Young performers in Lahore are shaping their lives outside the perceptions of Pakistani society, which views many art forms as obscene. As part of a new generation that hopes to change the country, they find themselves taking on conservative mullahs, censorship bodies and sometimes even their own families. By Karin A. Wenger with photos by Philipp BreuMore

In early 2017, Cairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School moved into new premises. Adjacent to the perimeter wall of the city's Azhar Park, the new building is also right next to the Genaina Theatre, venue for most of the school's performances. Islam Anwar has the detailsMore

In Turkey, men are conquering the stage in the world of belly dance. The increasing popularity of male dancers is based on more than just the apparent novelty of their performances. In Istanbul, Cigdem Akyol met two belly dancers and spoke to them about their professionMore

Ahmed el-Attar founded the Studio Emad Eddin Foundation (SEE) in 2005. He is also the artistic director of D-Caf, the director of the Falaki Theatre, a producer, theatre director and playwright. In an interview with Barbara Kaufmann, he talks about the importance of having spaces where the arts can be freely explored and practised, about free theatre and about the appeal of contemporary dance in EgyptMore

Vladimir Ivanoff is the head of Ensemble Sarband. In this interview with Adelheid Feilcke, Ivanoff explains the motivation behind the ensemble's musical project "Passio – Compassio", which could be summed up as a call to each individual to try and overcome East–West differences and make relations between the two more bearableMore

The book "Contemporary Artists – Arab World" shows how different Arab artists have reacted to the upheaval in their countries. By Kersten KnippMore

The eighth contemporary dance festival "On Marche" is taking place in Marrakesh this year. In spite of the fact that there is still considerable resistance to the idea of dance, the festival still manages to turn public places into open stages which are enthusiastically received by the public. By Astrid KaminskiMore