We are delighted to make our first announcements for International Women's Day 2026
Fahima Mirzaie, Afghanistan's most famous sufi whirling dancer will be one of our special guests at an event hosted at Queen's University Belfast 8th March as part Beyond Skin ACCEPT PeacePlus programme with Alternatives Restorative Justice, Springboard Opportunities and Include Youth. Fahima Mirzaie BBC Documentary
Supporting partner organisations and companies include Black Diamond NI, Alghochak, Online Music Exams and The Learning Machine (TLM), Queen's University.
Fahima and other special guests visiting our shores will also be involved in other events 6th - 9th March.
6th March: Women in Media Event
7th March: International Women’s Day 2026 March and Rally
8th March: IWD Peaceplus Event Queens University
9th March: Ulster Bank Businesses Event
Fahima and Anna will also be performing at the Tarang Concert Belfast 7th March
For more information info.beyondskin@gmail.com
As a 24 year-old student, Fahima Mirzaie founded the Kabul-based Sufi dance and performing arts group Shohod Arefan (The Intuition of Mystics), which had strong female leads as well as members who were both male and female. Fahima was due to kick off her biggest tour around the country in 2021. Then the Taliban took over and she had to escape to France. Fahima holds a bachelor’s in business and after moving to France she has participated in artistic residencies and performances across Europe. Her work uses dance to bridge cultures, foster healing, and convey unity.
Other special guests announced
Anna Rüya,Ayyildiz is a captivating whirling dancer, who was born in London to an Irish mother and an Anatolian Alevi father. Her diverse cultural background seamlessly weaves into the rich tapestry of her artistry. With a lifelong inquiry into dance, she found herself drawn to the mesmerising and spiritual practice of spinning. She delved into the intricacies of whirling through the exploration of her ancestry roots.
Her lifework is not just showcases of skill and technique but profound explorations of the whirling dance's spiritual essence. Prepare to be transported into a realm where dance becomes a language that speaks to the spirit, a meditation that resonates with the soul, and a healing force that transcends the boundaries of time and culture.
Professor Katherine Schofield is the Head of the Department of Music at King's College London, and a historian of Mughal India and the paracolonial Indian Ocean focussing on music and the arts. Since Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021 Katherine has also become an advocate for Afghanistan's professional & hereditary musicians to be recognised as "members of a particular social group with a well-founded fear of persecution" under international refugee conventions. Katherine's third book, "Music and Musicians in Late Mughal India: Histories of the Ephemeral, 1748–1858" (2024) is now out in paperback with Cambridge University Press, and Iwork has recently begun on a documentary film. Katherine is highly sought after as a public speaker, and as a consultant on historical Indian instruments, soundscapes, manuscripts & paintings by art dealers & major collections around the world, as well as lending her expertise to TV & film script writers and radio broadcasters.
Elisa Schroth founded Ekklesia School of Ballet and is the artistic director of Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet, a professional dance company based in Connecticut USA.. Elisa has choreographed many works that align with the company’s mission to strengthen human connections while drawing attention to social injustices such as poverty, inequality and human suffering. In 2025 Elisa curated and choreographed UNCAGED, a Ballet celebrating the artistic expressions of Afghan women, particularly those who have worked in secret in Afghanistan. The music was inspired by the paintings of Afghan artists Shajia Azhir, Khadija Doorman, Alina Gawhary and Elaha.
Composer Sadie Harrison who scored the ballet was instrumental in getting Alina Gawhary out of danger to Belfast to begin a scholarship in fine arts at Ulster University.
Cliff Cooper & Sara Shevlin
Cliff is a seasoned entrepreneur with a proven track record of successfully steering new companies towards growth through innovation. His advocacy for sustainable equal access to education and qualifications has helped shape the music education industry. He also serves as a Director of the iconic brand Orange amps, of which was founded by his father.
Sara is a Creative pioneer whose work in music, education, events and copyrighting has helped shape the connection our companies have with its teachers and students. She passionately believes that art and music have the power to change the world for the better and is also the voice of SARA for Online Music Exams, a company they both founded. Together Sara and Cliff through another one of their companies 'The Learning Machine' are helping 1000's of women and girls in Afghanistan.
When Dr. Shakardokht (Shakar) Jafari crossed the Iranian border as a six-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, no one could have imagined the path ahead. From a child displaced by war to an award-winning medical physicist and cancer technology innovator. Shakar’s journey defies expectation at every turn. Raised in a conservative rural Afghan family, she resisted multiple arranged marriages and, against all odds, pursued a degree in radiation technologies at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. After the fall of the Taliban, she returned to Kabul to help rebuild the country’s cancer care infrastructure. Through Schlumberger Foundation Shakar finished her medical physics PHD in the UK.
Today, Shakar is the founder and CEO of TRUEinvivo®, a startup delivering high-precision dosimetry solutions for radiotherapy. Using micro glass beads, the company’s technology offers fast, accurate measurement of radiation doses in cancer treatment—paving the way for safer, more effective care and adaptive radiotherapy. The innovation has already entered research trials in the UK for cervical and prostate cancers.
Joanne Cassidy is a traditional musician and singer songwriter from Belfast. She performs songs on harp and guitar and is also a flute and tin whistle player. Over the years she has performed as a solo musician and in various bands with album and EP releases resulting in radio airplay and international touring, including performances in Addis Ababa at the request of the Irish Embassy.
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more announcements to follow
