Hi everyone & welcome to our first blog post of 2022! It’s been an adventure getting this far since conceiving the idea, and perhaps you’ve followed our progress on Instagram or Youtube. Well since then I’m proud to welcome two new Directors to our Board, Mahmud Manning & Afzal Khan!
Fayakunu was designed around the existing problems in Bradford. Well which problems, specifically, am I talking about? According to ONS, almost 1 in 2 Pakistani males of working age, are economically inactive versus 2 in 3 female Pakistanis, being economically inactive. Over 20% of the population of Bradford suffers from “worklessness”. These studies were conducted prior to the onset of COVID-19 and the cost of living crisis, so we can only deduce that conditions will have deteriorated. Fayakunu was designed to aid in the local population's vocational education and expose communities to art and the facilities to create. We aim to cater creative courses ranging from textile and ceramic art to automotive carbon fibre casting courses; in the bid to spur the younger generation to design, engineer and build. With open access days, our members benefit from the creative freedom and expert guidance in crafting their designs and artwork, whilst also sharing their knowledge with our community. Whilst the teaser courses are there to inspire, other in-depth courses for intermediate and beginner artists will allow them to develop their craft and confidence to take their craft from a hobby to a social enterprise. Fayakunu is there to support upcoming artists through every step of their development and discovery. By creating an online platform for local artists to sell through, we can help artists make an income from their craft. Fayakunu will be the first Muslim-led, cultural and Islamic art studio in the north of England. We believe it is important for the Muslim community to not only engage in arts but explore their heritage through the arts. There is a huge disconnect between the younger generation and their knowledge of their artistic heritage. So we’ve been perfecting the design over the last year and with the help of our sponsors, we’ve managed to get through most of phase one of our renovation project. You can watch our six-month update video on YouTube. Phase one is the cleanup and major electrical work so there is plenty left to do. Phase two would be the installation of crucial workshop equipment, and as such we are seeking more funding. Thanks to the LEAP & Bradford Council we have raised almost half of what we need. In the coming weeks, you will see our new crowdfunding campaign launched along with our new website. As a community interest company, we operate as a non-profit and for the first part of our journey finding sponsors is incredibly important for us to keep things running. We need another £15k capital to get this off the ground, then Fayakunu can broaden the scope of work it offers to the public, and eventually even house mental health workshops for the community.
Comments