- Public Art
- Music
- Theater
WHERE IS UMM KULTHUM? Neukölln joins in the singing. A celebration for UMM in the passageway of the Neukölln Opera House
mit Leila Ey von Sister*Queens und Yousra sowie Initiativen aus Neukölln
4 July 2026 16:00–19:00
5 July 2026 16:00–19:00
نت عمري، إنت عمري اللي إبتدى بنورك صباحه
“You are my life, you are my life that began with your light in the morning.”
For two days, the passageway of the Neuköllner Oper Berlin will become Neukölln’s open-air living room—with a celebration centered on the musical and social legacy of the Egyptian singer and icon Umm Kulthum. As the “Voice of Egypt,” she has shaped generations of people throughout the Arab world. Between live music, listening sessions, and moderated discussions, visitors are invited to bring their own records, cassettes, CDs, or digital files, as well as objects they personally associate with Umm Kulthum. Together, we’ll listen, reminisce, and discuss—on personal, political, and musical levels. Seated on monobloc chairs, in front of oilcloth tablecloths, with drinks from the corner store, affordable food, and German-Arabic interpretation, a communal atmosphere emerges: a celebration by and for neighbors, initiatives, associations, Umm Kulthum fans, and artists.
The event takes place as part of 48 Stunden Neukölln and in conjunction with the production طرب/ / TARAB. An Ecstasy in Three Acts with music by Umm Kulthum.
Program planning: Anica Happich & Fatima Çalışkan
“You are my life, you are my life that began with your light in the morning.”
For two days, the passageway of the Neuköllner Oper Berlin will become Neukölln’s open-air living room—with a celebration centered on the musical and social legacy of the Egyptian singer and icon Umm Kulthum. As the “Voice of Egypt,” she has shaped generations of people throughout the Arab world. Between live music, listening sessions, and moderated discussions, visitors are invited to bring their own records, cassettes, CDs, or digital files, as well as objects they personally associate with Umm Kulthum. Together, we’ll listen, reminisce, and discuss—on personal, political, and musical levels. Seated on monobloc chairs, in front of oilcloth tablecloths, with drinks from the corner store, affordable food, and German-Arabic interpretation, a communal atmosphere emerges: a celebration by and for neighbors, initiatives, associations, Umm Kulthum fans, and artists.
The event takes place as part of 48 Stunden Neukölln and in conjunction with the production طرب/ / TARAB. An Ecstasy in Three Acts with music by Umm Kulthum.
Program planning: Anica Happich & Fatima Çalışkan
Biography
mit Leila Ey von Sister*Queens und Yousra sowie Initiativen aus Neukölln
The event will be moderated by Fatima Çalışkan, who brings extensive experience in participatory music and discussion formats, having worked on audience-engaging and interactive projects such as Demo Tape and the Political Song Salon (Roter Salon, Volksbühne).
The event is curated in collaboration with Anica Happich, who, as artistic director of the Phoenix Theater Festival (Erfurt) and the Plattenstufen Festival, among others, possesses extensive expertise in planning and implementing large-scale, community-based, and high-profile cultural events. She is also responsible for the outreach division of the Neuköllner Oper as part of the ÜBERMORGEN program of the German Federal Cultural Foundation
About the Neuköllner Oper Berlin:
https://www.neukoellneroper.de/ueber-uns/profil-2/
The event is curated in collaboration with Anica Happich, who, as artistic director of the Phoenix Theater Festival (Erfurt) and the Plattenstufen Festival, among others, possesses extensive expertise in planning and implementing large-scale, community-based, and high-profile cultural events. She is also responsible for the outreach division of the Neuköllner Oper as part of the ÜBERMORGEN program of the German Federal Cultural Foundation
About the Neuköllner Oper Berlin:
https://www.neukoellneroper.de/ueber-uns/profil-2/
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