Over the last 3 months, we at Bosla Arts have been shaken by the events in Israel and Gaza and as a result, dedicated four episodes of Season 5 of the Art Persists podcast to unpack the diverse experiences of artists and activists during this time.

We launched Season 5 with research agency Forensic Architecture and looked at their researched-based investigations into the Israeli bombardment of Gaza as it unfolded, as well as their ongoing investigations into Israel’s human-rights abuses in the last 75 years. Palestinian artist and DJ, Nour Palestina spoke about her project, Refugee Chronicles, interviewing survivors of the 1948 Nakba and the eerie parallels to today. We were then joined by Standing Together, a grassroots Israeli-Palestinian organisation who spoke of their vision of an equal and just future. The season finale brought renowned chef Sami Tamimi on the podcast who spoke about his relationship with social media since October 7th 2023 as well as the making of his book, Falastin.

At Bosla Arts, we believe above all in the importance of transnational solidarities, that no one is free until everyone is. The rest of the season explored conversations with art-activists who faced persecution as a result of their work. Pioneering artist Tania Bruguera talked us through her 30-year career as an artist and activist in Cuba, resulting in her forced exile from the country. Kurdish poet Nedim Türfent spoke about how poetry and letter-writing helped him survive a brutal six year prison sentence in Turkey where he was imprisoned for his journalism.

As always, we are grateful for our Art Persists listeners! We’d always love your feedback - please leave a comment below - and also follow and rate us wherever you listen.

Back soon with Season 6…