Reflecting on an evening of enlightenment and exploration at Kashkul’s Meet the Artist series! We had the privilege of hosting the esteemed Kevin McKiernan, whose career as a veteran foreign correspondent, photographer, and filmmaker has traversed the globe, shedding light on pressing issues. From Nicaragua to Iraq, from West Africa to Afghanistan and Syria, McKiernan’s lens captures the essence of conflict zones and troubled regions.

During the event, we screened ‘Good Kurds, Bad Kurds,’ a powerful documentary challenging us to confront complex questions about national liberation and terrorism, allyship, and conflict. McKiernan’s work delves deep into the hidden war in Turkey, offering profound insights into immigration practices and U.S. foreign policy.

Our Meet the Artist series serves as a platform for engagement, inviting creatives locally and internationally to share their stories and experiences. Attendees were encouraged to ask thought-provoking questions during the Q&A session, with a rewarding prize awaiting the most challenging query: a whole watermelon and full digital access to McKiernan’s film.

In a world dominated by mass production, why should we cherish the art of felt-making? Unraveling this question, we delved into the intricate layers of history and culture with our visiting artist, Renas Babakir. 

Kashkul had the pleasure of hosting Renas in collaboration with the AUIS’ Alumni Talks series. Renas is a 2014 AUIS graduate with a master's in Cultural History from the University of Brighton, courtesy of the prestigious Chevening Scholarships. Her current research project, ‘Documenting the Lost Practices of Kurdish Felt and Felt-making in the Foothills of the Zagros Mountains', is supported by the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), hosted by the British Museum.

Together, we journeyed through the mesmerizing tale of felt-making—a craft deeply rooted in our collective past. From Mesopotamia's ancient traditions to the present day, felt-making isn't just about crafting textiles; it's a story of resilience, identity, and cultural heritage.

At Kashkul, we celebrated this rich heritage with a film screening on felt-making, followed by a captivating conversation and Q&A session with Renas and our students. Through this exchange, we delved into the cultural significance of felt garments like the Faranji, and the profound impact of preserving endangered material knowledge.

With every entanglement felt-making becomes more than just a craft; it's a testament to the enduring spirit of humanity.

On Thursday, March 7, 2024 Kashkul was honored to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Zheen Archives Center to celebrate our long-standing partnership and further enrich collaborations between the two centers and AUIS.

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Kashkul and KCAC, in collaboration with the University of Sulaimani Translation Department, hosted a reading and discussion session on Shene Muhammed’s translation of “The Food of the Mosque Servant” by Hejar Mukryani. The event featured an insightful conversation about the process of literary translation and addressed other questions specific to dealing with translation issues.

On Tuesday, February 27, Kashkul was delighted to collaborate with the AUIS Moulakis Library to host a conversation between Bryar Bajalan and Jiyar Homer on Jiyar’s translation of Juan Carlos Onetti’s “El Pozo” from Spanish Kurdish, which was published by Kashkul in 2022.

Kashkul hosts its annual Open Mic event at Ivy Dining & Co. in collaboration with the AUIS English department. The event welcomes the AUIS Community as well as talent from Sulaimani to perform prose, poetry, music, and everything in between.

Kashkul hosts the British Consulate at AUIS for a seminar on Chevening Scholarships, where your aspirations for higher education can be transformed into a remarkable and fully-funded reality.

Join us for a remarkable cultural exchange at Sulaimani Forum for Culture and Arts hosted by Kashkul which takes place at AUIS conference hall on Sunday, September 10th, 2023.