Belfast International Arts Festival, Orient Productions and Sareyyet Ramallah are proud to present Our Voice Together Now (????? ???? ????) a ground-breaking international dance exchange that brings together choreographers and performers from Belfast, Cairo and Ramallah to co-create and present three new works between 2025 and 2026.
This ambitious project, made possible 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 – Sean O’Neill from Tyrone, Sarah Flavelle from Antrim, and Martha Tribe from Dublin – at The Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on 31stOctober – 1st November.
Meanwhile, the festival’s Artist in Residence, Northern Irish choreographer Michael McEvoy, was recently in Cairo to present his new piece, Tá brón 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 (??? in Arabic) by Egyptian choreographer Shaymaa Shoukry. Originally planned to debut at Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival, the on-going crisis in Gaza means the all-female cast has 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 Tá brón 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 its heart, Our Voice Together Now is about connecting across borders, supporting new talent in dance and more generally celebrating cultural diversity through dance practice. Through these new works, artists from Northern Ireland, Egypt and Palestine are able come together to create, collaborate and share powerful stories across borders – a vital act of solidarity in uncertain times.
Belfast International Arts Festival’s Artistic Director and Chief Executive Richard Wakely said: “Our Voice Together Now really embodies what our festival stand for: international creative collaboration that transcends borders. More than dance, this remarkable project is about encouraging dialogue and the shared experiences that connect us all. It’s a real privilege to bring together such a dynamic range of artists whose unique voices and visions are worthy of the international stage.”
Also speaking about the project was Colette Norwood, Head of Arts, British Council Northern Ireland. She said: “Through our International Collaboration Grants, we are proud to support projects like Our Voice Together Now, which bring together artists from Northern Ireland, Egypt and Palestine to create new work and build meaningful partnerships. 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.”
The Fallen & Everynothing
From 31 October – 1 November at The Cresent Arts Centre in Belfast, choreographers Michael McEvoy and Salma Ataya will present a special double bill of contemporary dance. These performances also feature in Belfast International Arts Festival’s International Showcase, sponsored by Culture Ireland and Belfast City Council.
The Fallen tells the story of the forgotten fairy of Ireland, one of the Sidhe. Long ago, a godlike race arrived, steeped in magic and wisdom. Captured by a Mortal King of Christian faith, the last fairy was hung for sport. Unable to die, he was stripped of his wings and buried beneath the Hill of Tara, where the first fairy tree grew. Through poetic movement, McEvoy explores a wingless angel trapped in a prison of broken memory and newfound mortality, seeking a way back to the Otherworld.
Following this is Everynothing by Salma Ataya. In this powerful new work, three dancers search for moments of stillness and clarity in a precarious world that never stops moving. They explore what it means to stay alert yet at ease, to rest while in motion, and to find space where there is none. This quiet, powerful piece is both an act of resistance and a reflection on how we survive when everything and nothing happen at once.
A post-show discussion will be held on Friday 31st Octoberfeaturing Salma Ataya alongside Ahmed El Attar, Artistic Director of D-CAF (Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival, Cairo); Khaled Elayyan, Artistic Director of Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival; and Richard Wakely, Artistic Director of Belfast International Arts Festival.
For more information and to book tickets, visitwww.belfastinternationalartsfestival.com. Header image by Neil Harrison.