Bibi Rukiya's Performance Forum

Bibi Rukiya Performance Forum Lab – Birmingham

Amina Khayyam Dance Company's third instalment of the Women-Only Performance Forum will be held on Thursday 8th May 2025 at the Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome – three weeks before the main production – 22nd/23rd May 2025.

AKDC ‘s Performance Forums enable and manifest the theme of the production on those on whom it is targeted; engaging professional artists with ordinary, the least engaged – women to be creatively expressive and enabled.

The Birmingham Performance Forum culminates in the work of seven women's groups and four girls' schools, who have come together weekly over 26 workshops from January to April, with a break in March due to Ramadan. With over 170 participants, this gathering is a testament to the power of collaboration, connection, and empowerment that embodies AKDC’s work.

In this edition, a short excerpt of BiBi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter will be presented. It draws inspiration from The House of Bernarda Alba by Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca. This powerful reimagining explores themes of control, repression, and liberation, echoing the intense emotional drama of Lorca’s classic, while adding a contemporary sensitivity that resonates with today’s audiences. Through the lens of Kathak dance with its storytelling vocabulary and movement, BiBi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter examines the complexities of familial relationships, societal expectations, and the personal desire for freedom.

Here, in the professional space of Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio, with over 170 participants, these women and girls share their stories, perspectives, and creative experiences from the culmination of three months of workshops. These women and girls have created a space to amplify their voices, challenge boundaries, and showcase their unique stories. AKDC proudly honours this remarkable journey, as the performance forum not only reflects individual creativity and talent but fosters a collective spirit of community and solidarity.

On this special event, the stage will come alive with the vibrant energy of women supporting women, affirming the power and beauty of womanhood, including short excerpts of the performance of BiBi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter adding depth to this celebration, inviting audiences to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the women who have walked this path before us.

It will be a unique inter-generational event, where young women will see their mothers dancing and become role-models – a celebration of the strength, resilience, and creativity of women and girls.

Host or Publisher Amina Khayyam Dance Company