NEW YORK — The second annual New York Arab Festival (NYAF) takes place in venues across New York City from April 7 through May 17 to honor and celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, which coincides with Ramadan this year. The NYAF is programming multiple live in-person events in partnership with several pioneering institutions across NYC, the USA and internationally.

The New York Arab Festival was established in 2022 to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month and fight the erasure of Arab and Arab American identities from New York City, a place that Arabs have called home for over three centuries. The NYAF is a multidisciplinary festival of art, culture, design, food, philosophy and intersecting industries. It programs artists from the entire Arabic-speaking region, the Arab diaspora and Arab American artists, particularly artists working and living in New York City.

The festival was founded by Arab, Arab American and American artists, curators and cultural operators. Namely, artistic director and curator Adham Hafez, urbanist Adam Kucharski, senior producer Cindy Sibilsky and cultural manager Marwa Seoudi.

Audiences are invited to discover and engage with the art and culture of Arab and Arab Americans across all creative disciplines and from all backgrounds in the Arab diaspora at the NYAF.

This year, the NYAF is programming events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. It invites an array of pioneering artists, designers, thinkers and industrialists, including Felukah, Samar Haddad King, Leyya Mona Tawil, Jadd Tank, Nora Alami, Ahaad Alamoudy, Obaid Al Safi, Adam Elsayigh, Sarah Aziza, Jenna Hamed, DJ Nadia and many more.

NYAF 2023 is presented by HaRaKa Platform and Wizara. It includes partnerships and support from La MaMa ETC, the World Music Institute, NuBlu, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, McNally Jackson, the Onassis Foundation, the Arab Film and Media Institute, MBC Studios, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Movement Research, McNally Jackson, the Yaa Samar Dance Theater, Brooklyn Maqam, Cairography, Critical Correspondences, Cafe Kitsune, Zooba, the Opening Gallery and others.

Website: www.newyorkarabfestival.com

NYAF 2023 Program highlights:

NYAF 2023 Kick-off event and concert: “Let’s dance”

The NYAF, in partnership with the World Music Institute, presents live music by Egyptian genre-bending neo-soul rap artist Felukah and energetic dance tunes spun by DJ Nadia and DJ meëraj at NuBlu on Friday, April 7 from 8-11 p.m. This is the opening event for the NYAF. Tickets are $20 (presale) and $25 at the door. For tickets and more information, please visit www.worldmusicinstitute.org/ny-arab-festival.

“Ancient Futures – Contemporary Visual Art Exhibition”

The New York Arab Festival, powered by Wizara in partnership with The Opening Gallery and Greece in USA, presents a gallery exhibition of digital and video art by Saudi Arabian artists Ahaad Alamoudy and Obaid Safi and Egyptian artists Mariam Sadik and Manar Abdelmaaboud at The Opening Gallery on 42 Walker Street from April 10-21 (Opening Event: Monday, April 10, 6-8 p.m.). The exhibition looks at the power of ancient narratives to investigate the present and foretell the future. For hours, schedules and more information, please visit www.theopeninggallery.com.

“GPS Chats: Arab American Choreography Today”

A panel discussion exploring contemporary Arab American choreography presented in partnership with Movement Research and the New York Arab Festival, featuring  Leyya Mona Tawil (aka Lime Rickey International), Jadd Tank and Nora Alami, moderated by NYAF Artistic Director Adham Hafez at MR, 122CC – Courtyard Studio, 150 1st Avenue on April 12 from 6:30 – 8 p.m). Free with an RSVP, limited seating available. To RSVP and for more information, please visit movementresearch.org.

“La MaMa Moves! NYAF contemporary Arab American dance program”

A double-bill dance program of contemporary Arab American choreographers, co-produced and presented through a partnership with the NYAF, La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival and La MaMa ETC, featuring Leyya Mona Tawil (aka Lime Rickey International), Jadd Tank and Nora Alami at the La MaMa Theater, Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East 4th Street on April 13, 14, 15 at 7 p.m. and April 16 at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, please visit www.lamama.org.

Learn about Cavafy’s Legacy in a panel discussion with Stamatina Gregory, Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, Jason Wee and Richie Hofmann as part of “Archive of Desire”, A festival inspired by C. P. Cavafy.

An evening of conversation exploring Cavafy’s identity and his influence on generations of writers, artists and thinkers presented and curated in partnership with the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, the Onassis Foundation and McNally Jackson and co-presented by the NYAF on April 19. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event  runs from 7-9 p.m. at  the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, 26 Wooster Street. The event features the LLMA’s director of curatorial programs, poet Richie Hofmann; artist and writer Jason Wee and Egyptian writer, theater maker and dramaturg Adam Elsayigh. Space is limited. Please contact info@leslielohman.org at least one week in advance of your planned visit. For more information and to RSVP, please visit www.mcnallyjackson.com/event. To learn more about the Cavafy Festival, visit cavafyfestival.onassis.org.

“GPS Chats: Contemporary Performance & Creative Production in Beirut”

A conversation about contemporary dance and performance in Lebanon presented in partnership with Movement Research and the NYAF, featuring Romy Assouad of YARAQA at MR, 122CC – Courtyard Studio, 150 1st Avenue (Manhattan) on April 19 from 6:30-8 p.m. This project is supported by the GPS/Global Practice Sharing MENA Exchange Program of Movement Research, with funding from the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund. Free with an RSVP, limited seating available. To RSVP and for more information, please visit movementresearch.org.

“Brooklyn Maqam: Souq El-Jum3a at Barbes (April 12) and Zafer Tawil at Sisters (April 25)”

The New York Arab Festival is excited to support Brooklyn Maqam, a partnership that began in the NYAF’s inaugural year, with a concert and Arabic Open Jam Session in Brooklyn during Arab American Heritage Month (April). Acclaimed musician Zafer Tawil performs at Sisters (April 25, 7:30 p.m. doors, $20 cover) with Brooklyn Maqam Hang’s Arabic Music Jam to follow. For more information, visit www.brooklynmaqam.com.

Gathering: New York City with the Yaa Samar Dance Theatre

Join us on this work-in-progress showing of the new work by Palestinian American choreographer Samar Haddad King. This CUNY Dance Initiative residency features a part staged work, part improvisational score by YSDT Gathering: New York City that utilizes technology, storytelling, sound design and play to examine what brings people together in celebration, conflict, protest and sport. The work-in-progress is directed and choreographed by YSDT Artistic Director Samar Haddad King and takes place on Saturday, April 29 at 2 p.m. at Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island. For more information, visit www.ysdt.org.