Presented by Dr Bilquis Ghani (Hunar Symposia) and Mr Kabir Mokamel (ArtLords), this session will explore the role of arts in society building and identity construction. With Kabul, Afghanistan as a case study, Ghani will present her doctoral research, its evolution as Hunar Symposia and be in conversation with Kabir Mokamel, who has recently returned from Kabul. Established in 2014, Artlords are now a global grassroots movement of artivists motivated by the desire to pave the way for social transformation and behavioral change through employing the soft power of art and culture as a non-intrusive approach. Displaced following the Taliban takeover in 2021, Artlords have found new and innovative ways to continue their work.

Lead speaker:

Dr Bilquis Ghani leads the Hunar collective, working at the intersection of theory and practice. Through Hunar, she seeks to create opportunities for discourse between theorists and practitioners. Bilquis' research focuses on the mobilisation of the creative process through moments of social and cultural rupture. Her work takes a decolonial approach to making sense of arts movements in conflict spaces, Kabul in particular. She is particularly interested in art's public pedagogy potential. Bilquis is Head of Inclusion at the Sydney Opera House where she drives the House's Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy and was a founding member of Refugee Art Project.