Makaani Arts

Makaani Arts Makaani is a collective showcasing music & arts from SWANA regions (Southwest Asia & North Africa), building community through shared heritage.

More beautiful shots by Urmila Kerslake from our Spirit of SWANA event at the Diaspora festival 2026 🔥1. & : Co-founde...
04/06/2026

More beautiful shots by Urmila Kerslake from our Spirit of SWANA event at the Diaspora festival 2026 🔥

1. & : Co-founders from the Makaani team
2. Ayse Roza: singer/songwriter who uses music as a form of activism to promote Kurdish & Alevi rights
3. dancer, educator & percussionist leading Anatolian song & dance workshops
4. Ayse Roza
5. workshop tutor and performer from Turkey and part of with Anna
6. Eugenia: part of team Mojo who ran our wonderful flag making workshops
7. Kizzie: part of team Mojo who also ran our wonderful flag making workshops

Thanks again to the amazing for this opportunity 🙏🏽

Photos by

Thank you to Urmila Kerslake for capturing these beautiful photos from our Spirit of SWANA event at the Diaspora Festiva...
02/06/2026

Thank you to Urmila Kerslake for capturing these beautiful photos from our Spirit of SWANA event at the Diaspora Festival 2026 🙌🏾

What beautiful memories made, with live music, workshops, films and DJ sets all in one day!

We will continue to platform & showcase music & cultural craft from Southwest Asia & North Africa 💜



Photos by 📸

Introducing the TEAM! Hadie and 🔥🔥🔥Sadly, this is the only group photo we have from our launch night, Spirit of SWANA,...
06/05/2026

Introducing the TEAM! Hadie and 🔥🔥🔥

Sadly, this is the only group photo we have from our launch night, Spirit of SWANA, at the Diaspora Festival 2026 — but what a night it was….

We’re so grateful to the incredible your vision for a fair and inclusive arts industry in the South West is truly inspiring, and your commitment, kindness, and passion mean so much to us 🙏🏽

A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators and , and to all the brilliant performers — we’re completely blown away by your talent.

We’ll be sharing more moments from the night soon. What a special way to launch Makaani Arts ✨

23/04/2026

Rooted in the rich traditions of Anatolia and now based in Bristol, brings the soul of Sivas and the spirit of Istanbul into a bold new sonic world.

Blending the timeless sound of the bağlama with Turkish and Kurdish folk songs, their music moves between heritage and experimentation — where ancient melodies meet raw distortion.

Driven by what they call modern traditionalism, they weave old stories into new textures, shaped by the cultures of Anatolia and carried through the pulse of the UK underground scene.

Whether performing solo, alongside bands, or with orchestras, they are constantly pushing boundaries — searching for new forms, new sounds, and new ways to keep tradition alive.

Listen to Özcan perform live at our FREE launch event in collaboration with for the Diaspora festival, Bristol 🙌🏾

More info via Headfirst, link in bio 🔗

Dunya is a DJ, musician & sound healer known for high energy sets rooted in global bass culture. As a multi-instrumental...
21/04/2026

Dunya is a DJ, musician & sound healer known for high energy sets rooted in global bass culture. As a multi-instrumentalist & singer-songwriter, she brings strong musical instincts to the decks - with dynamic mixes that blend Dub, Afro house, Garage, Psy bass, Trance & Drum & Bass.

Dunya loves connecting with her Moroccan heritage by fusing together the mystical sounds of North Africa, with big bass!

She’s also one of the co-founders of Makaani Arts 🙌🏾 & is excited to be collaborating with for our launch event at the Diaspora festival in Bristol.

Find out more about the event in bio 🔗

Chalguh ChengiMeaning the spirit of live music and dance in Turkish, is a collective of artists who celebrate the deep-r...
17/04/2026

Chalguh Chengi

Meaning the spirit of live music and dance in Turkish, is a collective of artists who celebrate the deep-rooted folk music and dance of Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Showcasing the inherent diversity and fluidity of the region, this group brings live performance and fun, interactive family workshops.

Chalguh Chengi, is represented by and and they will be leading family sessions in Anatolian song, dance and drumming.
Participants will learn to sing, drum and dance to traditional folk songs with an opportunity for everyone to come together and share in a circle at the end.

People can drop in and out of sessions as they please and everyone is welcome to join regardless of experience!

Find out more info about the event via Headfirst. Link in bio 🔗

15/04/2026

‘Using grief as resistance, a Kurdish vocal artist transforming sound into living memory’

Ayşe Roza’s practice explores sound as a vessel for memory, grief & resistance within Kurdish culture. Rooted in dengbêj storytelling traditions & her own distinct vocal style, she uses voice, loop station & synthesiser to create immersive soundscapes of lamentation.

Through experimental approaches to breath, repetition & rupture, her work forms a language beyond words—where voice becomes both mourning & an act of political remembrance.

We’re so excited to share the final line-up for our launch event 🙌🏾We are Makaani Arts — an arts collective celebrating ...
13/04/2026

We’re so excited to share the final line-up for our launch event 🙌🏾

We are Makaani Arts — an arts collective celebrating music, dance, and cultural crafts from the SWANA (Southwest Asian & North African) diaspora 🌍

Expect an immersive day of:
dance workshops • live music • film • food • DJs

Featuring live performances from:
and

This is a free event as part of Diaspora Festival, supported by the

Full line-up & event details on our fb event 🔗

www.facebook.com/events/4299482753701823

We hope you can join us 💫

We’re so excited to be collaborating with and launching our first event at the Diaspora festival in Bristol 🙌🏾More deta...
02/04/2026

We’re so excited to be collaborating with and launching our first event at the Diaspora festival in Bristol 🙌🏾

More details coming soon!

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