Dance, Vocals, Specialist Instruments
Zirak Hamad is a violinist and teacher who came to England in 2002 from Iraqi Kurdistan and is now based in Birmingham. A graduate from the institute of Fine Arts in Iraq, he has a wide range of artistic experience in his home country where he worked as a primary school teacher, festival organiser, broadcaster, television presenter and music critic.
Zirak took part in the Birmingham-based Sound it Out community music training course in 2003, and has gone on to work as a freelance artist, mentor and trainer. Alongside running a Kurdish music group, Daholl Kurdish Ensemble, which has performed widely across the UK, Zirak has also initiated and musically directed a Kurdish multi-media production, The Smell of Apples which explored the genocide of Kurds in the city of Halabja.
Zirak's Workshops and Performances:
Zirak is an experienced musical practitioner and works in many settings including schools (primary and secondary), Immigration Removal Centres and various community settings. Zirak has performed at a variety of festivals and events.