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Ahmed Elzber
Our Talent Development Artist for 2024-25. Is a visual artist and music producer based in the UK. Growing up in North-eastern Africa, his work is influenced by a variety of music genres. Travelling inside of his country of origin, which is hugely diverse, offered him the opportunity to meet many local musicians and learn about different instruments, singing and dancing styles. Ahmed creates catchy, versatile and original music through experimenting with a variety of sounds and styles. He is a self-taught musician and a former manager of Sudan Roots Band. |
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Creating Place Ahmed joined Sheba Arts in 2023 as the Artist in Residence for our Creating Place project in partnership with the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh. During his two-month residency, Ahmed developed a powerful solo exhibition that explored untold stories and hidden aspects of life in Wigan and Leigh. His work was deeply personal, drawing on childhood memories of Sudan, where vibrant colours left a lasting impression on his sense of place and belonging. For Ahmed, colour is more than just visual: it’s emotional. It connects memory with environment, and viewer with artist. His residency formed part of a wider year-long engagement programme involving 14 individuals from refugee backgrounds. Through weekly creative workshops, participants explored the meaning of home and the future of society, culminating in two community-led exhibitions at The Turnpike Gallery, which ran until 16 September 2024. |
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As part of our Talent Development programme, Ahmed received personalised mentorship from industry professionals,
Clive Hunte and our Artistic Director, Fereshteh Mozaffari. With access to creative tools like an electric guitar and a design tablet,
and support from Clive, Ahmed explored different music genres, connected with artists and venues, and brought his musical ideas to life!
Over the course of 16 sessions, he created four original tracks. One of them 'Houlyeah' was shared at our Sheba Community Day in June,
where it was played to an audience of sixty people and received fantastic feedback.
Clive Hunte and our Artistic Director, Fereshteh Mozaffari. With access to creative tools like an electric guitar and a design tablet,
and support from Clive, Ahmed explored different music genres, connected with artists and venues, and brought his musical ideas to life!
Over the course of 16 sessions, he created four original tracks. One of them 'Houlyeah' was shared at our Sheba Community Day in June,
where it was played to an audience of sixty people and received fantastic feedback.
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Houlyeah is a name of a Sofi ritual gathering held annually, hence the name, Annual translate to (Houl) in classic Arabic. Sufi rituals and gatherings in Sudan, particularly the dhikr ceremonies, are vibrant expressions of Islamic mysticism. Often centered around the tombs of Sufi saints, involve chanting, dancing (including whirling), and the use of music to reach an altered state of consciousness. Ahmed used this style of music as a symbol of unity and togetherness, to tackle the rising voices of division and tribalism happening in Sudan now, because it is a rich testimony to the ethnic diversity present among Sudanese during these ceremonies, regardless of ethnicity, social or professional class. You can listen to it below. |
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In his final evaluation, Ahmed shared how the programme helped him stay focused on his music, build his skills,
and feel more confident about his next steps in the arts.
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''This programme has helped a lot. It mentally puts me on the right path. It helped through exploring new venues, meeting other professionals, helped to network, and improved connections. All of this helped to understand the art sector much better. I learnt a lot from others. First step to the career destination. The arts sector is complicated and full of challenges. There is a lot of gatekeeping. This programme provides access as it simplifies the process of getting into the sector'' |
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Visual arts is also an element of Ahmed’s creative practice, focusing on figurative abstract painting and sculptures. He holds a BA degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Sudan University and has taken part
in art projects and exhibited his work in galleries in Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UK including The Turnpike Gallery in Leigh (Wigan, UK). Ahmed is also a member of the Sudanese Plastic Art Union. |
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Find out more about Ahmed’s work:
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With thanks to the Arts Council England and Baobab Foundation for supporting this project.
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