Latest news with #RamadanTentProject
Telegraph
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Windsor Ramadan dinner and LGBT art event part of King's diversity drive
A Ramadan meal and an LGBT+ history month lecture at Windsor Castle this year have been hailed as exemplifying the King's 'momentous' commitment to diversity. The Royal Collection Trust – which oversees the upkeep of the royal palaces – said in its annual report, released on Tuesday, that 'inclusion and diversity was a key priority this year' as it hosted a series of religious and LGBT+ celebrations. For the first time in its 1,000-year history, Windsor Castle hosted an Open Iftar meal in its state apartments to mark the breaking of fast for Muslims during Ramadan. Last autumn, it hosted an inaugural Diwali Family Day including prayers from the head priest of the Slough Hindu Temple. The King's Gallery in Buckingham Palace also hosted its first event to mark LGBTQ+ History month in October, 'exploring some of the Queer figures represented within the Royal Collection'. Writing in the Royal Collection Trust report, Tim Knox, the director, said the Iftar meal had been held 'with the King's permission'. He said: 'Such momentous events, alongside initiatives including the £1 ticket offer at The King's Galleries, and its trial scheme at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, go some way to achieving our aim of finding welcoming and inclusive ways for everyone to enjoy the collection. 'Our ambitions continue to grow with ongoing audience development and learning and community projects helping us to understand more about the audiences who don't currently visit our sites and how we can encourage them to do so.' The Iftar meal, in March, was organised in collaboration with the Ramadan Tent Project and saw 350 guests eat in St George's Hall, with two reciters from Maidenhead Mosque leading the call to prayer from the balcony of the hall. Simon Maples, the visitor operations director at Windsor Castle, said at the time that the King had been ' championing religious diversity and encouraging inter-faith conversation' for many years. Omar Salha, founder and chief executive of Ramadan Tent Project, added: 'The King is an excellent ambassador for this cause and is committed to community cohesion. We are incredibly grateful for his support towards the British Muslim community.' For LGBT+ history month, in February, the trust hosted an online lecture on 'Queer Art and Artists in the Royal Collection'. Alice de Quidt, assistant curator of Prints and Drawings, told the audience: 'Diverse forms of love and identity have always existed but they have all too often been left out of history or rewritten entirely. February gives us an opportunity to resurrect this history, bring it to the fore and celebrate it.' Among the artists picked out was Leonardo Da Vinci, who was accused of sexual acts with a male goldsmith's apprentice in 1476, though charges were later dropped. While same-sex relationships were common in 15th century Florence, they were not tolerated and sodomy was punishable by fine for the first four occasions and by death on the fifth. Accompanying literature also picked out Sappho, Michelangelo, Chevalier D'Eon, Rosa Bonheur, Oscar Wilde, and David Hockney for the trust's LGBTQ+ stories. The trust – an independently funded department of the Royal Household, which receives no public funds – is reliant on the income generated by visitor admissions and donations. Its income is spent on visitor access, retail, exhibitions, ongoing conservation of artworks and outreach programmes, including travel subsidies for schools. The trust recorded a total income of £89.9 million last year – an annual increase of more than £5m on the back of record visitors to Buckingham Palace. The trust's report said it had participated in a Royal Household-wide campaign to encourage the sharing of 'personal experiences of inclusion and diversity in the workplace', including 'training on inclusive leadership and recruitment'. Of the cohort offered a new seasonal role at Buckingham Palace last year, 45 per cent were from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hundreds attend community Iftar at football stadium
Around 400 people have attended a community Iftar meal held at Aston's Villa's football stadium during Ramadan. The Open Iftar saw members of the local community gather to break their fast together at Villa Park's Holte End on Friday evening. The free event, organised by charity Ramadan Tent Project, is one of dozens taking place throughout the Islamic holy month, where Muslims fast everyday from dawn to sunset. Sam Ghataora, EDI lead at Aston Villa, said the club wanted to create a space for all cultures by "celebrating the spirit of Ramadan through shared meals". Ramadan, which usually lasts between 29 and 30 days, began on the evening of 28 February this year and is expected to end on 30 March. During the month, Muslims refrain from food and water during daylight hours, starting their fast with a meal known as Suhoor, and breaking their fast with an Iftar meal, immediately after sunset. Ramadan Tent Project, now in its 12th year, sees free Open Iftar events held at sports venues, museums and other landmarks across the UK, culminating with a meal in London's Trafalgar Square on 29 March. The events are open to people of all faiths and none, and all cultures and backgrounds. Omar Salha, project founder and CEO, said the theme of this year's festival was Connection, to "connect more hearts and minds". "Ramadan holds profound significance for millions observing across the UK and many more across the globe," Mr Salwa said. "It is a time of deep introspection, reflection, and self-discipline. It is also a time to connect with family, friends, and the wider community through acts of service and charity," he added. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Open Iftar event takes place at football stadium What is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate it? Open Iftar event held at Villa Park Ramadan event helping bring community together In pictures: People eat at free Iftar Ramadan Tent Project
Arab News
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Shakespeare's Globe hosts Ramadan iftar, creating history, building bridges in London
LONDON: The Ramadan Tent Project has returned to one of London's iconic landmarks, Shakespeare's Globe, to host for the second time an iftar for nearly 500 people seated in a meticulously rebuilt 17th century theater. For the past 12 years, the Ramadan Tent Project charity has organized iftar events with a dedicated message of 'turn strangers into friends' at some of the UK's most iconic and loved landmarks, including Trafalgar Square, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Wembley Stadium. This Ramadan, the RTP's first iftar event last week welcomed 350 people into Windsor Castle, for the first time in the royal estate's 1,000-year history, to break their fast in St George's Hall, which traditionally hosted banquets for heads of state. Every year, it seems we are creating new history, but at the same time, we are building new bridges, and that's the most important thing Omar Salha, founder of Ramadan Tent Project In 2023, the RTP organized an open iftar at Shakespeare's Globe for the first time. It was a different experience compared to this week's event, as the organizers entertained the audience in the gallery from the creaky wooden thrust stage, which has an open roof, without the help of microphones. Since its launch in 1997, directors of the Globe have debated whether to cling to Elizabethan-era conditions or use modern technology. Fortunately, microphones and spotlights were used during this week's iftar. However, attendees and media were instructed to take close-up pictures of the interior to avoid capturing images from the 'Macbeth' set, which is set to launch this week on March 13. The long queue for the open iftar on the south bank of the River Thames attracted people from London and visitors from Scotland, Cambridge, Sheffield, and even a family from South Africa. Omar Salha, the founder and CEO of Ramadan Tent Project, told Arab News that the most rewarding experience of putting the open iftars for over a decade is 'seeing the smiles on people's faces, the joy, the spirit and the energy in these events.' He said the charity was grateful for its increasing support and the generosity of King Charles III, who opened his royal castle for British Muslims to host an iftar. 'Every year, it seems we are creating new history, but at the same time, we are building new bridges, and that's the most important thing,' he added. This open iftar is a moment of extending and reaching in friendship, connection, and community Stella Kanu, CEO of Globe Theatre Sajeda, one of the first in line, waited for the event to start outside the Globe's unmistakable thatched roof, white plaster facade, and timber frames, looking at the River Thames. She told Arab News that she attended one of the RTP's open iftars when they were small and organized in a park in central London. 'You didn't have to register online then,' she said. 'It is always a very enjoyable (iftar) because you see the multicultural aspect of it ... you can see Asians, white people, British and non-British and everyone, so it's like a melting pot of multi-cultures.' A blog post on the RTP's website mentions that Shakespeare employed Muslim characters to challenge Elizabethan ideas of race and identity of his time, most notably through the character of Othello in a play carrying the protagonist's name. Stella Kanu, the CEO of Globe Theatre, told Arab News that she hopes the RTP's iftar becomes a recurring event in the venue's calendar. '(This) open iftar (is) a moment of extending and reaching in friendship, connection, and community,' she said. 'That's everything about the Globe and what Ramadan is trying to encourage us to think about in those moments of introspection, prayer, and hope.' The crowd enjoyed some poetry before the Maghreb call to prayer, marking the fasting day's end. They waited nearly an hour for everyone to finish the Maghreb prayer, which took place in two groups before they were served a delicious meal of chicken or aubergine with chickpeas, pilau rice, and yogurt prepared by the restaurant Comptoir Libanais. For a moment, everything seemed as though 'All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.' People remained seated in the gallery while eating, gazing at the stage, a replica of the original damaged in fire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, at a site 230 meters from the current Globe. At the event, Rayyan and Ayaan, two brothers from London, told Arab News that breaking their fast with people from many different backgrounds and nationalities was 'something really special.' Shakirah, an aspiring actress, said she will remember the RTP's iftar for the community spirit, meeting new people, and bonding with family in a historical place like the Globe.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
In pictures: People eat at free Iftar
Scores of people gathered to share a meal at a open Iftar - the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims during Ramadan. The free event was organised and hosted by King's College in Cambridge, as worshippers were joined by people of different faiths - and no faiths. The holy month of Ramadan, sees Muslims fast and refrain from eating or drinking between dawn and sunset. Ramadan Tent Project (RTP), a charity that brings people together during the Islamic month, have been hosting about 20 open Itfars across the country. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. King's College to host Ramadan open Iftar event 'Amazing atmosphere' at Windsor Castle Iftar event Muslims begin holy month of Ramadan Ramadan Tent Project
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
King's College to host Ramadan open Iftar event
Hundreds of people will share a meal and break their Ramadan fast at a free open Iftar event organised within a Cambridge college. The holy month of Ramadan, which began over the weekend, sees Muslims fast and refrain from eating or drinking between dawn and sunset. Ramadan Tent Project (RTP), a charity bringing people together during the Islamic month, is hosting about 20 open Iftars across the country at iconic venues including Windsor Castle with an aim to bridge gaps. Founder Omar Salha said the team had seen an "overwhelming" interest in the project, adding: "It is a great moment of cultural diplomacy .. to raise the profile of inter-faith dialogue - now more than ever." More than 300 people are expected to attend the open Iftar at King's College on Friday. Muslims will break their fast at about 17:40 GMT after a call to prayer at the dining hall within the university grounds on King's Parade. Worshippers will be joined for their meal by people of different faiths - and no faiths. The open Iftars are free this year but visitors are encouraged to make a donation if they wish. Mr Salha said: "Food is a great mediator and open Iftar is really what the name says - it's welcoming to all, irrespective of their faith or background. "We have been overwhelmed by the invitations and interests from some of Britain's most loved and iconic spaces, who want to open their doors and welcome us too. "It is a way of extending our arms to the wider community and turn strangers into friends." Ramadan Tent Project started in 2013 with an aim of fostering community ties and over the years it has brought together over a million people across the UK. "People see the end product, Mr Salha said. "But it is months of negotiation and conversation to make it happen. "It is an excellent example of how methods of bridging can create spaces of belonging for all faiths and none." The dean of King's College Chapel, Reverend Dr Stephen Cherry, said: "We're delighted that Open Iftar is returning to King's College this year. "For us it is an important act of hospitality that allows members of the Cambridge community to come together during Ramadan in a spirit of shared learning, respect, harmony and celebration." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'Amazing atmosphere' at Windsor Castle Iftar event Muslims begin holy month of Ramadan Ramadan Tent Project
