The cultural scene was at the time heavily focused on Khartoum, with few cultural events taking place outside the capital or in remote areas of the greater Khartoum region. The NEXT LEVEL-Jeenak project therefore equipped a mobile cultural trailer that brought art and culture accessible within the city, and to rural areas and other urban centers. The cultural trailer was used for many different formats, such as exhibitions, theatre, concerts or discussion groups. The program was organised, planned and implemented by a collective of Sudanese artists.
The opening event took place in December 2019 in various locations in Khartoum. A DJ was hired for the event and two dance groups: one performing traditional folklore dances and a group of break dancers emphasizing the connection between tradition and modernity. Due to the coronavirus-related lockdown and restrictions on gatherings, future Jeenak events were partly held online as part of the Jeenak fi baytak (We are coming to your home) format.
Twelve Jeenak events took place in 2020 which were able to be streamed online over social media. Nine of these events took place outside of Khartoum. The main objective was to support cultural expressions and female artists in medium-sized towns and rural areas outside the capital. This not only helped feature local female artists, but also stimulated a discourse on diversity and identity within the Sudanese context. Events were organised in Al-Dilling and Kadugli in October, followed by further events in Al-Fashir in November. At the end of the year, events were held in Al-Nihood, Kosti, Al-Fula, Nyala and Port Sudan.
In Jeenak 2021, rich cultural performances and events continued to take place. The launch of Jeenak 2021 was organised by Hazem Ash-Shafei, who impressed the audience with his musical compositions of jazz harmonies and Sudanese melodies. His performance has received over 11,600 clicks on Facebook so far, making it one of the community's favorites. In the spring, the Roots Group, one of the youngest bands in the country, presented their reggae underground music from Al-Obayed. In May, the Karima Group gave insight into the heritage of the northern regions of Shaigia, Manasir and Dhidab to a wide digital audience. Other highlights included performances by the dance group from the village of Swillnga near the town of Al-Fashir in North Darfur and the dances and songs about tolerance, happiness and the beautiful spirit of the Kalash and Waza in the Blue Nile region.
