Press

Coal, Frankincense and Myrrh: Yemen and British Yemenis

Part of Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival
11 - 27 July 2008
www.arabicartsfestival.co.uk

A stunning exhibition of photographs, by nationally renowned photographer Tim Smith, about the Yemen featured as part of the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival.

The Yemeni community is Britain's oldest established Muslim community, and Liverpool is home to one of the largest in the country. Their stories of migration, settlement and development are explored in a new exhibition of photographs taken by Tim Smith over the past twenty-five years in both Britain and Yemen.

Yemen is one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world. Thousands of years of trade along its Red Sea and Indian Ocean coasts, over its mountains and deserts, have made it a meeting point for people and their goods, money and ideas. In an era when Indian and Arab boats dominated the surrounding oceans it was Yemen's close relationship with the sea that established the country's role as the crossroads between Arabia, Africa, Europe, India and the Far East. As a result in the 19th century Yemeni sailors and traders settled all over the world, and laid the foundations of Britain's Yemeni communities.

Photographs taken along ancient incense and spice routes explore a region which retains much of its tribal character and traditional ways. Pictures of the port of Mokha reveal its once proud heritage as the centre of the world's coffee trade, and those of Aden show its former role as a lynchpin of British Empire where coal-fired ships refuelled and Yemeni sailors joined the British Merchant Navy.

Tim Smith also travelled to many of the remote towns and villages from which Yemenis travelled to forge new lives in Britain, and to which many return. This special exhibition tells the extraordinary story of these sailors and their families, and how they are linked with the shared histories of Britain and the fascinating country they left behind.

The Yemen Ambassador, His Excellency, Mr Mohamed Taha Mustafa, says:
"I am extremely pleased that these evocative, thought provoking and beautiful images of the Yemen and its people is being given a national, public showcase at the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. It is clear from Tim Smith's work that he understands and appreciates the history of the Yemen and that through this exhibition the cultural links between the UK and the Yemen can only be strengthened."

Coal, Frankincense and Myrrh runs throughout the course of the seventh successive Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival (11-27 July) which celebrates the wealth of Arabic culture and remains the only festival of its kind in the UK.

Coal, Frankincense and Myrrh:
Yemen and British Yemenis
The Picton Reading Room, Liverpool Central Library
William Brown Street, L3 8EW

Tel 0151 233 5835
Fri 11 July - Sun 27 July, Monday - Friday 9.00am to 6.00pm, Saturday 9.00am to 5.00pm, Sunday 12.00pm to 4.00pm
Entry: Free

Festival programme and ticket information: www.arabicartsfestival.co.uk or call 0151 702 5324.

For press information, interview requests with Tim Smith or photographs please contact Adrian Pennington on 07737 970 930 or email penningtonadrian@hotmail.com

Notes to editors
The Bluecoat and Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival is now in its seventh successive year. The event started as a partnership between Liverpool Arabic Centre and the Bluecoat and over the years has grown to involve more partners from the city's arts and Arabic communities. The Bluecoat reopened earlier this year following a £12.5m redevelopment, and the LAAF remains a key part of the organisation's activities and reflects the diverse nature of the Bluecoat's programme. LAAF is at the heart of the Bluecoat's artistic programme presenting the best of new, innovative local and international visual art and live art along with contemporary dance, music and literature events.
www.thebluecoat.org.uk

The Liverpool Arabic Centre
LAC is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee based in the Toxteth area of Liverpool. The LAC works alongside the Yemeni and Arabic speaking communities and those interested in Arabic culture and language in the Liverpool area. Through the facilitation and provision of community development and activity their mission is to contribute to the relief of poverty and improve health and education within the Yemeni/Arabic community. They also aim to strengthen the awareness of Yemeni Arabic Culture and celebrate and promote all aspects of Arabic history, language cultural heritage and identity.
www.liverpoolarabiccentre.org.uk