Being Seen; SWANA Visibility and Perspective in the Arts
On October 7th and October 13th, 2021, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture hosted two discussions engaging up-and-coming SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) artists on the topic of representation, and the implications of such a laden term. Speaking primarily to stage and screen, artists Lena Elmeligy, Martin Zebari, NAXO, and Sarah Trad shared their stories as artists navigating an artistic field which can value individuals more for their identities than their unique personhoods.
The first of these discussions, titled “Beyond ‘Representation’: Decolonizing Hollywood'' centered the story of Screenwriter and Director Lena Elmeligy from film school to writing and directing for the Ghareeb Mini Series. Lena was asked about her perspective on developments in filmmaking in America. In particular the conversation focused on the value of representation in filmmaking beyond casting. The entirety of the process from inception to script writing, filming and editing influences the ways in which SWANA characters are depicted and their stories are told. As a native of Los Angeles, she brings a unique perspective to filmmaking in the greater Chicago areaA panel discussion, “Queer Spaces: A Panel Discussion on Queer SWANA (South West Asian North African) Visibility in the Arts”, continued the conversation on representation the following week.
Featuring the contributions of artists Martin Zebari, NAXO, and Sarah Trad, these discussions were born out of Al-Bustan’s previous gallery exhibit, ARTist-Reframed. The photography exhibit of emerging SWANA artists in their domains, shot by Chicago-based Arab-American photographer Tamara Hijazi, had been exhibited in Al-Bustan's Hub from June to September 2021.
Elmeligy, Zebari, and NAXO were three of the thirteen artists featured in the exhibit, and Al-Bustan was pleased to have them join us again to discuss, as characterized by Al-Bustan Executive Director Mohannad Ghawanmeh, “…how artists of backgrounds from Southwest Asia and North Africa move in America of 2021”."Beyond ‘Representation’” provided a detailed look into Elmeligy’s journey as a working film maker in Chicago. Leaving film school, Elmeligy admitted that she felt disillusioned by film and the industry. However, her former professor and current mentor had a project, called OpenTelevision, in Chicago, which afforded Elmeligy the opportunity to work in a space with artists of diverse backgrounds working in all stages of production. Over the course of a few years, Elmeligy acquired an in-depth knowledge of the film industry, while creating connections with writers, producers, directors, and others who were creating their own career trajectories outside of Hollywood. The formation of a community, as Elmeligy noted throughout her discussion, was been integral to her progression from a Production Assistant to Writer/Director. Elmeligy discussed that community can provide resources, from writing groups to friends with different skillsets, which allow for artists like Elmeligy to see their projects on a screen, outside Hollywood and without the backing of a studio.
This was echoed by fellow artist, and featured speaker in the subsequent panel discussion, Martin Zebari, who added, “There is no guidebook for us, usually the guidebook doesn’t include us, and so we are left to forge our own waythrough the industry, which makes events like these so much more important because it really is all about who you know.” The following week, Zebari guided a discussion with panelists NAXO and Sarah Trad, while opening the floor to audience members to create an intimate dialogue on what SWANA artists today want for the future, what art inspires them, and the importance of access and queer representation in their art. Representation, in all of its complexity, had value in the panelists’ artistic practices, mainly as a way to reckon with the struggles that they had encountered entering this industry, and as a means of creating a more inclusive space for a new generation, or, as Trad and Zebari emphasized, their “younger selves.” However, panelists noted that representation is only as valuable as access to art is increased, both in regards to resources for emerging artists of Southwest Asian and North African backgrounds and public access to art. Despite the burden that representation can place on emerging SWANA artists, the panel discussion evoked hope for the future and excitement for the present art practices of Zebari, NAXO, and Trad.
Common interests amongst the panelists and audience members, from a love of fiber arts and textiles to a passion for arts activists, ignited sparks of potential collaborations between the panelists, and between the panelists and audience. Implicit in both discussions was the question, “Representation of what for whom?”. From the stories and experiences shared by these emerging artists of SWANA descent, it became apparent that representation, for all of its over-use and the burden it can place on artists, drove each of our guests to create artwork that they would have liked to have experienced when they were younger, and that they hope will resonate with someone like them growing up in today’s America. If you would like to watch these discussions for yourself, you can find recordings of “Beyond ‘Representation’” and “Queer Spaces” on Al-Bustan's YouTube. If you were inspired by these discussions to dive into the world of writing for film and stage, check out “Stories Retold: A Writing Workshop for Stage and Film” taught by Elmeligy and Zebari on Al-Bustan’s digital learning platform Al-Bustan Fil Bayt.