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Nowruz
Customs & Camden

See more from: Free Activities Nowruz Festival

photograph of Councillor Camron Aref-Adib, a Haft-sin display and Broadcaster Behzad Bolour
Overview
Speakers

Discover the rich and beautiful traditions associated with Persian New Year and how they are celebrated in our local community with Cultural Historian and former BBC World Service Presenter Behzad Bolour and Councillor Camron Aref-Adib.

Nowruz has been celebrated for over 3,000 years, marking the arrival of spring and the renewal of nature. Rooted in ancient Persian culture and observed across many regions and communities worldwide, it is a festival centred on hope, rebirth, family and togetherness.

But how have traditions been adapted, preserved and shared over time? And what do these celebrations look like in Camden?

Our first speaker is Behzad Bolour, a renowned media personality, cultural historian, and former BBC World Service senior producer and presenter. Behzad will explore the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of Nowruz, its evolution across regions, and its role in connecting communities through shared heritage, storytelling, and music. Drawing from his extensive broadcasting and documentary experience, he will offer insights into forgotten narratives, traditions, such as the true Persian wine drinking traditions from BC to AD, and contemporary interpretations of Nowruz, supported by array of objects including a special table cloth featuring the original Nowruz story needle work by Iranian artisans. 

Councillor Camron Aref-Adib will end the talk with an overview of Nowruz in Camden.

Whether you celebrate Nowruz each year or are discovering it for the first time, this event offers a welcoming space to learn, and connect.

Speakers

Behzad Bolour

Behzad Bolour is a renowned media personality, cultural historian, and former BBC World Service senior producer and presenter in Persian, with over three decades of experience in broadcasting and cultural storytelling. He has produced and hosted more than 2,800 programmes across radio, television, and digital platforms, including the iconic BBC Persian cultural programme 'Purple Crystal & Rooze Haftom' (the seventh Day). His work has focused extensively on Persian arts, music, diaspora identity, and cross-cultural dialogue, introducing many new faces to the world of Persian music in 90’s & 2000’s. Behzad is also a great supporter of Nowruz festivals in surrounding nations of Iran, reviving ancient rituals & traditions surrounding this new year celebration. He has also produced more than 20 documentary programmes on topics including origins of Mithraism in Europe, Persians of Africa, and documentaries on Georgia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan… reviving the ancient traditions of Nowruz nations who are now divided geographically.  

To learn more about Behzad, watch his videos on Youtube or visit his LinkedIn and Instagram profiles.

 

Councillor Camron Aref-Adib

Councillor Camron Aref-Adib is Camden born and bred – the Council helped house his parents and older sisters in Highgate when they arrived as refugees from Iran in the mid-1980s. He takes immense pride in giving back to the area that gave his family sanctuary, serving as an elected Labour councillor in Highgate since 2022. Camron is an experienced economist, with roles at leading UK think tanks including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Resolution Foundation. As Camden’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living, he has steered the Council through challenging financial circumstances, ensuring essential services are protected and creating a fairer borough.

To learn more about Camron and his work, please visit his Facebook, X or LinkedIn.