Aisha Zia says welcome to 62

THE NEW GALLERY and social platform at 62 Gladstone Street is dedicated to challenging Islamophobia. The venue used to be a video shop, run by Aisha’s father. With video shops having reached the end of their lives, turning the venue into a gallery seemed a very logical step.

Challenging Islamophobia is also a logical step: it’s been the theme of gallery owner and British Muslim Aisha Zia’s work as an artist, and she regards it as one of the most important social issues of today – an issue which affects everyone, and which everyone has a responsibility to challenge.

The gallery is the step she has taken as her contribution to making that challenge. Its particular appeal is that it offers people a chance to come together and not feel so isolated. Working together, they can then intervene and change the narrative in wider society.

Aisha began working as a photo editor, but she is now best known as a playwright. Her Play No Guts, No Heart, No Glory, which tells the story of Muslim women boxers and is based on interviews with them, won an award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014. As well as challenging Islamophobia, she would like the gallery to reach out to the wider community. She hopes to use it to hear personal stories from across the community – and hopes she will be inspired to draw the stories together in a new play based on the idea that coming together can give us all hope.

The first exhibition at the gallery has been curated by Zain Awan, and it is based on images of the first wave of Muslim migrants to come to the East of England town.

Future exhibitions at the gallery will include a showing of self-portraits by Maryam Wahid. Maryam, who is originally from Birmingham, recalls that there were few images of British Muslims on view as she was growing up. Nonetheless, she feels inspired by her Muslim faith – and motivated to be active in fighting Islamophobia.

•Coming events at 62 Gladstone Street include:
27th April: Cine-Sister Women of Millfield films
– Click here for more information
4th May, 6-8pm: Lads & Dads Chat Over Chai
– Click here for more information

•Read more about it:
One Day in the Haram
East Londoners show solidarity with NZ Muslims