The Mysteries In our own words

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has a long tradition of involvement in revivals of the city’s medieval mystery plays, usually in the ruins of the old Cathedral. This year’s Mysteries took place in the theatre itself – and striking off in a new direction, with various community groups presenting stories from the Bible and the Quran, including some which appeared in both books.

The Mysteries in Our Own Words, featured around 150 performers aged between eight and 40.

Ulfah Arts was approached to develop stories inspired by the Quran in partnership with the Belgrade Community and Education Company. The process involved inviting members from the local Muslim community from Coventry and Birmingham. A group of individuals came together consisting of men and women and differing age ranges.

An initial consultation day was carried out in December to seek views from the local community where taster sessions were carried out in spoken word, drama and film. Thereafter workshops took place between March and July on a fortnightly basis over weekends.

The Quran was used as a source of a source of creative inspiration in storytelling, unlocking its wisdom and beauty for all to enjoy and experience firsthand. Storytelling made it accessible in ways it’s never been thought about before. A short film was produced inspired by the virtues and morals of Al Hijrah-Migration to Medina. This was a first for the Muslim community in Britain to focus on the wisdom in the Qur’an and use it to tell stories in a contemporary fashion. The sold out performances took place between Monday 27 July until 1 August 2009.

For information please contact the Ulfah Arts office.