Spaces of Encounter is a specially curated programme of short films selected by dance artist, festival director and filmmaker Omar Rajeh. Throughout his work, Rajeh explores the relationship between bodies, memory and place, examining how movement can reveal the social, political and emotional landscapes we inhabit. For this edition of Dance Umbrella’s Sunday Shorts, he brings together a collection of films that reflect these ongoing artistic enquiries.
Spanning streets, apartments, rooftops, ruins, public squares and temporary architectures, the selected works explore how movement transforms our experience of place and of one another (and its relations). Architecture and the material fabric of the city become active participants within the films: walls, windows, staircases, concrete, debris, light and distance shape the choreography of everyday life.
Together, these films offer a rich and layered meditation on encounters, belonging and coexistence, inviting audiences to consider how bodies move through and are shaped by the spaces they inhabit.
Full programme to be announced
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Omar Rajeh
Choreographer, Dancer & Artistic Director
Omar Rajeh (he/him)
Choreographer, Dancer & Artistic Director
Beirut (Lebanon), Lyon (France)
Omar Rajeh is a choreographer and dancer, founder and artistic director of Maqamat.
After establishing his base in Lebanon in 2002, he relocated to Lyon in 2020, continuing to create and tour between Lebanon, France, and internationally.
Across more than twenty choreographic works presented on major international stages, Rajeh develops a practice that questions the politics of gatherings and relationships. He treats space as a living composition of meaning: how it is arranged, occupied, and negotiated shapes the nature of relationships. Central to his approach is maqam – a practice of instant composition that conceives the body as a constellation of shifting centres in constant dialogue, organising space through relationships rather than form.
Rajeh’s artistic work is inseparable from the cultural ecosystems he has initiated and sustained. He founded BIPOD – Beirut International Platform of Dance, co-founded the Masahat network, and initiated Takween, an intensive training program. In 2017 he established Citerne Beirut, a pioneering choreographic centre in Lebanon, later reimagined as Citerne.live, a digital platform dedicated to artistic circulation and documentation.
For his contribution to culture, he was distinguished by the French Ministry of Culture as Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
More from Omar Rajeh
16 - 17 Oct 2026
In-person
Barbican Pit
Cie Omar Rajeh & Maqamat Dance is Not for Us
An intimate solo that speaks of Lebanon and a world that froze before it could become a future
7 Oct - 30 Nov 2026
DigitalCie Omar Rajeh & Maqamat Spaces of Encounter
A special curation of short films examining how movement can reveal the landscapes we inhabit
7 Oct - 30 Nov 2026
DigitalCie Omar Rajeh & Maqamat The Odor of Elephants After the Rain
A dance film that bears witness to Beirut and its people in the wake of a devastating explosion
Presented by Dance Umbrella and Barbican
Venue & Access +
Venue
Address
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue.
Access information
For more access information, please visit the Barbican’s Accessibility section.
Access
Cinemas 2 & 3 are located at Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican Centre’s main Silk Street entrance. There are a couple of steep, dropped kerbs and an incline to negotiate between the two sites. Level access from Beech Street.
Mobility
Each auditorium has three permanent wheelchair spaces (two in the third row and one in the front row) and 153 fixed seats with capacity for a further three spaces in the front row. Access to each auditorium is up a ramp. There are also a number of seats with step-free access.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs may be taken into the cinema – please tell the Barbican when booking to ensure your seat has enough space. If you prefer, you may leave your dog with a member of the foyer staff during the performance.
Hearing facility
An infrared system for hard of hearing customers is provided in each auditorium; headsets or neck loops can be collected from foyer staff. The ticket desk counter is fitted with an induction loop.
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