11 Jul Philadelphia Organization Spotlight: Batikh Batikh

BY ANDRE CHERRY

Content warning: this article contains potentially sexually explicit images.

The cinéSPEAK Journal publishes a monthly Philadelphia Organization Spotlight highlighting a  local film or moving image focused organization, business, or collective doing unique and  impactful work.  

Philadelphia is home to a unique art organization that focuses exclusively on South-West Asian North African (SWANA) programming. Batikh Batikh is a pop-up cinema and gallery led by and for SWANA women and queer artists. Its mission focuses on “bringing SWANA films to Philadelphia and helping local queer and women artists acquire resources for solo exhibitions at rented spaces.”

cinéSPEAK asked Sarah Trad, founder and director of Batikh Batikh, about her organization’s goals in mentoring SWANA artists and its upcoming public programming. 

cinéSPEAK: What is unique about your organization within the Philadelphia landscape? 

Batikh Batikh: It is the only art organization in Philadelphia and the Northeast that focuses on mentorship and exhibition of SWANA women and LGBTQ+ artists, especially emerging artists and filmmakers.

cinéSPEAK: What inspired you to create Batikh Batikh? 

Batikh Batikh: My mission for Batikh Batikh was to create a mobile cinema allowing SWANA and South Asian (SA) Philadelphia locals to see themselves reflected in cultural programming, and to put money back into the community by hiring SWANA creatives to help with Batikh Batikh work and to program local artists and mentor them through their first solo exhibitions in the hope of broadening opportunities in the future.

cinéSPEAK: What are some of the programs or opportunities at your organization that folks can get involved in? 

Batikh Batikh: Please come to any of our screenings or exhibitions! If you are a SWANA or SA woman or LGBTQ+ creative you can also present or attend our Community Critique Night program we started this year in collaboration with Twelve Gates Arts! The “cart nights” allow artists to present their practice or works-in-progress to a curator and peer group from within the culture. 

Batikh Batikh currently has an open call posted for film, art video, and moving image work connected to certain themes, including Yemeni cinema, local Philadelphia SWANA artists, and Palestinian women’s cinema. You can find a list of all of the themes and the details for submission here. 

cinéSPEAK: What impact do you hope your organization has in the Philadelphia community? 

Batikh Batikh:  I hope that Batikh Batikh serves not only as a cultural hub, but a place for the SWANA/SA community to grow stronger through networking and thrive in a safe space where they can see their cultures and narratives about women and the LGBTQ community outside of the western gaze!

cinéSPEAK: Are all of your screenings free?  

Batikh Batikh: We strive to make all events free to the public or donation-based so there are no access obstacles or paywalls in viewing this content. Batikh Batikh combines activism and community organizing to create programming with profits going exclusively to mutual aid or Batikh Batikh future programming.

As a part of Batikh Batikh’s mission, the organization is based on an anti-capitalist art model, where all art is free to the public with feature artists paid. 

cinéSPEAK: What is one thing the general public might know about your organization? 

Batikh Batikh: Batikh Batikh was named after the Arabic word for “watermelon,” a symbol of the Palestinian flag, to designate it as a safe anti-zionist space for its community.

cinéSPEAK: What is the best way for people to stay up-to-date on your organization’s work? 

Batikh Batikh: Instagram is the best, @batikhcollective! 

cinéSPEAK: Can you tell us something exciting that is coming soon for your organization? 

Batikh Batikh: We will be hosting our Batikh Batikh member KT Abadir-Mullally’s solo exhibition, “Desecration: A Process,” at Automat Collective in August 2023. We are also very excited to be collaborating with cinéSPEAK on “Halaloween Philly,” a SWANA horror cinema festival in October 2023!

Details of current Batikh Batikh screenings can be found on their website here. 

*Featured Image: Image of Sarah Trad and other Batikh Batikh members. Image Credit: Olu Okiemute.

Would you like your organization to be featured in a future spotlight? Please fill out the  Philadelphia Organization Spotlight form. The cinéSPEAK Journal maintains sole discretion over  the publishing of any information provided via the form. Questions: journal@cinespeak.org.

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Andre Cherry’s love of storytelling compels him to create art. He is a cinéSPEAK Fellow, background actor, and writer. His screenplays have placed within the Austin Film Festival and Stowe Story Labs. Andre, who originally hails from the Chicagoland area, quickly grew to love Philadelphia after moving to the area in 2014. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Illinois State University.