Recently opened, Awaken: Sufi Music & Women of South Asia delves into the role of women in music, poetry, Mughal miniatures and films associated with Sufism. Situated on the first floor of the RCM Museum, it is the ideal unique space for your exclusive drinks’ reception.
The exhibition brings to life the often-overlooked stories of women’s roles in the musical landscape of Sufism. Illuminating their invaluable contributions through a display of items drawn from collections across the world, the exhibition reveals some of the voices, performances and instruments of Sufi women in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh from the Mughal period to present-day London.
Attia Shiraz, Lead Curator of the exhibition, comments: ‘Awaken: Sufi Music & Women of South Asia’, unfolds a conversation about how women embody Sufi devotional music and rituals. Lived experiences of Sufi rituals, poetry, the ecstatic atmosphere and fascinating history of shrines, and women in music have all inspired this exhibition…It seeks to awaken these connections through music.’
Opened in October 2021, the RCM Museum displays some of the 14,000 items in its collection to tell the story of music in three key areas – Music is Creation, Music is Craft and Music is Performance. As an interactive space, the Museum hosts regular performances by RCM musicians – a spectacular addition to your event in this engaging space.
The permanent display on the ground floor is home to the world’s earliest surviving guitar and the oldest known stringed keyboard instrument and represents a range of music-making activities spanning a period of more than five centuries. The first-floor houses exciting temporary exhibitions lasting just a few months, with exclusive access available for a limited time only.
Book your event with us before October to enable your guests to delve into the stories of women such as 16th-century Mughal princess Zeb-un-Nissa and her contribution to Sufi poetry, Sufi saint Bulleh Shah, whose poetry is showcased through Mughal miniatures by Fatima Zahra Hassan, or hear Gauhar Jan, one of the first successful women’s voices of India recorded by the Gramophone Company, brought to life through rare photographs and early phonograph records.
Awaken: Sufi Music & Women of South Asia runs from 18 June to 20 October 2024. Hire the Museum for your event before the 20 October 2024 to experience this wonderful new exhibit with your own drinks reception and curator led tour.
Contact us on venuehire@rcm.ac.uk for more information.
Photo: Parvathy Baul, photograph by Tanzim Ahmed Bijoy, courtesy of Parvathy Baul.