Reading Room showcases breadth of Islamic civilisation in United Kingdom

This summer, Intersections 2.0 transforms the public realm in Folkestone, UK, into a site of civic memory, cultural exchange, and creative authorship. Conceived by SD Projects, a Folkestone-based studio led by artist and sculptor Simon Davenport, and developed in collaboration with architect Shahed Saleem and artist Farwa Moledina and to run till October 26 with a key contribution from photographer Mahtab Hussain, the project in Folkestone's Creative Quarter centres around a purpose-built Reading Room.

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Both a place of study and community gathering, Reading Room brings together more than 200 books and 300 artefacts relating to Islamic architecture, visual culture, and diasporic heritage. The material has been sourced with the support of multiple organisations, including the Arab British Centre, the Mosaic Rooms, SOAS, Saqi Books and reflects a mix of scholarly, lived, and inherited knowledge.

Intersections 2.0 refers to different projects and initiatives, including a mentorship programme for young graduates in Lebanon and the Reading Room exhibition in Folkestone, focusing on Islamic architecture and culture. The Reading Room collection spans languages, disciplines, and cultural traditions, offering academic texts alongside personal ephemera. Contributors include SOAS, Saqi Books, Folkestone Museum, King's College London, and Professor Anthony Downey. A notable inclusion is rare Festival of Islam (1976) film material, donated by the Al Tajir Trust. Folkestone is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, southeast England.

Reading Room's design was born from a series of workshops with the local community. "Each element within the space is a collaborative act,"