Early in July, I covered Eid Festival for Winkball, an online reporter network that focuses on culture in London.

The festival was an incredible event; one filled with talented musicians from all over the world highlighting the diversity of Muslim culture. Break dancers and beat boxers performed and thriving food stalls hosted rich traditional flavours which wafted through Trafalgar Square with delight. Not only was the event highlighting the platform of music and food in the Muslim world, but it encouraged art and theatre too, paying homage to incredible artists and supporting wonderful work of creators and visionaries.

I had the pleasure of interviewing the genius behind “Hats of Faith“, a children’s story tale of the various religious hats that people wear. I find it such an enlightening and wonderful concept which can highlight to other’s the vast amount of culture in the world, supporting and uniting each other’s differences.

I also spoke to Rachel Gasden, a disabled artist who grew up in the Middle East (and like me struggles with this unusual heritage bubble) who uses performative elements in her pieces to help drive her work.

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to the Sudanese artist Rasha, who experiments with all aspects of Sudanese styles of music and creates anecdotes from all over Sudan. I spoke to Maya Youssef on her inspirational courage and bravery to learn and play the Kanun, a challenging 78 string instrument. As well as the band Oxford Maqam, who mostly research and improvise 19th century works to create their own version with a unique modern twist, and the band Hawidro, who blend a fusion of Egyptian and Arabic sounds.

The 2 minute edit of the event can be seen here: