Whether you are a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this event offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and grow your network in a supportive environment. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore potential partnerships, and discover new opportunities for professional growth. Don't miss out on this chance to enhance your business network and take your career to the next level with CONNECTED Westerville Mastermind Group! We meet the 4th Monday of every month from 11am-1pm. Welcome and general networking from 11am - 11:30am with core meeting 11;30 - 12:30 and a final round of networking from 12:30 - 1pm.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!