Today [October 2, 2013] marks the launch of the Nour Festival – a two month long celebration Middle Eastern and North African arts and culture with over 60 events taking place in 20 venues around Kensington & Chelsea. Nour, now in its fourth year, is rapidly becoming the most significant festival of its kind in Europe. It lifts the lid on the astonishing and often untold story of contemporary art and culture coming from the Middle East and North Africa.

Read More: Nour Festival 2013

From February 1st to 16th 2013, the third Edinburgh Iranian Festival comes to the capital to celebrate the history, culture, language and art of Iran. Often, the portrayal of Iran in the media focuses on the negative – Iran’s policies on censorship and its political situation are the subjects most often addressed, but the rich cultural heritage of Iran, not to mention its thriving contemporary cultural life – both in Iran itself, and in the expatriate Iranian community – are often passed over. The Edinburgh Iranian Festival seeks to redress this balance, and to expose the expat Iranian community in Scotland, and Scottish audiences, to a wide array of Iranian culture, history and art.

Read More: Edinburgh Iranian Festival 2013

The Edinburgh Iranian Festival now in its third year is a non-political showcase for world-class Iranian culture, as well as for bands and artists working both in and outside Iran. The festival aims to introduce the tremendous breadth of Iranian history and culture to adults and children in Scotland, and to integrate the two communities through a broad range of interactive events, spanning numerous art-forms. The 2013 Edinburgh Iranian Festival will take place between 1st and 16th February in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Read More: Edinburgh Iranian Festival 2013