The new space will focus on platforming the Global Majority.
A new chapter for arts and culture is about to unfold in London. This October, Ibraaz, an innovative institution dedicated to platforming voices from the Global Majority, will open its doors at 93 Mortimer Street in the heart of Fitzrovia. Spanning six floors within a striking Grade II listed building, the launch promises to be one of the capital’s most anticipated cultural moments of the year.
Derived from the Arabic word meaning “to shine a light,” Ibraaz aims to illuminate the work of artists, thinkers, and creators from the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and the wider Global South. With roots in London and a reach that extends across continents, the institution reimagines what a cultural platform can be: critical, communal, and unapologetically global.
An initiative of the Tunisia-based Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Ibraaz builds on the legacy of its pioneering online editorial platform, now taking physical form for the first time. The architectural transformation has been led by Architect-in-Residence Sumayya Vally, with an approach that centres accessibility, experimentation, and a dynamic international outlook.
Launching on 3 October 2025, Ibraaz opens with Parliament of Ghosts by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, alongside The Otolith Collective as its inaugural Library-in-Residence. The opening public programme, curated by writer and cultural thinker Shumon Basar, will feature talks, performances, screenings, and salons that explore the ideas, technologies, and histories shaping contemporary life.
Music will be curated by Tunisian composer Imed Alibi, spotlighting Global Majority talent through a lineup that ranges from oud master Naseer Shamma to the electro-Arabic stylings of Zeid Hamdan, bridging classical traditions with modern innovation.
The cultural offering extends beyond exhibitions. OULA, the Café-in-Residence led by Boutheina Ben Salem, will introduce London to Tunisian culinary heritage, while the Bookshop-in-Residence, curated by the Palestine Festival of Literature and run by Burley Fisher Books, will focus on radical writing and underrepresented voices.
Meanwhile, the new Ibraaz Editorial Platform, headed by Stephanie Bailey, will continue its commitment to research, artist commissions, and experimental formats, creating a multidisciplinary space for dialogue and discovery.
GO: Visit ibraaz.org for more information.