Presentation

Today we had a presentation,  where all the groups came together and talked about how far they had come along in the project and also got feedback off other groups. I feel this was a good way to gather information and also have a look at how other people are getting on in unit X we put together a powerpoint that had a slide of a few pictures of each group members research. It was interesting looking at how other people had interperated the brief and how they have developed their work. Towards the end of our powerpoint we got lots of feedback and ideas on how to further our initial ideas and research.

South Asia Meets Manchester

For  my Final Piece of this project I have decided to work on a photography piece which shows my roots and also describes my life in Manchester. I have used this photoshoot that I've found online Called South Asia meets Manchester. It has inspired me to use a camera and a tripod and photgraph myself. I have decided to borrow my Mothers wedding dress which I will then wear at a skate park withtrainers to show the mix of cultures how at home I have been brought up the pakistani way and how I also have the opportunity to explore the british culture.

Drawing Work

I firstly used a Pakistani newspaper that has urdu script I used as a background for drawing I painted onto it and I then used ink and different colours to create motifs that where commonly found in henna designs and also all the picturs I had taken around Manchester of the Pakistani oriented areas. I created another sample by using poly print; I started off by scratching a design into the poly print and then using a bright colour I printed onto some newspaper that I painted with white emulsion earlier. I wanted to make my prints stand-out to I decided to do some more designs on to my prints by using ink and finally spraying some gold onto them to resemble the colours of the Pakistani culture. I think these samples looked very effective and really striking because of the busyness, colours clashing and the used of different media that really stood out. I also used some black and white prints to wash out some of the colour which gave an extra touch to the samples. If I had more time I would take my Drawings into Photoshop and play with the colours and edit them and also make a collage out of the different sections But overall I am pleased with this outcome as I feel it represents what im trying to portay. Here are a few examples.

Venue hunting

We went to look at a few venues today at the northern quarter we found one we really liked Nexus art cafe i thought it had enough space and it was quirky and different it also had a windo space that i though could come in handy to attract people to look at our exhibition space another place that i like was Terrace bar i thought it was nice because of the brick walls and theres lots of space the only downside of this venue was it was wuite dark even during the day so lighting would be an issue.

Research into a Asian populated area

Longsight is an area that I took a look into because it has alot of asian shops and Longsight market has many different asian stalls selling different types of asian material and accessories. I think this was a good way to take a look at the different people that came to the market and also have alook at the variety of stalls that sell pakistani things the market almost reminded me of my trip to pakistan and walking in the streets of the bazaar.

Longsight has a very ethnically diverse population. According to the 2011 UK census, 72.9% of the population is from non-white ethnic groups, a 20% increase over the 2001 figure of 52.7%. This includes 55.3% who describe themselves as Asian or Asian British (including 35.7% Pakistani, 11.4% Bangladeshi); and 9.7% Black or Black British.The largest religious group is Muslim with 53.8% of the population, compared with the 2001 figure of 34.7% Muslim and 38.6% Christian. Only 7.0% of the population declined to state a religion, with 12.7% stating no religion.

Second Poster

We got together after our easter break to discuss what we've been doing and what research we've all gathered and make another poster. We all took a corner of the poster and stuck down pictures and did drawings about what research we'd done. Lucy carried on the currency theme and drew some of the drawings she'd made and Niamh researched further into her Irish culture, Tina found old family pictures and did some research on Iranian identity, Howard tried out some origami and finally I talked about the weddings  I'd been to and my trip to Norway.

Trip to Norway!

I went away to Norway to finnish of the wedding as i have a lot of family over there I took some time out to take a few snaps about the Scenery and take a look at how different life there is compared to the life here. First of all they drive on the opposite side of the road! The Scenery in Norway is breath taking as all apartment and houses are in Mountains.

The culture of Norway is closely linked to the country's history and geography. The unique Norwegian farm culture, sustained to this day, has resulted not only from scarce resources and a harsh climate but also from ancient property laws. In the 18th century, it brought about a strong romantic nationalistic movement, which is still visible in the Norwegian language and media. In the 19th century, Norwegian culture blossomed as efforts continued to achieve an independent identity in the areas of literature, art and music. This continues today in the performing arts and as a result of government support for exhibitions, cultural projects and artwork

Traditions and Customs

Here are a few pictures of some pakistani Customs and Traditions that go on at the weddings.

Traditions

Mangni is the engagement ceremony that marks the formal engagement of couple. The small ceremony takes place in the presence of a few important members of would-be bride & groom’s family. Prayer and blessings for the couple are recited and the wedding date is decided in Mangni.

Mayun is custom of the bride entering into the state of seclusion eight to fifteen days before the wedding. She’s made free of all the chores and errands around the house. The bride and groom are not allowed to see each other after the Mayun; bride is not allowed to leave her house. The beautification rituals begin during this time.

Uptan is a paste made from turmeric, sandalwood powder, herbs and aromatic oils, which groom's mother brings for bride. She blesses bride and applies “uptan’ to the bride's hands and face. Groom's sister also does the same, and a thick string called a “gana” is tied to the bride’s arm. “Uptan” is applied to the bride's skin each day leading up to the wedding. Similar ceremony is held for the groom, where bride's mother, sisters, cousins and friends bring “uptan” for groom and rub it on his skin.

Dolki is a popular ceremony of singing traditional wedding & popular songs accompanied by two or three percussion instruments Dolki being the main. The girl is officially treated as bride (dulhan). She wears traditional Pakistani yellow outfit. Her brothers, sisters, and cousins bring her (bride) in the dholki party.

Rasm E Mehndi (Henna Party) takes place a day before the wedding. It’s a ceremony mainly of women. They apply Mehndi (Henna) to the bride's hands and feet, sing, dance, and bless the bride. Sadka (warding off evil through charity) is performed on the bride i.e. donating money circling three times on the bride’s head. Traditionally mehndi was brought by groom's parents. Mehndi (Henna) is applied in beautiful floral designs and sometimes groom's name is written in designs. After the ceremony dinner is organized for the guests. Traditionally, the bride is not allowed to take part in the celebrations and keeps her face hidden in veil.Rasm E Mehndi is organized for grooms also in some parts of Pakistan.

Baraat is procession of family, relatives, and friends of groom that accompany the groom to bride’s home for official wedding ceremony. Groom makes his way to the bride's home on a richly decked horse or in a car and “baraat” follows in different vehicles. Groom is given warm welcome by the bride’s family with flower garlands and rose petals. Family and relatives of the groom and the bride exchange glasses of juice or sherbet along with money. Guests are welcomed by the bride’s sisters by playfully hitting them with a stick wrapped and decorated with flowers

Nikah is purely Islamic official wedding ceremony that usually takes place at the bride’s home. Nikah is attended by close family members, relatives, and friends of groom and bride. Usually, the men and women are made to sit separately, in different rooms, or have a purdah, or curtain, separating them.

Nikah-naama (document of marriage contract) is registered in Nikah. The Nikahnaama contains several terms and conditions that are to be respected by both parties (bride & groom). It includes bride’s right to divorce her husband. Nikahnaama specifies “Meher,” the monetary amount the groom will give the bride. Meher includes two amounts; one that is due before the marriage is consummated and the other that is a deferred amount given to the bride at a time to be determined. The Meher guarantees the bride's freedom within the marriage, and acts as the bride's safety net.

The fathers of groom and bride (Walis) act as witnesses to the wedding. If father is not available, the senior male, brother or uncle performs the ceremony. Islamic Imam (called maulana or maulvi in Urdu) reads selected verses from the Quran and waits for the Ijab-e-Qubul (proposal and acceptance) of wedding. Usually, the groom's side makes proposal and the bride's side conveys her assent. Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) take the Nikahnaama to the bride and read it aloud to her. She accepts the Nikahnaama saying 'qabool kiya,' meaning 'I accept and signs it. The Nikahnaama is then taken to the groom and read aloud to him. He accepts saying 'qabool kiya and signs the document. The Maulvi and witnesses (gavah) also do sign the Nikahnaama contract and the wedding becomes legal. The Maulvi recites the Fatihah, the first chapter of the Quran, and various durud, or blessings to mark the closing of Nikah ceremony.

After the wedding is legally announced, dishes of dates and misri (unrefined sugar) are served to the groom's family. Groom is then escorted to his bride where he’s allowed to site beside his wife. This is the time when sisters-in-law of groom play pranks and tease the groom.

Mooh Dikhai is the ceremony of first time “showing of the face” after the Nikah. The couple is made to see each other in the mirror and the bride unveils her face that she keeps hidden during the Nikah. The custom of Mooh Dikhai is also called “Aarsi Musshaf.” The bride and groom share a piece of sweet fruit, such as a date and family and friends congratulate the couple and offer gifts. Dinner is served to the guests. The sisters, friends, and female cousins of bride take this opportunity to steal the groom's shoes and demand a sum of money for shoes. This is very popular custom and groom usually carries a lot of cash, due to the popularity of this custom. He pays money to get back his shoes and girls divide the money among themselves.

Ruksati is the ceremony to bid farewell to the bride before her departure to the groom's house. She says goodbye to her parents, close friends and family. The Quran is held over her head as a blessing. It’s a pretty touching moment. Although this practice is un-Islamic but a lot of Pakistani families have come to adopt it.

Several traditional games are played at groom’s house. A tray full of a mixture of water and milk is placed before the couple and a ring is thrown into the mixture and husband and wife are asked to find the ring. The one who finds the ring is considered winner and dominant partner in the relationship. The couple is asked to untie the “ganas” (thick strings) that were tied on their writs before wedding. The one who unties it first is considered the dominant partner in the relationship. Bride eats kheer (sweet, pudding-type desert) out of the groom’s hand. This customs are designed to make the couple more intimate before the physical relationship. Groom washes the feet of the bride in a basin of water that is sprinkled into the four corners of the house. It’s believed that this brings wealth, prosperity and luck into the home.

Chauthi is the custom of bringing the bride back to her parents' home the next day, or on the fourth day after the wedding (depending on family tradition). Usually bride's brothers perform the Chauthi and goes to fetch their sister home.

Walima is ceremony to announce the wedding to community and friends. It’s a grand reception hosted by the groom's parents. Relatives, friends and community people are invited to the reception and wedding is celebrated with great fun and festivities.

Pakistani Wedding

Here are a few pictures from a family wedding that I attended I took pictures of some of the traditions that we did. In the first picture ther is a Dholi where the bride is carried in by her brothers and cousins, In the second picture there is a Mehndi ritual where the boys side and girls side bring mehndi (henna) in for one another to be applied and also dance around. finally there are pictures of the few favours we made for everyone the night before the wedding as one of the boys side we made these favours to give out after the Nikkah (vows) they include dates and other various pakistani sweets.