Champions of Ur: The Next Generation

Over the past two months, the Creative Roots team has been on the road bringing the Game of Ur back to life through its playful root. Baghdad, Babylon, and of course, Nasiriyah, all joined in the fun to explore the ancient past that put Mesopotamia at the heart of a global trade, design, and experience network. The 'Playful Root' is the first chapter of the Creative Roots program and is part of TARII’s Heritage Grant Program with funding from the JM Kaplan Fund in collaboration with Creative Iraq.

We are passionate about making the past fun, swapping books for phones and dice, to ensure that history is an experience, not just words on a page. Across all of the sessions, our team presented the past through a quiz that asked participants to reflect on what they knew before finding out the answer - reflection is equally important in learning. Participants could interact with the answers as they learned, and 95% across all events told us that this helped them to increase their knowledge. The pursuit of learning was the driving factor for most participants in Babylon, and Nasiriyah, with gaming coming second - our attendees expressed in deep sentiment how they wanted to connect to the past that surrounded them - a clear desire that people would like to access workshops that promote history. It prompted deeper conversations about individual meanings about what it means to be Mesopotamian before placing the Sumerian civilisation in an ancient pivotal global network which influenced the way in which people lived.

One theme that continued to appear was that of 'experience,' people wanted to experience history rather than just read about it. Providing engaging experiences that allow people to live it is an opportunity to promote community engagement with the past. It is a style that young entrepreneurial tour guides are taking around Iraq, keen to provide experiential moments that connect customers and visitors to the Iraqi past, nature, and its culture. The Creative Roots project will continue to do that as it continues over the following months. At Creative Iraq, we would be delighted to sit down and talk with anyone who has ideas on how to create this 'history experience'

It was great to see such a diverse range of people attending the events, as well as those that applied. We saw students, parents, entrepreneurs, cultural activists, historians, and even ambassadors join us through the journey. Much like the original game, it appeals to all, especially when it offers a glimpse into a distant past that still resonates with the world today.

Through involving local creatives, we are able to highlight creative leaders who are using heritage to build their products. Through the three sessions, we saw how Fawaz Al-Saffar has created a product that is now being shipped to global markets, Mohammed has created a digital version accessible to all those with a phone, and Alaa has created stunning decorative pieces that bring beauty to the original into the home. Their hard work and determination are a testament to the value that creative Iraqis place in their heritage, and the monetisation of their work proves that there is a commercial and sustainable future for heritage in Iraq. We saw participants ask about and purchase their copies highlighting how their products resonate with communities in a modern context - we imagine a world where more people are playing this at home.

Working with so many wonderful partners, we are able to explore the role that heritage plays in the programme. We are grateful to The Station Foundation for Entrepreneurship, the Continuous Education Center at Mustaqbal University, and Nasiriyah Museum of Civilisation for hosting our communities. Working with a diverse range of partners has ensured that we can reach new and different participants - each with unique backgrounds and experiences - this in turn created vibrant and engaging conversations around Mesopotamian heritage and how it connects to different aspects of society. This multi-disciplinary approach will only continue to inspire innovative approaches to heritage, offering new opportunities and solutions.

So what is next? Coming soon we will be delving into the Abbasid art world - exploring how the legacy of the Abbasid world had a profound impact on Islamic, Arabic, and global art trends. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming posts!