Courses inspired by the arts and cultures of the Arab world


Stitching Survival: Palestinian Embroidery as Ontological Resistance and Feminist Praxis

This course explores Palestinian embroidery (tatreez) as a living cultural practice, a visual language, and a form of ontological and feminist resistance. Moving beyond craft-based readings, the course situates tatreez within broader historical, political, and decolonial frameworks, examining how stitched motifs encode memory, identity, gendered labour, and survival under conditions of displacement and colonial violence.

The Arab British Centre

The Arab British Centre

£200

Decolonising Belly Dance: Theory and Practice

This ‘Decolonising Bellydance’ in person course is aimed at those who want to learn ‘bellydance’ beyond its bodily movement. It will look into the dance as a cultural celebration addressing its historical journey, its travel to the west and its development to the different styles we see today. It will tackle the myths that surround it, the problematic terminology and the stereotypes associated with it through the theories of Orientalism, Male & Colonial Gaze and Feminism.

The Arab British Centre

The Arab British Centre

£225

Creative Indiscipline: Art, Exile, and Resistance

A six-week course exploring how artists, writers, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia have developed distinctive ways of making, thinking, and imagining since independence. By creative indiscipline, the course understands insubmission as a conscious refusal of colonial legacies, patriarchal norms, religious authoritarianism, and attempts to regulate culture, bodies, and memory. The course explores how indiscipline has been practised through imagination, form, and experiment: as a way of thinking, making, and living otherwise.

The Arab British Centre

The Arab British Centre

£225

Manuscript Kufic Calligraphy

Immerse yourself in Manuscript Kufic, an early style of Arabic calligraphy that flourished during the Abbasid “golden age”. This in-person, practical course is based on the finest example of this architectural and spacious Qur’anic script which fell out of use almost a millenium ago. Under Joumana Medlej’s guidance you will learn to use the pen and gallnut ink associated with this style.

The Arab British Centre

The Arab British Centre

£300

Islamic Geometric Pattern: Practice and Meaning

Traditional geometric art served as a powerful tool in contemplating the harmonic qualities of the natural world. In this course you are invited to explore the symbolism of Islamic Geometric Pattern and try your hands at the meditative practice of its construction using only pencils, a ruler and a drawing compass.

The Arab British Centre

The Arab British Centre

£225

About Our Courses


The Arab British Centre runs a programme of dynamic and unique courses, led by artists, researchers, and passionate individuals. At our core is a commitment to building and sharing knowledge in the arts, cultures and histories of the Arab world - knowledge which is often inaccessible to the general public and overlooked in Western-centric syllabi.

​​We believe knowledge should live beyond the textbook, and what distinguishes this programme is how learning happens. Courses are carried through conversation, practice and shared curiosity. Our courses are shaped by lived experience and creative inquiry, offering space to learn alongside others, to question, to make, and to think together. Moving between past and present; opening pathways for deeper connection and understanding.




Who are our courses for?

We welcome anyone curious and committed to learning - whether you’re developing a practice, expanding your understanding, or entering these conversations for the first time. Occasionally courses may have certain prerequisites or be tailored to a specific audience - check the course listing for more information.



A Note on Pricing

Our pricing reflects a commitment to fairly paying artists and coursemakers, whilst also supporting the work of the Arab British Centre, which is a registered charity. As well as offering a number of discounted options, we can offer a limited number of bursary places to help ensure accessibility if cost is a barrier to you attending. If you’re interested in one of our courses but would like to access this support, email us at info@arabbritishcentre.org.uk and we can discuss from there.

Who We Are

The Arab British Centre is a registered charity who works to further understanding of the Arab world in the UK.

Over the last two decades, we have run specialist courses by and for members of our community, from our centre in London and online. We’ve facilitated personal development and enrichment in so many forms: lectures, discussions and a wealth of practical, creative activities; all tying us closer to Arab culture and deepening our knowledge and understanding.