Ahlam: Dream

Turning Dreams into a Reality

Ahlam: Dream was a theatre project produced by the Anti Racism Action Band (ARAB) in conjunction with Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS).

The project was a multicultural-themed grass-roots performance centred around dance, including hip hop and belly dancing. As a group devised performance piece, it drew on material from the participants' experiences, and aimed at breaking down cultural barriers in a bid to curb racism in the community.

Ahlam: Dream explored the themes of passion, ambition, and 'self' and what it means for the individual's relationships within the family and environment.

While the larger ensemble group consisted of over 150 people, the group also worked in smaller 'satellite' groups, creating self contained performance pieces, characteristically including high energy performance and a healthy dose of audience participation.

The practising artists involved in the project developed networks with other professionals in the sector, and participants reported feeling 'joyful', 'positive' and 'more confident', as well as commenting that 'meeting new people', 'working together', and 'making friends' were the benefits of being involved in the project.

ARAB was established as a youth performing arts project to address the local community's sense of inclusion and engagement in society. VASS was established in 1998 to provide advocacy and services to the community.