This workshop will introduce participants to Dr. William Gallois’s work on the longstanding culture of mural paintings that has disappeared from historical records. Through shared readings and discussions, the workshop will consider the possibility of seeing lost, forgotten, or neglected modes of life which lie memorialised, yet unnoticed, in both formal and informal archives. The workshop brings together ordinary photographs from participants’ personal archives and collections from Zheen Archive to look at the methods and stakes in drawing historical and cultural themes from the everyday. At its heart, the project invites participants to look closely at a set of images and texts over an extended period: first, over several hours spent together in a room, and then collectively over the course of several months.

William Gallois is a Professor of the Islamic Mediterranean and Director of the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. He has formerly worked at a variety of universities in London and the Gulf.

Registration will be closed on November 2, and the workshop will be conducted in English. Capacity is limited to ten participants and applying early is recommended. The application form can be found through this link.