Relaxed Hours: House of Weaving Songs
Step inside a Somali home and experience a multisensory tribute to Somali heritage, in a relaxed environment with additional support.
dhaqan collective invites you to enter the House of Weaving Songs, a domed steel structure based on an Aqal, a Somali nomadic home found in the arid landscapes of Somalia.
Embark on a sensory journey as 360-degree audio surrounds you, transporting you to the heart of Somali nomadic life through the musicality of Somali women’s weaving songs. Wander through nomadic tapestries adorned with tales of tradition and resilience, each thread weaving a story of heritage and belonging.
The Aqal contains the wishes and the dreams of those who made it, and it becomes a repository for our own hopes and dreams, a space for conversations and dialogue about our climate anxieties.
dhaqan collective is a Somali feminist art collective led by Ayan Cilmi and Fozia Ismail. Their practice seeks to find ways of building imaginative futures that support Somali people in the UK and in East Africa to resist threats over our cultural heritage. Cilmi and Ismail are Spike Island Studio holders and Pervasive Media Studio residents in Bristol.
The House of Weaving Songs was developed as part of Playable Cities, an arts and creative technology programme funded through My World at Bristol University and Watershed.
This event is part of a weekend curated with Counterpoints Arts
Need to know
Relaxed Hours take place 11am – 12 noon each day and House of Weaving Songs is open to all visitors from 12 noon each day.
Thu 8 Aug, closes at 6pm
Fri 9 Aug, closes at 8pm
Sat 10 Aug, closes at 8pm
Sun 11 Aug, closes at 6pm
Access
To discuss any access issues or requirements, call us on 020 3879 9555 or email [email protected] or call us on 020 3879 9555.
You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email. You can join our free Access Scheme through your online Southbank Centre account or via email.
Find out more about our Access Scheme
All our access information
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.