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About

Our Story

On 22 May 2017 Manchester, and the world, was devastated by the attack on Manchester Arena that killed 23 people. One Manchester resident, Qaisra Shahraz, was quick to respond. Qaisra identified the need to tackle Islamophobia and bring muslim and non muslim communities together.


Since 2017 MACFEST has...

Hosted 6 festivals:

Hosted 6 festivals:

Hosted 6 festivals:

We have hosted MACFEST

 for 6 years with over 85 events, connecting communities locally, nationally and around the world! We have partnered with several other festivals, schools, colleges, universities and iconic venues!



EDUCATION

Been recognised by:

Hosted 6 festivals:

Hosted 6 festivals:

British Muslim Awards, The University of Manchester, The High Sheriff Award, the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service,

 The Guardian, Asian Leader, Manchester Evening News and many more!




MEDIA

And Beyond

Hosted 6 festivals:

And Beyond

We want to keep spreading MACFEST across the country and world so together we can build cultural bridges and tackle hate! 





NATIONAL

"This is Manchester, we do things differently here."

We are proud to have started MACFEST in Manchester and have loved partnering with schools, colleges, universities, venues and communities hosting events across the Greater Manchester area. 


If you are in Greater Manchester and would like your school, college or university to be a part of our ground breaking festival then please email: hello@macfest.org.uk


Check out the EDUCATION & PARTNERS pages to see who we are already

teamed up with!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Qaisra Shahraz is the Founder, Curator and Executive Director of MACFEST, Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. She is a prize-winning and critically-acclaimed novelist, scriptwriter, peace and gender activist.   Qaisra was born in Pakistan and has lived in Manchester since childhood. Qaisra has gained two Masters Degrees in English & European literature and scriptwriting for television.


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Dr. Mohammed Ali, OBE

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Mohammed Ali, born in Pakistan, came to live in the UK at the age of 12. He studied at Huddersfield and Bradford Universities. He then worked in a succession of newly created development roles with Glaxo Pharmaceutical, Community Relations Council; Tameside metropolitan Borough Council, Sheffield City Council and Fullemply Group, a high profile London based national ethnic minority training and employment charity. 

Find out more

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar

Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar

Advisors

Adrienne Loftus

Jonathan Davidson

Jonathan Davidson

International Muslim Festival

Adrienne Loftus Parkins is a consultant working with literature festivals and awards. She is the founder and former director of the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, now the Asia House Bagri Foundation Literature Festival.  She is on the Steering Committee of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and advises M Fest in London, Bangkok Edge in Thailand and other UK based festivals.

Jonathan Davidson

Jonathan Davidson

Jonathan Davidson

Muslim Arts and Culture Festival International MACFEST

Jonathan Davidson has worked in arts administration for over thirty years. He is Chief Executive of Writing West Midlands and lives in Birmingham.

Aamer Naeem OBE

Jonathan Davidson

Financial Advisor

Muslim Arts and Culture Festival International MACFEST

Aamer Naeem qualified with 1st class honours as a pharmacist in 1992 and gained a Masters in Business Administration with distinction in 2007. He is currently the Director of Innov8 Creative Solutions Ltd, a consultancy providing strategic and operational support to a range of organisations as well as delivers Leadership Development Programmes across public, private and voluntary sectors. 

Find out more

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor

Muslim Arts and Culture Festival International MACFEST

Andrew Taylor, Madisons Accountants

Advisor

Advisor

 Chris Sacarabany has 15 years of experience in intercultural and interfaith program management. He serves as Executive Director of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) and is an advisor for MACFEST. As a program manager, he organized the World Congresses of Imams and Rabbis for Peace with the Foundation Hommes de Parole. He also worked as a consultant at UNESCO and is a Co-Executive Producer of the award winning documentary Nobody Wants Us which tells the story of Jewish refugees escaping the Nazi invasion of Western Europe in 1940. 

Friends and supporters of MACFEST

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

 His Majesty’s  Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

Mark Adlestone OBE

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

Deputy Lieutenant & former High Sheriff of Greater Manchester

Afzal Khan MP CBE

Diane Hawkins JP LLB

Afzal Khan MP CBE

MP for Gorton and Shadow Minister for Immigration

Patsy Kane OBE

Patsy Kane OBE

Afzal Khan MP CBE

Education Consultant

Ed Watts

Patsy Kane OBE

Nancy Porter

Whitworth Art Gallery, Head of Learning and Engagement 

Nancy Porter

Patsy Kane OBE

Nancy Porter

Media department, University of Salford

Sir Warren Smith KCVO KStJ JP

Sir Warren Smith KCVO KStJ JP

Sir Warren Smith KCVO KStJ JP

Former Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester 

Paul Griffiths

Sir Warren Smith KCVO KStJ JP

Sir Warren Smith KCVO KStJ JP

Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Manager of Elizabeth Gaskell House

Sam Ingleson

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Associate Dean; Engagement, Enterprise & Partnerships, Salford University

Anne Isaac

Sally Jastrzebski-Lloyd

Anne Isaac

Board of Directors, Muslim Women's Arts Foundation

 

 

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