The Cologne violin trio, consisting of Angelina Abadjieva and Alan Arf on the violin and Nadia Saharova on the piano, has been performing together for 5 years. In a “Dialogue of Violins” the three musicians combine different musical traditions. In a music workshop in Baghdad, initiated by the Goethe-Institut Irak, they work intensively with young Iraqi musicians. Those interested in music can look forward to concerts by the trio in Baghdad on May 10 at the Shab Hall and in Erbil on May 15.

On May 7 at 7 p.m., the Goethe-Institut Irak invites you to the first concert of the band “12 Jazz” in the Roshnbiri Hall in Erbil. The twelve young musicians have worked together to create an appealing mix of jazz and Kurdish sounds. The concert is a Helan project, in collaboration with Sêv Gallery and the Framing School for Photojournalism. A registration is not required.

In a group exhibition in Hilla on May 11, 25 artists will present their work as the result of a three-day symposium titled “Nature”. The exhibition takes place in collaboration with the Iraqi Plastic Artists Association, Babel branch.

Attention film lovers: on May 8 at 7 p.m. the Goethe-Institut Irak is showing the film Rheingold by Fatih Akin in the Family Mall in Erbil. The film tells the extraordinary life story of Giwar “Xatar” Hajabi (Emilio Sakray), who went from refugee to gangster and then to musician, from his birth in a village in northern Iran to his rise as a rapper.
The screening will be in German with English subtitles.

On May 16 at 6:00 p.m. the Goethe-Institut Irak and the Institut francais d'Irak à Erbil are once again inviting you to a KultKino/CinéClub screening at the Institut Francais. In Caroline Vignal's comedy, the abandoned Antoinette sets out on a unique journey through the Cévennes, during which she encounters more than just unruly donkeys.
The screening will be in French with English subtitles.

German learners at B1 level and above have until May 8 to apply to take part in an intercultural training with Jasmine Ghadtchi on May 11th and 12th in Erbil. In the interactive workshop, participants learn strategies to facilitate a smooth transition into the living realities in Germany.

On May 16 and 17, the Goethe-Institut Irak invites you to “24 Hours of German”: from Thursday at 2 p.m. until late in the evening, and on Friday from 9 a.m. until the early afternoon, German learners and people interested in Germany can enjoy a colorful program of taster courses, games, film screenings and more! The event will take place on the premises of the Goethe-Institut Irak in Erbil; participation is possible without registration.

With its presence at the 10-day International Book Fair in Erbil, the Goethe-Institut Irak demonstrated its strong role as a cultural player in Iraq. In addition to classic consultations about their cultural projects and programs in the language field, a diverse set of activities was offered at the stand.
The Goethe-Institut was also involved in the stage program with a total of 14 panel discussions and 3 concerts, including a discussion on the importance of reading clubs in Iraq, in which representatives of reading clubs from Mosul, Basra and Erbil were present, as well as a panel discussion with the German-Iraqi author Najem Wali on the topic of space in his literary work.