Up to us
Up to us explores identity and diversity using our clothing choices as a starting point. It’s a collaboration of UK and Qatar-based artists including films (We are our choices - part one and part two) which feature people from different communities living in Qatar; workshops; and a planet friendly abaya made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled clothes donated as part of the 2023 Cut from the same cloth project.
This project is made possible with the support of The British Council and The Edge Picture Company.
We are our choices
We are our choices explores identity and diversity. The film uses clothing, which expresses our individual and collective identity, to make us think about the role mutual respect plays in a world made up of individuals.
Clothing serves as a form of cultural expression, reflecting shared values, beliefs, and heritage even as it expresses and shapes personal identity. It lends identity a materiality, making it visible. It is a lens through which we can explore what we have in common and what makes us unique.
Qatar is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world-- 88% are short- and long-term expatriates and migrant workers. Nine people from different communities participated in the project. Each was asked to model their work or everyday clothes and outfits for special occasions. They were also asked about their dreams and aspirations. We are invited to ‘see’ them as vivid and complex individuals, all crossing paths in Qatar.
A second film in this series explores the process of making decisions and how our choices can alter our paths.
Participants
Faisal Al-Baloushi
Born in Qatar
“Clothes are very important in my life. I wear the thobe for formal events, but I also wear other outfits for casual events. It depends on my mood.”
Faisal is an actor and an English teacher. His goal is to win an academy award and he is actively involved in promoting Qatar’s film industry. In 2023 he won the Abdulaziz Jassim Award at Doha Film Institute's Made in Qatar film programme for Best Performance for his role in Sanad. He says it is possible to maintain his culture and heritage even as he is involved in the global film and media industry.
Elena Aquino
Moved to Qatar in 2011, Born in the Philippines
“When I wear my uniform I am invisible. I feel free when I choose my own outfits. I am a modest woman and like to be seen as a lady who deserves respect. I chose to wear my national dress in the film, the textile is called Pina and is made from pineapple fibre.”
What is most important to Elena is her family, her spiritual values and religious community. “I love to see my family living together, happy, loving each other and serving God.” She reads and when she’s back in the Philippines she cooks for her family and loves traveling with them throughout the country. Her goals are to secure the future for her children by providing them with a good education and to start her own business when she moves back to the Philippines.
Marya Khan
Born in Qatar
“My clothes embody my ethnic background and my personality. What I wear reflects my values.”
Marya has read 187 books so far this year. She‘s submitted her thesis in pursuit of her degree in International History at Georgetown University, Qatar. For her graduation, she decided to wear a traditional dress reflecting her heritage: her family originates from Northern Pakistan. It was important to her to have this dress made because: “Each thread carries the memories of my ancestors. It was important for me to have them with me on a very important day like that”. Her interests include reading, research, hiking and mixed martial arts. She says she keeps her future options open— what is most important is that her work brings her satisfaction.
Dr. Zarqa Parvez
Born in Qatar
“I wear my values. I wear my belief systems. I wear my own unique sense of self.”
Zarqa is an academic, a professor and a poet. She is known for her published academic research and writing. What is less known is that she’s been writing poetry since she was 15 years old. She has a PhD in Government and International Affairs with a focus on Women from Durham University. Her research interests include politics, identity, gender, state, society and development in the Gulf region. Zarqa believes in making academia accessible to the larger audience and frequently publishes academic opinion pieces on topics related to Gulf politics and society. She also reads, travels, and paints.
Saheed A. Yusuf
Moved to Qatar in 2017, Born in Nigeria
“I like putting on clothes that speak to who I am. I am proud to be an African man. I am proud to be a chef. I want the way I dress to reflect who I am.”
Saheed has always wanted to experience other cultures and overcame challenges in order to relocate to Qatar. He says he can easily adapt to any situation he finds himself in. Cooking began as, and still is, his hobby. He’s been able to build his career based on his passion. Today he is a professional chef, who says his goal is to create delicious and beautifully presented dishes. His dream is to open his own restaurant in Nigeria.
Teresa Albor
Moved to Qatar in 2023 from Bangladesh, Born in the US
“I think it’s essential that I respect everyone’s choices. Who I am is a combination of deeply embedded beliefs and my lived experiences. Although my identity is central to me, it is fluid and changes from day-to-day, from year-to-year. What I wear can be the outer manifestation of what’s going on inside, a reflection of how I want the world to ‘see’ me.”
Teresa was born in the US, where after finished her studies, she then joined the US Peace Corps as a volunteer in the Philippines working at the community level. She has been based in the UK, her adopted country for over 30 years, and has lived and worked in Asia, Eastern Europe the US and the UK. She is a collaborative cultural producer who uses art to ask questions. She is also a UK Family Court Magistrate, a mother and grandmother.
Nafisa Hafiz
Moved to Qatar in 2023, Born in Sudan
“It’s more than just clothes. It’s the fabric that covers our bodies, shapes our identities, reveals who we are inside.”
Nafisa, an artist who works with film, fashion and other mediums of art views her work as a dialogue between self and society. She describes herself as Sudanese by origin, rooted in creativity, now thriving in Qatar. Driven from Sudan by conflict, Nafisa chose Qatar as her new home for its harmony with her culture, beliefs, and deep commitment to art and innovation all of which resonate with her artistic sensibilities. In this creative environment, she continues to pursue her mission of creating art that transcends boundaries, empowering individuals and communities. As the Creative Director of the NUCY brand, Nafisa has achieved awards and international recognition for leading a sustainable fashion movement that celebrates and redefines cultural identity, shaping narratives that matter across continents.
Monika Anna Bulanda
Moved to Qatar in 2022, Born in Poland
“My dream is to keep on being curious.”
Besides Doha, Monika has also lived in Poland, Sweden, Turkey and China and is constantly adapting to new places and situations. Born in Cracov, she spent part of her childhood on a farm in rural Poland, but also lived in other places in Europe where her parents worked when she was growing up. She has always been fascinated and curious about other cultures. She studied both music and language (she speaks five fluently) and today is an accomplished musician, writer and artist. She says that what she wears everyday isn’t very important but that clothes play a significant role when she performs on stage.
Robert Chatterton Dickson
Moved to Qatar in 2023. Born in the UK, Anglo-Irish
“I don’t like fuss when it comes to what I wear. Wearing a suit gives me authority- it’s the ‘official’ version of myself vs. the ‘unofficial’ version.”
Robert is a UK diplomat with 34 years of experience who has been based in the US, Eastern Europe, South and South East Asia and now Qatar, leading the UK’s relationship with Afghanistan. He studied history and reads extensively, especially about contemporary history. He runs daily and spends time on the water in small boats sailing or kayaking. He is a father and a grandfather.
Concept and Lead Creative: Teresa Albor
Creative Director: Nafisa Hafiz
Composer and musical performance: Monika Anna Bulanda
Executive Producer: Poppy Clinton
Director and Editor: Daniel Marques
Commissioned by British Council Qatar
Dr Waseem Kotoub, Director
Heba Essameldeen, Arts Projects Manager
Vedran Strelar Director of Photography
Amr Al Masry Focus Puller
Zied Haddar 2nd Camera Operator
Theunis Knoetze Sound Recordist
Joseph Riachi Gaffer
Hamza Meer Best Boy
Yazbek Riachi Spark
Aziz Melki Spark
Wajahat Ali Spark
Md Zaman Spark
Georges Estphen Grip
Joe Khalil Grip Assistant
Sakshi Tejpaul Make Up Artist
Bahaa Malaeb Production Assistant
Gareth Ashton Sound Designer
Denverking Gomeceria Graphic Designer
Maroun El Khoury Media Square Equipment supplier
Joseph Riachi Full Spectrum Studio supplier
David Idemudia D.B Decibel studio Sound studio supplier
Community workshops
Community groups, including students, participated in interactive, hands-on workshops which were designed to provide an opportunity to discuss clothes and social context, abstraction, and sources of inspiration, and to reflect on personal choice, interests and identity. During the art-making process participants were invited to create a wearable piece of art that revealed something about each individuals own narrative and identity. Led by Nafisa Hafiz, the workshops were designed and delivered by Nafisa Hafiz and Teresa Albor.
The planet friendly abaya
The planet friendly abaya is one of the outcomes of a project, initiated in 2023, called Cut from the same cloth. One special abaya has been designed and stitched by The Cutting Studio using a textile made from recycled clothes as part of Up to us, at the 2024 Qatar UK Festival.
In addition, a collection of affordable abayas, made from responsible textiles, and marketed as part of Re/DRESS, a responsible fashion brand, are available for sale at Studio 7, the concept store located at M7, Qatar's design hub, located in Msheireb, Downtown Doha.
Here's the story:
Used clothes were donated in Qatar in collaboration with M7 as part of the Cut from the same cloth community project featured at British Council's 2023 Qatar UK Festival. Next, the clothes were cut into scraps, mechanically recycled, spun into yarn and woven into textile as part of a garment recycling pilot project in Bangladesh. Finally, the recycled textile was made into a brand new abaya by the Cutting Studio in Qatar (designed by Nicole Gramcko) featuring the Qataf, the national flower of Qatar.
The idea grew form conversations about values and clothing. An abaya is three metres of cloth that has a cultural and spiritual meaning. As a visible symbol of the wearers’ values... could it also make a statement about a commitment to sustainability? What if there was an affordable, every-day abaya made from responsible textile?
This research and process-based art/design project is a practical initiative to produce and bring to the market an abaya using responsible textiles and methods. Through the project, the cultural significance of the abaya has also been explored, resulting in lens/sound work about the clothing choices we make.
