Mexican artist Mar Decena leads Middle Eastern dance celebration at the MAC, supported by The National Lottery

Bridges through Dance is a project led by Mexican artist Mar Decena and is supported through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s, Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme. The project involved Mar, who is Mexican and is a specialist in Middle Eastern dance, taking part in a residency with the Creative Learning Department at the MAC who also helped to deliver the wider project and workshops.

Watch the video below.

Part of the Arts Council’s Support for Individual Artists Programme, the Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme, was established in 2022 to give targeted support to minority ethnic artists and creative practitioners living in NI. The programme aims to create opportunities for specialized training, research, cultural exchange, networking and learning for individual artists, creative practitioners and arts administrators, with artists receiving grants of up to £5,000 each.

The workshops engaged twenty female participants drawn from professional dance backgrounds within NI, immigrant communities, the MAC’s Middle Eastern Women’s Group, Anaka Women’s Collective, Falls Women’s Group and other local women. The workshops involved poetry, Arabic writings and Arabian music with drumming aswell as Middle Eastern dance techniques such as Raqs Al Assaya/cane dance, Raqs Sharqi/belly dance, and Dabke/line & circle dance. Syrian musician, Muhammad Jamal Aldin Chaar, who is also a refugee, provided percussion music to support the workshops.

Artist, Mar Decena, said, “The Bridges Through Dance project started as a very personal idea. I wanted to introduce the Middle Eastern dance into the artistic landscape of Northern Ireland in a way that felt meaningful. For me, it was more than just dancing, it was about creating a space where both professional artists and communities could connect, share stories, and feel a sense of belonging. These dances became our shared language, one that crossed cultures, generations, and backgrounds with rhythm, strength, and joy.

Elaine Forde, Creative Learning Manager at the MAC added, “It’s been wonderful to share and celebrate Middle Eastern culture with local dancers, local women and migrant women. It’s been gorgeous to see the community dancers embrace the project with complete joy and excitement. Congratulations to Mar. Thank you to all the women for showing up and fully engaging. Thanks also to Raja Obeid who was our interpreter. We’ve planned to continue the project in September. Thank you to the Arts Council NI for supporting this project.”

The creation of the Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme has been informed by the Arts Council’s Intercultural Arts Strategy. 

Gilly Campbell, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented, “Congratulations to Mar Decena and the Creative Learning Department at the MAC in delivering this impressive and impactful project which celebrates Middle Eastern culture with our growing community of minority ethnic people, living and working in Northern Ireland.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to support the Bridges Through Dance project thanks to The National Lottery players and the money raised for Good Causes. Through our Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme, we are seeking to create the conditions for the widest variety of art and creativity for both artists and audiences, addressing the numerous and complex barriers to access, progression and representation in the arts encountered by minority ethnic artists.”

The Minority Ethnic Artists Mentoring and Residency Programme aims to help individuals at every stage of their career; supporting skills development and career pathways, inspiring excellence and increasing opportunities for young and emerging minority ethnic artists and creatives. For more information visit https://artscouncil-ni.org/funding-for-individuals/siap-minority-ethnic-residency-mentoring-programme