December 6th, 2025 Our Yalla Drum instructors performed at Mizna's Syria on Screen fundraiser, marking a year since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad's regime. We played in solidarity with the Syrian people and in support of liberation.

December 6th, 2025 Our final workshop of the year was a powerful multi-media meditation on our love for the beautiful land of Cedar Trees, our beloved Libnaan. Our participants engaged in a three-part workshop facilitated by the amazing Sharon Mansur, Lebanese American multi-disciplinary artist and dancer. We engaged with movement, writing, and visual arts activities to explore our connection to Lebanon.

November 26th, 2025 Yalla Drum members played at a powerful interfaith gathering for the Iraqi-American Reconciliation Project. Our members played traditional Arabic pieces in solidarity with Iraq and in support of liberation.

October 24th, 2025 Yalla Drum accompanied and performed with the Fannoun Dance Troupe from Ramallah, Palestine! The event was organized by Body Watani and Mizna and supported by Ananya Dance Theater, Women Against Military Madness (WAMM), and New Arab American Theater Works Yalla Drum was proud to uplift Palestinian artists, and to support unconditional Palestinian resistance and joy through music and dance ✊🏼

October 18th, 2025 Our community learned the craft of Arabic calligraphy with the talented Palestinian American visual artist, Raghda Skeik! Arabic calligraphy is a delicate yet beautiful cultural craft. Our participants rose to the challenge of learning all the basic strokes, and got to work on their own piece to take home!

October 4th, 2025 Yalla Drum had the honor of being invited to play at the Guthrie Theater before the October 4th Matinee of "The Ruins," written by George Abud and directed by Osh Ashruf. Yalla Drum had the fifth floor lobby jamming and clapping to a set of classical Arabic rhythms and songs!

October 19th, 2025 Our very own Kathryn Haddad spoke at the Grantmakers in Conference, which was held in Minneapolis from Oct 19-22. The panel was titled, "Beyond Foreign: Immigrant and Refugee Impacts on the Arts," the panel explored the impact of BIPOC immigrants on the arts ecosystem, in Minnesota and beyond.

August 21st, 2025 To conclude the Summer 2025 drumming season, Yalla Drum played an exciting outdoor performance at The Cedar Cultural Center. The event featured a special performance by The Cedar Youth Program students, who spent the summer learning under the instruction of Yalla Drum directors Robert Lehmann and Tarek Aboueid. Yalla Drum and The Cedar Youth played an exciting set of classical Arabic songs by Fairuz, as well as the most widely recognized rhythms of the Arab world!

August 15-17, 2025 The MENA Theater Maker's Alliance (MENATMA) Board had a retreat in Portland, Oregon. The board convened for a weekend to organize around issues of importance for our MENA Theater Community.

June to August 2025 Yalla Drum instructors taught Summer drumming lessons to youth at The Cedar Cultural Center's youth program. The youth learned traditional Arabic rhythms, the history of Arabic drumming, and culminated their lessons with an outdoor concert alongside the full Yalla Drum ensemble.

July 19, 2025 Our community members gathered to learn traditional Lebanese wood-burning in a workshop facilitated by Lebanese American artist Maya Saliba. They learned the intricacies of the craft, cultural motifs, and craved out their own pieces to take home!

July 19, 2025 Yalla Drum was honored to represent the SWANA region in this public multicultural festival. They played traditional Arabic pieces for a vibrant audience of all ages and ethnicities, and celebrated the richness of Arabic cultural traditions.

July 17, 2025 Our drummers played for the Dowling Elementary School' Summer Camp and held an interactive jamming session! The kids were on their feet dancing, clapping, and even trying out the drums. We had a blast celebrating our vibrant traditions with Minneapolis youth.

June 21, 2025 In this SWANA Creative Workshop hosted by Lebanese American chef Lorie Haddad, our community gathered to roll Lebanese grape leaves, enjoy our traditional dish, and share stories around our rich cooking traditions.

May 17, 2025 Despite the Minnesota cold, Yalla Drum members were invited to play outside the MN Integrative Studio during the Art-a-Whirl public festival in Minneapolis!

June 16, 2025 Yalla Drum was honored to perform at the 2025 Palestine Graduation ceremony. Organized by the Free Palestine Coalition, the event awarded the resilient Palestinian Americans and Palestine organizers who graduated while resisting against genocide

April 29th, 2025 As part of the MENA Theater Makers Alliance retreat in St. Paul, Minnesota, New Arab American Theater Works hosted a cultural night with theatrical readings, live music, food, and a chance to network with our amazing arts community. National and local MENA artists, community members, and arts organizers gathered in Minneapolis for an exciting meet and greet and a chance to network with artists locally and nationally.

April 26, 2024 New Arab American Theater Works hosted TWO packed workshop sessions on tatreez, the art of traditional Palestinian embroidery. The workshop was facilitated by Palestinian American artist Nuha Abdelrahim. Community members gathered for a relaxing opportunity to make art together, enjoy Arabic sweets, and learn the rich history of this centuries-old craft.

April 24, 2025 Our ensemble was so proud to bring their energy and perform at the New American Summit, organized by the MN Department of Education.

April 12, 2025 For poetry month, we partnered with the MN Humanities Commission to host a special reading with Arab American writer Tarik Dobbs, with a talkback moderated by Sagirah Shahid. Dobbs read from "Nazar Boy," his riveting new book on identity, surveillance, and the complexities of Arab American life.

February 22, 2025 Yalla Drum played at Educators for Justice in Palestine's fundraiser for Gazan students being evacuated. We played in support of liberation, and to uplift Palestinian joy and resilience.

December 19, 2024 New Arab American Theater Works co-organized this fundraiser for Gazan humanitarian relief and cultural night to observe Yalda (the Iranian winter solstice). The event included poetry by SWANA artists, a performance by the Yalla Drum Ensemble, food, a silent auction, and more!

November 16, 2025 Our second installment of the "Embody Palestine" workshop! Hosted by Palestinian American dancer Leila Awadallah, participants continued with more movement exercises to practice holding physical space in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

October 26, 2025 Our "Embody Palestine" workshop was hosted by Palestinian American dancer Leila Awadallah. Participants moved, danced, and engaged in exercises to practice holding physical space in solidarity with the people of Palestine.

September 20 to October 6, 2024 We produced the world premiere of "Rosette" by Palestinian American playwright, William Nour. PLAY DESCRIPTION: Rosette is a young Palestinian woman, born in 1948, the year of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Her village was destroyed, and half her family are in refugee camps in Lebanon. It is now 1966. Displaced and living in Haifa with what is left of her family, she is coming of age, questioning her identity, her place in the family and society.

August 30, 2024 We had a full house join us at our Summer 2024 capstone concert, which included 17 amazing drummers in concert! Community members gathered at Long Lake Park to hear our ensemble play Arabic music, dance, clap, and celebrate the beautiful art of the Middle East together.

August 8th, 2024 In this writing workshop facilitated by Palestinian American writer Sana Wazwaz, participants explored their grief around the genocide in Gaza and practiced channeling it into the written word. We practiced strategies to resist the pressure to force our grief into something marketable, and to instead write with authenticity and humanity.

July 28, 2025 Yalla Drum performed in an exciting outdoor festival at Staring Lake Park in Eden Prairie. The event included multicultural performances, and we were proud to represent the SWANA region!

July 27th, 2024 Yalla Drum performed at Orchestra Hall for the Minnesota Orchestra Day of Music. The energy was electric as we played traditional Arabic rhythms, and collaborated in a special performance with Lebanese American singer Gloria Bedran.

July 25th, 2024 Our July SWANA Creative Workshop was a writing workshop facilitated by Somali American multimedia artist Ifrah Mansour. In an intimate gathering, we practiced externalizing painful experiences from our lives through art. We practiced visually "decorating" old wounds and crafting joy out of pain.