Introduction and the Zoorkhaneh

March 9, 2024

Creative and Story Telling

The first of four Creative and Storytelling workshops with Friends of Shahnameh at Bridge 5 Mill.

In our first workshop with Friends of Shahnameh, we were given an introduction of Iran with a map and pictures of people in variety of costumes to demonstrate the cultural diversity of people in Iran and help our workshop participants understand where Iran is situated.

After a quick break, we were introduced to Haideh and Nejad and their amazing story with the Iranian National Ballett Company. Friends of Shahnameh introduced us to the Zoorkhaneh and their link to Gordafarid, Haideh Ahmadzadeh’s favourite character to play when she started her dancing career.

Haideh’s costume for her solo dance as Gordafarid consisted of breeches, typically worn by men, short vest embroidered with Persian motifs, wide leather armbands and a skull cap with a feather to symbolise a helmet. Inspired by Haideh’s costume and other images from the Zoorkhaneh, our workshop participants designed and coloured their very own Zoorkhaneh trousers!

Using bright colours and their imagination, Haideh’s costume was brought to back life.

Who are Friends of Shahnameh?

Friends of Shahnameh was formed in 2011 in Manchester to celebrate Persian arts & culture.

The group focused mostly on Shahnameh, Book of Kings, which is a literary masterpiece written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi (1010 CE). The book consists of 50,000 rhyming couplets covering stories of Greater Iran from primordial times to the fall of Sassanid Dynasty in the 7th century.

Shahireh and Atusa will be delivering four captivating storytelling workshops centered around two stories from Shahnameh: Gordafarid and Bijan and Manijeh.

From poetry to colouring and drawing, our workshop participants learned about Shahnameh itself and stories of Bijan & Manijeh and Gordafarid. Childlen were also able to connect to some of the characters in Haideh Ahmadzadeh danced and follow the stories told through her dance.