Oldham primary school celebrates cultural heritage with MACFEST

Freehold Community Primary Academy recently hosted its own MACFEST in light of the popular festival which took place in Manchester in February and welcomed author Hiba Noor Khan as part of the special event

Since 2017 MACFEST’s mission has been to tackle Islamophobia and bring Muslim and non-Muslim communities together to promote equality and inclusion.

Kirsty Swift, creative pedagogical lead at Freehold Primary Academy, saw how well the festival aligned with the school and trust’s values, prompting her to get in touch with the founder of MACFEST (Muslim Arts and Culture Festival), Qaisra Shahraz, to organise their own event.

The aim was to promote the school values of respect and empathy through championing traditions, customs and people of the Islamic faith. To do this, teachers curated activities for every child to engage with from Nursery to Year 6.

Activities included cooking traditional foods and looking at the work of Manchester based Muslim artists. It also gave the children the opportunity to have a Mehndi done in school by parent volunteers, and look at literature from Muslim authors.

The school even had a visit from author Hiba Noor Khan who talked about her career as a female Muslim author.

Kirsty Swift, said: “We’re incredibly happy with how the event went. It was a true celebration of a heritage that plays an important part within our school community.

“We were lucky enough to welcome Qaisra to talk to staff, children, parents and governors throughout the day, and we were very excited to also host Hiba Noor Khan who talked about her experience as a female Muslim author. 

“There was a real buzz about the school, and we are already looking forward to next year.”

Qaisra Shahraz, founder of MACFEST, said: “We spent an amazing day-at Freehold School. Absolutely delighted and very proud that the whole school took part in MACFESTUK festival.

“All students were so well engaged in various arts and cultural activities- it was a truly enriching experience for all the pupils. 

“They learnt new skills, gained knowledge and got to know the work of some Muslim artists as well as listen to an author.  

“Thank you to the amazing staff and leadership team for making this day happen- a memorable experience indeed!”