University of York Music Press

"I have been commissioned to write a 30 minute ballet score based on 5 artworks by Khadija Doorman, Shajia Azhir and Elaha, which have been procured from within Afghanistan with the help of the Belfast charity Beyond Skin. The ballet will form the central panel of a concert which will also feature other works written by Afghan composers who have fled their home country. Poetry by Afghan women, in particular the wonderful artist and poet Ali Na, will be read live in Persian with English translations. The project has also commissioned a beautiful new painting by Shajia Azhir and we are looking forward to sharing the work soon. The project is a multi-media celebration of an extraordinarily rich culture with dancers, artists, poets and musicians joining together to remind the world that Afghan women still need our attention.

"The project will be premiered on 13 April 2025 at the Bushnell Theater, the premiere venue in Connecticut, with subsequent US performances in Boston and Hartford. The work will be recorded for Arkadash Records to be released in Autumn 2025. We are hoping to bring the project to the UK in Spring 2026!"