Day 2: Comedy
Please note this event is taking place online by invitation only. Select events will be live-streamed to Counterpoints Arts’ Facebook and Youtube; see below for links where available. All times listed are in GMT/UTC.
| 9:30 – 10:30 |
Coffee Hour |
| SESSION 1 | PANEL DISCUSSIONS |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Comedy Sketch – Nabil Abdulrashid wows the judges and the audience at Britain’s Got Talent. |
| Daily Reflections / Day overview — Jo Glanville, Jamal Khadar feat. Mohammed Ali | |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | In Conversation: Comedy, migration and social change — Suchandrika Chakrabarti (host), Nabil Abdulrashid, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Mo Omar and Abdulwahab Tahhan Exploring the role of race, identity and migration in the world of stand-up comedy. Hosted by writer and comedian Suchandrika Chakrabarti with stand-ups Mo Omar, Fatiha El-Ghorri and Abdulwahab Tahhan, followed by Q&A. Plus a specially recorded interview with Britain’s Got Talent sensation Nabil Abdulrashid. |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | LUNCH Networking |
| SESSION 2 | CRITICAL REFLECTION |
| 13:30 – 14:45 | How can we expand the critical conversation around standup comedy? Jamal Khadar, Brian Logan, K Biswas, Momtaza Mehri and Rachael Healy What role do comedy writers, critics and reviewers play in shaping the conversation around stand-up and social change? What’s missing in the way we write and think about stand-up and identity? How much is it about who is doing the writing and how can we include a wider range of voices? Hosted by comic and writer/researcher Jamal Khadar, with Guardian comedy critic Brian Logan, poet and critic Momtaza Mehri, writer and activist K Biswas, writer and critic Rachael Healy. Followed by a Q&A. |
| 14:45 – 15:30 | BREAK |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Reviews in Transit — Breakout Rooms How can we influence/develop the critical conversation, including on open platforms. |
| 16:00 – 16:15 | Wrap up — Jamal Khadar |
| 16:15 – 17:00 | BREAK |
| SESSION 3 | NETWORKING |
| 17:00 – 17:15 | Speed Networking |
| 17:15 – 18:20 | Lounge Chats |
| 18:20 – 18:30 | Wrap Up — Jamal Khadar |
| EVENING | PUBLIC EVENT |
| 20:00 – 21:30 Bookings open to public |
No Direction Home – Live! (retreat guests will receive a link by email to join on Zoom) Join us for an evening of laughter hosted by the brilliant Mo Omar and featuring new comedians from the No Direction Home Collective: Meron, Krzysia Balinska, Abdul Tahhan and Nour-Ani Sisserian. Plus special guest headliners Fatiha El-Ghorri and Britain’s Got Talent sensation Nabil Abdulrashid. No Direction Home is a pioneering project featuring stand-up comedians from refugee and migrant backgrounds, mentored by award winning comedian Tom Parry. It was created by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Camden People’s Theatre and Tom Parry. Since 2018 they have performed gigs around the country, including at the Southbank Centre in London and in a virtual UK tour online. |
