WHISPERS OF TRADITION
WHISPERS OF TRADITION IS A RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDED BY AN ARTS COUNCIL DYCP GRANT, EXPLORING THE FOLK TALES OF IRELAND AND MOROCCO—TWO CULTURES DEEPLY CONNECTED TO LAILA LATIFA’S HERITAGE. THE PROJECT DELVES INTO HOW THESE STORIES HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, THE ROLE OF WOMEN WITHIN THEM, AND HOW FOLKLORE CONTINUES TO SHAPE IDENTITY, MEMORY, AND CULTURAL BELONGING TODAY.
AS PART OF THE RESEARCH, LAILA TRAVELED ACROSS MOROCCO AND IRELAND, VISITING CITIES, RURAL VILLAGES, AND COASTAL TOWNS TO UNCOVER LOCAL STORYTELLING TRADITIONS. IN MOROCCO, SHE SPENT TIME IN CASABLANCA, ESSAOUIRA, AND TANGIER, SPEAKING WITH STORYTELLERS, SCHOLARS, AND LOCALS ABOUT MYTHS LIKE AISHA KANDISHA AND THE THE CEMETRY MULE. IN IRELAND, SHE EXPLORED THE FOLKLORE OF THE BANSHEE, THE SELKIES, AND OTHER MYTHIC FIGURES, GATHERING STORIES PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. THROUGH INTERVIEWS, ARCHIVAL RESEARCH, AND FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCES.
THE FINDINGS FROM WHISPERS OF TRADITION HAVE INSPIRED A RANGE OF CREATIVE OUTCOMES, INCLUDING A SCRIPT-IN-PROGRESS, A ZINE, AND OTHER STORYTELLING EXPERIMENTS THAT REIMAGINE THESE FOLKTALES FOR A MODERN AUDIENCE.
