One last lullaby

In development
( Culturelab -Arts house )

Culinary theatre where motherhood
becomes survival rituals

Set in a refugee camp kitchen, the work follows Amal, a mother who cooks, sings, and remembers. Through food, song, shadow, and movement, the audience is drawn into her world, one shaped by displacement, tenderness, and quiet acts of survival. The piece is inspired by real testimonies of women from war zones who have endured birth and motherhood under siege.

For Aseel’s Master’s degree, she delved into the profound significance of lullabies—for healing, for mothers, and for babies. Lullabies are more than just melodies; they are the first bonds we form, often before we are even born. We hear them in the womb, during breastfeeding, before sleep, and in moments of fear. These simple songs create powerful connections, fostering a sense of love, warmth, and safety that transcends time and place.
 
To Aseel, lullabies are universal threads that unite humanity. She still sings the songs her mother made up for her—personal, heartfelt melodies—to herself and her daughter. These songs continue to provide healing, comfort, and peace, a testament to the timeless and transformative power of lullabies.
  • Duration
    90 minutes
  • Touring Team
    Aseel
    Meena Camile
  • Setup
    TBC

This project is a cross-cultural production for adult audiences inspired by stories of mothers raising children in war situations, who are or have been living in refugee camps and prisons, and whose experiences of trauma will be retold through this production, in narrative, song and video form. The work builds on an initial creative development at Arts House that was undertaken in 2019 with Osama Sami and Nicole Chamoun and talented artists that aim to capture the lullabies that women in extreme situations sing to their children, and the stories of struggle, survival, and hope.

Producer Aseel tayah-Bukjeh see bio

 Musical direction Marwan Khater
Marwan Khater is a professional oud player and music composer with over 11 years of experience in the art and music field. He studied Aeronautical Engineering and has composed numerous musical pieces, as well as soundtracks for cinematic and theatrical productions. Throughout his career, he has earned several prestigious awards both in Egypt and internationally, showcasing his exceptional talent and contributions to the music industry.

Opera singer 

Fatima Alhashmi is an Architectural Engineer who works in a music field as a Head of Music Section in Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development of UAE. She has been into music world since her childhood, and studied piano for more than 9 years. Fatima achieved the LTCL (Licentiate degree in Piano Performance from Trinity College of London) in 2013. She was giving piano classes for 4 years in the Piano Center, UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, and on November 2018 she get her master degree in Performing Arts Management from Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi. Fatima won several local competition in piano solo and duo with her sister Mariam Alhashmi. She had Chopin best performance Grand Prix which reflects her passion of the romantic era, she was showing that on her repertoire and performances. She performed in many concerts as a soloist, chamber music and with several orchestras like UAE National Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Youth Orchestra and Belarusian Chamber Orchestra. She had a chance to perform quite a few of diplomatic events (The Polish President, Polish Prime Minister’s Spouse and Ambassadors of European countries). Fatima was playing in some master-class in UAE with Lang Lang in 2016 and abroad in Czech Republic in 2010. In addition to that, Fatima was performing internationally like in Prague (Dvorak Museum), Ceszky Krumlov and Minsk.

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Tahlila

A neighbourhood that invites children and their families to explore First Nations treasures while celebrating their own cultures.

To book this show get involved or email us on [email protected]