Samira Mian
Previous Workshops
I am passionate about teaching. Making the drawing & painting of Islamic Geometric Patterns accessible to almost anyone is becoming one of my strongest motivations. I take a great deal of pride in preparing workshops and lessons thoroughly and when in front of students being able to communicate and demonstrate the ideas I am trying to convey clearly and with enthusiasm, humour and patience.
Besides my regular workshops at Harrow Arts Centre, Cass Art Kingston, Islington & Manchester and Courses at Ealing. Below you will find the in person workshops I've led with different organisations in and around the UK & abroad since 2015.
Since 2020, I've been able to add a new category of event: Live online wokrshops & talks. From museum and work place staff workshops to kids workshops at mosques as well as private or community workshops, talks & courses for groups of families or friends in their home, a hotel & arts centre.
If you'd like to arrange a drawing and/or painting workshop, in person or online for yourself or your organisation, please do get in touch.
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Since 2020, I've been able to add a new category of event: Live online wokrshops & talks:
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Dec 2019 – Sheikh Zayed Mosque Ewan Al Jami Islamic Geometry Workshops
The end of December felt like the fanciest tour of the Arab world. I flew from Dhahran on the east coast of Saudi to Abu Dhabi , UAE for the round two of workshops. This time I was working at the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre. I led four workshops as part of their Ewan Al Jami programme of creative activities free to the public. As it was my third time in Abu Dhabi working with Bayt Al Qindeel, I met many familiar faces and geometry friends as well as those who I was connected to via social media. I was well looked after and having assistants helping me set up and pack away workshops was a luxury I could easily get used to. Their video team made this superb film. I was very blessed to end 2019 with such a great experience, teaching the loveliest of people in a beautiful venue.
Dec 2019 – Three day workshop at Ithra, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
It was a pleasure and honour to work at King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture also known as Ithra. A truly sublime venue that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring in my downtime. My hosts looked after me well as I taught a group of 16 about different pattern families across 3 days. We had a diverse and talented group and teaching them over a longer period allowed me to get to know them, have great discussions, share jokes and also see some brilliant progress in their Islamic Geometry.
Dec 2019 – Workshop for Year 9/10 girls at Al Risalah School
One of my faves on Instagram is also an Art Teacher! So when Lucy Khanam wanted to arrange a workshop for her students, I jumped at the chance. She’d brought a group for a workshop at MTU the previous year. They were by far the most talented, humble & polite students we’d had. Such wonderful ambassadors for their r school and certainly a testament to Lucy’s amazing teaching. I had a lovely morning with them and was again so pleased with how well they got on and what they produced… I’d be back in a flash!
Oct 2019 – Mar 2020 Year 5 Masterclass at the Royal Institution & St Helen’s School
When I was a teacher, I used to volunteer to help out at the Royal Institution Year 9 masterclasses on Saturdays. These were free sessions for bright students across the borough coming together on a Saturday morning for exciting maths sessions. They were such a treat! I have now had the opportunity to deliver Year 5 Masterclasses at the Royal Institution on two occasions and at St Helen’s School in Northwood. The enthusiasm and talent of the children, complete with their little stories & anecdotes was such a joy. At St Helen’s I delivered the final Masterclass of the season, complete with parents attending. It was amazing to have such a large group (almost 60), drawing and colouring patterns with such effort and concentration. A brilliant experience every time!
Aug 2019 – Private workshop for Kam & family
I’ve met many members Kam's family, as their first time at one of my workshop was a 3 generation affair! So I have a major soft spot from them all. I'm especially grateful for their encouragement, gifts continuous support. It is therefore entirely predictable that I had a fabulous time delivering this workshop in her dining room and garden, having the best snacks after and loveliest chats throughout.
Aug 2019 – D3 workshops with Bayt Al Qindeel in Dubai
It was wonderful to be working with @baytalqindeel again this time in Dubai Design District. We ran 6 sessions over the 3 days with participants drawing and/or painting different patterns in every. Always love seeing the friendly faces that’ve come to previous workshops mixed in with the newbies trying it out for the next time. The workshops were as fun as the downtime in between. Trips like this are tiring but such good fun.
July 2019 – Alqueria de Rosales Summer School in Islamic Geometric Patterns.
One of the biggest highlights of 2019 was my trip to Spain and teaching at the first Alqueria de Rosales Summer School in Islamic Geometric Patterns.
The geometry itself seemed to rebuild all our foundations, yep I'm including me here! We began with Daud Sutton's fundamentals taught by myself & then Alan Adams, built upon with advanced sessions of Rajen Astho & Ameet Hindocha and supplemented by Daud's evening lectures. I sensed everyone who came went away a better geometer regardless of their previous experience. To be able to say that for all, but especially the experienced geometers, is a testament to the course.
But beyond the geometry, htere were many unexpected joys:
The food, oh my, the food! Rosales catered for all our varying diets and we ate so well, too well in my case! And of course spanish fruit in the summer is just sublime.
Who knew cats and kittens would be a highlight, I'm pretty indifferent, but the story of Alan taking them in, Simona buying them food and all the other cat lovers visiting them inbetween all sessions even warmed my cold heart!
Adeeba taking us through the manuscripts was so fascinating, we had such a wonderful afternoon, learning so much and feeling so privileged to be able to see them upclose.
Other people's stuff! Daud's books, Jones's origami kites, Bryn's postcards, everyone's amazing drawing kits, but especially Margi's vintage and Hana's futuristic compass, Sandy's geometry folders, all so memorable!
Finally, our location, the beautiful buildings set in the middle of the Spanish mountains was breathtaking daily, in the sunshine, in the night, with stars, a partial lunar eclipse, the dramatic rain and the rainbow that followed (I missed it, still bitter, photo by Ameet).
June 2019 – Masjid Al Jannah workshop for Girls
I returned to Slough for this workshop at Masjid Al Jannah during Ramadan. I ran two workshops, one for the younger girls and one for the older ones. It was part of their weekly Girls club where they did something different each week. Lovely to be part of their programme at such a happy thriving masjid.
May 2019 – Islamic Geometry Workshop at Chelsea Library
I delivered this workshop as part of Chelsea Library’s celebration of CityRead London. It was open to anyone and free, so was interesting to have a mix of people and my favourite kind of challenge, teaching people with no experience how to draw patterns.
I really enjoyed teaching Amara & her sisters, they always do something different & special for their birthdays ( what a great idea right), so they came along full of of excitement and many snacks ready for a fun filled afternoon…
April 2019 - Bespoke Private workshop for Amara & her sisters
Exhibition & Publication
Manifesting the Unseen, a residency exhibition and workshops at @guestprojects in #hackney.
@manifestingtheunseen began as a discussion led by exhibition curator and poet Nazia Mirza on the invisibility of marginalised identities in public space and how for many in the West, Islamic art and poetry remain a hidden treasure.
For me it was the first time exhibitining and creating merchandise too. Sucha full on experience which I was glad I was able to enjoy in a more familiar setting by running workshops.
Each artist was paired with a poet, who took inspiration from an art work to form our poetry and art anthology. My poet was the thought provoking talent that is Suhaiymah Manzoor Khan. I was really chuffed to get to work with her. She is both a force to be reckoned with and an absolute down to earth wise beyond her years gem of human!
Workshops for Adults
Squeezing in many workshops into our month in Hackney, almost felt like a full time job! Glad I enjoy what I do! We were able to run 4 adult workshops free to the general public, bringing in a diverse group of people to our space and my world of patterns.
I also ran my own regular workshops, it felt right to make use of such a wonderful and inspirational space...!
