Art as a voice for Sudan’s unseen struggles

euronews (in English)

Art as a voice for Sudan’s unseen struggles  Seeing Sudan: Politics Through Art" at Georgetown University in Qatar showcases the resilience and creativity of Sudanese people. Artists like Alsarah, Khalid Albaih, and Omer Al Tijani highlight how art preserves cultural identity and raises awareness of Sudan's struggles amidst conflict.  In partnership with Media City  READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/10/06/art-as-a-voice-for-sudans-unseen-struggles  Spark your senses, wake your wonder. Euronews Culture seeks to show creativity in action and inspire our audience to explore the world through the five senses. Start your journey through the best of Europe's arts, gastronomy, traditions and high-end craftsmanship.

Transcript

00:00Doha allows a space for difficult conversations to take place in a world where speech is becoming more and more suppressed and difficult.

00:11And it's becoming more difficult to have honest, open conversations about difficult issues.

00:19The war in Sudan has displaced more than 13 million people, yet their plight remains largely untold in international media.

00:28To address this, Georgetown University, Qatar, is shining a spotlight on some of these stories.

00:34Seeing Sudan, politics through art, brings together scholars, artists, and activists to show how creativity endures, even in the face of war.

00:51When Sudanese American singer Alsara takes the stage, her powerful voice soars,

00:56blending traditional sounds with a modern, defiant edge.

01:01Her music speaks directly to the struggles of her homeland.

01:04I have a band called Alsara and the Nubitons, where we do what I call Sudanese-inspired retro-pop.

01:10A lot of our music was inspired by the idea of migration and home, and carrying sounds with you through that.

01:17Al-Sara's performance connects the threads of Sudan's musical history to the important events of today.

01:29Sudan, at this moment, is in a very dangerous place.

01:32We are in the space of having our entire history erased.

01:36And if we are not active participants in preserving that history, we are going to lose everything.

01:41A different kind of preserving is going on in the kitchen.

01:45Pharmacist-turned-author, Omer Al-Tajani, is documenting the rich culinary traditions of Sudan,

01:51ensuring these beloved recipes endure for future generations.

01:56Sudanese food culture hasn't been documented extensively.

01:59So it's important for me to document it in order for future generations to have access to recipes and food cultures.

02:04Well, what didn't exist is a cookbook about Sudanese food, and I wanted to fill that void, to fill that gap,

02:10and, you know, make a cookbook available for people in English, for, you know, diaspora Sudanese anywhere in the world,

02:16anyone whose first language is English, or maybe they don't speak Arabic and they don't have a strong connection with Sudan.

02:22Amid the chaos and destruction of war, a powerful creative resistance is emerging from Sudan.

02:27Brave artists, storytellers, and activists are using their platforms to preserve the country's rich cultural legacy

02:34and give a voice to the millions displaced.

02:40Khalid Al-Bay's art cuts through the rhetoric and shows how war hurts people through sharp political drawings.

02:46And I've been doing it for almost 15 years now, or even more.

02:49And it's very important to this space to happen, because not only as a political cartoonist, but also for artists, writers, intellectuals,

02:57this is a good space to talk to all these people that got affected by this war.

03:03The conference is part of Georgetown University in Qatar's Hiwarat series, Dialogue in Arabic.

03:09For many, this crucial, long-overdue conversation has been tragically absent from the global stage.

03:15Sudan often is referred to as the forgotten war.

03:21There has not been attention given to it, despite the fact that there is incredible devastation.

03:28We know that 14 million people have been displaced out of a population of 48 million.

03:34And out of those 14 million, at least 5 million are children.

03:38It is important to shed light on this human catastrophe.

03:43Across the country, the diverse cultural identities of Sudan are woven into the very fabric of daily life.

03:51Costume designer Mohamed Simba El-Moor brings these fashion stories to life.

03:57Six years I've just been trying my best to portray why Sudan has this unique wardrobe,

04:04this unique clothing, the different areas, how they dress, what it tells about their culture,

04:09and about their atmosphere, their weather, everything.

04:12From Simba's vivid costumes to the defiant artistry of Khalid al-Bay and al-Sara,

04:18these works are a vital means of preserving memory and ensuring the Sudanese story continues to be heard.

04:26War has been going on for so long, and social media is almost not speaking about it.

04:31We're trying our best, we're sharing whatever we can share, we're talking about it.

04:33So I think we're just kind of like unseen at the moment.

04:36So the best thing to do would be to share more about Sudan, to speak about it, speak about what's happening.

04:42From satire to sounds, food to fashion,

04:46this three-day conference is a celebration of Sudanese creatives and creativity, hosted here in Doha.

04:52Their works represent identity and the fight to be seen and remembered.

04:56How do you survive this country?

05:03What do you think is a really big factor?

05:20I feel like it's a social media Napoleon.

05:21I feel like you've distributed over it, I feel like you're with me as a Albert,

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