Aqeel is a lecturer in Culture, Media and Creative Industries at King’s College London, and the founder and director of Yalla Arts, a participatory community arts company.
He came to the UK from Syria in 2009 on an international scholarship to pursue his MA in drama, and then came back again for his Ph.D., which he completed in 2016 at the University of Exeter.
His research is divided between Islamic feminisms and contemporary British theatre, utilising participatory theatre to enhance the social and cultural engagement of migrants and refugees in the UK, and the role of everyday micro-cultures in peace-building and reconciliation in Syria.