The Handloom Weavers Debate – Ali Al Jamra, presented in partnership with the British Arab Centre at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery February 2025

Ali Al-Jamri is one of Manchester City of Literature’s multilingual poets. Aljamri’s newest project, a moving image installation titled The Handloom Weaver’s Debate, inspired by a book titled Songs of Spindle and Legends of the Loom, found at The Working-Class Movement Library, Salford. An installation of poetry, film and textiles, the mixed media work will explore shared revolutionary histories through the textile industry. It will feature a filmed narrative debate poem between two historic handloom weavers; one from the North West in the run up to the Peterloo massacre, and the other from Bahrain, significant in the 2011 Arab Uprisings. The ghostly weavers spar over whose life was harder until they find shared commonality. It will develop unexplored poetic artforms, working with local Northwest and Bahraini textile artisans to create the installation upon which the film is projected.

You can see more of Ali’s work on this link: https://alialjamri.com/