Egypt's veiled mimes push the boundaries for female artists
Pantomime duo raises awareness about crucial issues in the country through street art.
On one of Cairo’s deafening streets, young female mime artist Nour Nasr quietly dazzles passers-by with her breathtaking performance that draws smiles on people’s faces and raises awareness about social and cultural issues.
Defying stares, harassment and a police crackdown, Nasr said that she does not mind it. “We love what we do, and we have a message. We seek to revive pantomime as a street art as well as make people happy,” she told Al-Monitor.
Nasr is part of a pantomime team called “Esmo … Eh?” (What is it called?), which performs improvised sketches in public spaces, participates in mime festivals at various non-governmental theaters and trains others to spread what they passionately believe in.
A veiled woman, Nasr said that she also faces another struggle as she breaks social stereotypes by roaming Cairo’s streets and even public transportation systems to make pantomime performances. In Egypt, veiled women often face social pressure when they join a certain art. For Nasr, it seems to be even harder because she takes to the streets and comes in direct contact with people from different backgrounds.
