Islamic Bank sponsors city arts event

BIRMINGHAM’S Islamic Bank of Britain has helped to enrich the city’s arts scene by sponsoring a unique show featuring South Bank Show Award winner and local artist Mohammed Ali, aka Aerosol Arabic.

The sell out event at Birmingham Repertory Theatre brought aerosol art and the spoken word together in an exclusive collaboration.

The performance saw internationally recognised poets alongside the Birmingham-born artist for a one-night-only show called the Writing on the Wall.  IBB was the only private sector organisation supporting the event.

Ali’s live aerosol art was coupled with poetry from internationally renowned Zena Edwards, American performer Amir Sulaiman and Birmingham’s 2006 Poet Laureate Dreadlock Alien, as well as production by Hip Hop theatre producer Jonzi D. 

Prior to the event, Ali took a two-week residency in the theatre, and worked alongside local visual artists to create unique images in the theatre’s scenic workshop, which is due to close for redevelopment.

Sultan Choudhury, commercial director at IBB, said: “Writing on the Wall was a fantastic event and IBB congratulates Mohammed Ali on his excellent achievement. 

“Mohammed and IBB share the objective of connecting communities which he achieves impeccably through his inspiring visual art.”

Writing on the Wall was conceived by Ali four years ago; the event was a radical expression of emotion and values through visual art and spoken word. 

The production interweaved sights and sounds to inspire the audiences’ imagination, provoking thoughts and creative fires. Live poetry and painting blended seamlessly in front of an all-around standing audience.

Mohammed Ali said: “I have been fortunate enough to create art in major cities across the globe, but it’s great to deliver my biggest project to-date right here in the city of Birmingham, where I was born and raised.

“Working with Birmingham based IBB was an obvious choice. IBB and I have a lot in common.  We’re both trying to inject ethical values and spirituality into our lives.”