Northern Ireland, Egypt and Palestine unite in dance exchange

By Rebecca Black, PA

Choreographers and performers from Belfast, the Egyptian capital Cairo, and Ramallah in Palestine have come together for an international dance exchange.

The Our Voice Together Now initiative has seen the co-creation of three new works to be presented between 2025 and 2026.

The project, funded by an International Collaboration Grant from the British Council, sees Palestinian choreographer Salma Ataya develop and debut her new show Everynothing with three local dancers.

More than dance, this remarkable project is about encouraging dialogue and the shared experiences that connect us all

Sean O’Neill from Co Tyrone, Sarah Flavelle from Co Antrim, and Martha Tribe from Dublin will perform the piece at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on October 31st November 1st.

Meanwhile, the festival’s artist in residence, Northern Irish choreographer Michael McEvoy, was recently in Cairo to present his new piece, Ta bron orm (Irish for ‘grief is upon me’), alongside a cast of Egyptian dancers at the Arab Arts Focus showcase during D-CAF (Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival).

The third production in the international exchange is The Light Within by Egyptian choreographer Shaymaa Shoukry.

It had originally been planned to debut at the Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival, but the ongoing crisis in Gaza means the all-female cast have been rehearsing in Cairo, where they premiered the production last week.

All three productions will perform in each of the three cities over 2025 and 2026.

Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival will host all three pieces in summer 2026, with The Light Within and Ta bron orm playing in Belfast in October 2026 and Everynothing travelling to Cairo in November 2026.

The Light Within is also debuting at the Arab Arts Focus with a view to performing in Ramallah in 2026.

At a time of significant change for the arts sector globally, sustaining these collaborations is essential to ensuring artists’ voices continue to be heard on the international stage

Belfast International Arts Festival’s artistic director and chief executive Richard Wakely hailed “international creative collaboration that transcends borders”.

“More than dance, this remarkable project is about encouraging dialogue and the shared experiences that connect us all,” he said.

Colette Norwood, head of arts at the British Council Northern Ireland, said: “At a time of significant change for the arts sector globally, sustaining these collaborations is essential to ensuring artists’ voices continue to be heard on the international stage.”

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com.