Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World

Edinburgh Muslim Voices

This unique project aims to highlight the impact of anti-Muslim hate crime in Scotland through creative animated films. A partnership between the Alwaleed Centre and the Edinburgh College of Art.

Although Scotland prides itself on being an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming country, incidences of anti-Muslim hate crime are still alarmingly common. As with other European countries, the number of hate crimes committed against Muslims often spikes after particular events, whether it be acts of terror or political events like the recent Brexit referendum.

Hate crime is unacceptable in 21st Century Scotland. 'Edinburgh Muslim Voices' aims to highlight the impact anti-Muslim hate crime has had on victims in Scotland's capital.

The project was inspired by a short animation entitled 'Faith in the City' by Bold Creative. You can watch the animation by clicking HERE

About the Project

We are looking for volunteers who have been the victims of anti-Muslim hate crime and prejudice in Edinburgh to speak openly and honestly about their experiences. Volunteer testimonies will be recorded and used as the inspiration for a series of short animated films produced by animation students at the Edinburgh College of Art. All interviews will be anonymous and we hope to create between 10 and 20 short animations, each lasting between 3 and 5 minutes in total.

The project's animators will be 3rd year animation students at the Edinburgh College of Art. This project will form part of their course assessment and will offer a unique opportunity for students to channel their creativity into something topical and important. We also hope the project will offer a voice to those who have been the victim of anti-Muslim hate crime, allowing their experiences to be shared in a way that both engages and challenges audiences across Scotland.

Volunteers who are interviewed for the project will be offered the opportunity to work with the animators to help produce an animation which resonates with them. This is an optional aspect of the project and not something we would insist upon.

Project timeline:

January 2017: Interviews conducted with volunteers.

Beginning of February 2017: Animation students work with interview recordings and select passages to animate.

February - April 2017: Animators produce their films. Interviewees invited to be involved in the production process.

May 2017: Finished animations are published on Youtube and launched collectively on 'Scottish Muslim Voices' website.

June 2017: Public screening of all animations. 

How to get Involved:

If you have experienced any form of anti-Muslim hate crime or prejudice and would like to contribute your experiences to this project, please click HERE to fill in a Project Volunteer form. We will then get back to you with further details and to discuss next steps.

If you have any questions at all about the project, please don't hesitate to contact us: thealwaleedcentre@ed.ac.uk.