1st April, 2006 – At the Sheraton Hotel, Hawler, Kurdistan
8th April, 2006 – At the Oscar Hall, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan
Delkash Murad is a London based fashion designer who is widely admired for her work both within and beyond the Kurdish community.
She designs traditional Kurdish-inspired fashions with a contemporary twist in her own atelier (www.dellalondon.co.uk).
Della’s work is a vehicle for celebrating and raising awareness about Kurdish people and their heritage. In addition to its artistic elements, this has important social and cultural dimensions.
In April of this year, Della will travel along with her team to Kurdistan, where the Kurdish Ministry of Culture in Hewler, and Kurdsat TV in Sulaimaniyah will host a showcase of her designs alongside a series of cultural events. Invited guests and dignitaries will experience Della’s dynamic work as part of a special reception.
This is the result of many months work and the cooperation of a team of individuals with diverse skills and links to Kurdistan and the UK. Sarah Keeler, a consultant on the project, first became involved with Kurdish exiles in London through her PhD research dealing with Kurdish heritage, identity formation, and the role of diaspora in reconstructing Kurdistan.
Through these she first met Della. Documentary film-maker Kameel Ahmady, currently reading visual anthropology at the University of Kent, will follow the entire journey, producing a documentary film which will be a lasting testament to this ground-breaking endeavour. Della will also be joined by her entrepreneurial mentor, City solicitor Sarah Panizzo. Once in Kurdistan, we will also be working in collaboration with many local community leaders and professionals.
This project represents a historic moment in the history of the Kurds, both in Kurdistan and the diaspora. With recent changes in the region, the Kurdish population in Iraqi Kurdistan can now fully express their identity through culture and the arts.
With Kurdistan playing such a central role in the reconstruction of Iraq, and with the recovery of the rich cultural heritage and history of the region being an important aspect of developments in the new tourism infrastructure, such celebratory events are timely and much needed.
The social and educational aspects of the arts are all the more important.
The project is of interest in the UK as well, where members of diaspora communities contribute a vibrant array of influences to British community arts. We want to highlight the role of the many skilled and dynamic members of the Kurdish diaspora who are now re-investing their skills into creating a vital civil society in the new Iraq.
Della’s story is one such example. We invite you to share in this journey and vision.
Colours of Kurdistan
Project developed by Delkash Murad and Sarah Keeler
For further information please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
www.dellalondon.co.uk