Enjoy this hands on session with artist and calligrapher Soraya Syed in the delightful surrounds of Cromwell Place. Work with ancient materials in a contemporary context and connect with earthly tools and materials. 

Sound & Silence is a new, immersive and interactive show by calligraphic artist Soraya Syed using digital and physical elements to juxtapose the materials and practice of Arabic calligraphy with a broader humanitarian relation to nature.

In this intimate in-person workshop Soraya will introduce participants to the ancient materials used in calligraphy and teach them its foundational techniques. Participants will have the opportunity not only to learn a new skill, but also reflect through practice on the spiritual, material, visual, and verbal dimensions of Arabic calligraphy.

This event is ticketed and will include a two-hour workshop on both Friday, 23 June and Saturday, 24 June.

About Soraya Syed

Soraya Syed is a classically trained calligrapher and artist dedicated to bringing the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy into the 21st century through film, dance, VR, and three-dimensional sculptures. Her pioneering work has been exhibited across Europe and the Middle East and is prized by collectors worldwide.

In 2005, she became the first Briton to be awarded the coveted ijazah, or authoritative license to practice the art of calligraphy from the celebrated Turkish masters Hasan Çelebi and Efdaluddin Kılıç. Soraya’s work is a sustained visual meditation on the intersection of calligraphy and technology. Her practice is driven by an endless fascination with the Arabic script and its intoxicating versatility and depth of meaning. She works from her studio in London.

Talking about the workshop, Soraya says: "I am intrigued by the idea that the materials I use in my practice contain the fabric of earth’s existence within them. I have been on a calligraphic journey that has revealed the reed pen I hold as an extension of my hand, that dips into black ink; black ink connecting to carbon, the foundation of all life. Pure white Italian marble dust, mined from Michelangelo’s favourite quarry in Carrara makes the white ink I use to create calligraphic sculptures inspired by the human form and inscribed with ink from recycled carbon harvested from motorcycle exhaust. I can see the materials I work with every day transfigured and transformed into new forms. This is Sound and Silence."

Co-producers and/or sponsors
Sound & Silence by Soraya Syed
Commissioning partner Shubbak Festival
Executively Produced by Trajectory Theatre
Generously supported by The Coronet Theatre, the National Theatre’s Immersive Studio and Arts Council England

Suitable for families and children age 16+