Shahnameh in the Classroom: Iranian Music and DIY Cultural Diplomacy in the UK

On 23 May 2012, Price Zal and the Simorgh, an orchestral piece based on a story from the Iranian epic poem, the Shahnameh, was premiered at two Brightsparks schools concerts at London’s Royal Festival Hall. This was the result of a collaboration between the Education and Community Department at the London Philharmonic Orchestra, City, University of London and London Music Masters. The project included a strong educational focus, including workshops, teacher resources and training sessions. The central aim was to introduce British school children to Iran, by way of its music and storytelling, as well as broader aspects of culture and history, and in particular to counter negative associations that children experience via the mainstream media. A follow-on project to create a children’s picture book with music, composed and performed by Iranian musicians and based on the same story, led to The Phoenix of Persia which was published in 2019. Drawing on personal observations, feedback from participants and wider project evaluations, this chapter will explore these projects in light of current debates around cultural diplomacy. To what extent might educational work promoting cultural understanding be understood as a form of cultural diplomacy and what are the challenges to using music and other arts in such an instrumentalised way?