Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, was joined by British Ambassador, Neil Wigan, amongst many other distinguished guests in welcoming in this year’s Somali Week festivities.

The festival is held annually and celebrates the diverse variety of Somali culture and traditions as well as paying homage to Somalia’s renowned artists.

Rushanara said:

“I was delighted to attend this year’s Somali Week Festival in Bethnal Green. As a part of Black History Month, this festival is a great opportunity to showcase the history and identity of the Somali community. With this year’s focus on imagination, the week is a celebration of Somali culture and arts, including music, poetry and other literature.

“At the festival, I spoke with people about how imagination has been vital to the ways in which Somalis have responded to their experiences of dispersal and their sense of identity. Through many different creative capacities, artistic expression has become a source of inspiration for many Somali artists back home and across the diaspora. The festival highlighted the different forms imagination can take and opened discussion for what Somalis envision for their future.”