Studios destroyed, traditions saved: Sudan’s artists fight to preserve culture amid the war

Artists in Sudan are working to save the country’s culture and traditions amid the war, even after losing studios, galleries and the tools of their trade. The story of Awad Haroun, a 45-year-old visual artist and theatre director who fled Khartoum for Port Sudan, is one example of that struggle.

Awad fled his home in Al-Halfaya, Khartoum North, after fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. He moved to Port Sudan with his wife and son, leaving behind his home, artistic workspace and the tools he needed to work. When he fled, he carried little: two shirts, two pairs of trousers, two books and a few torn drawing papers, expecting to return soon. Instead, he has been forced to rebuild his life far from home.

In Port Sudan, Awad looked to use his skills in sculpture, design and decoration to earn some money. He has participated in theatrical performances at the Wasel Festival, organised by the Ahalina Cultural Group in partnership with UNESCO, and led traditional arts workshops with cultural groups.

Awad founded the Ahalina cultural group in 2013 with a group of young people, using theatre, visual arts, music and puppetry to engage with young people and promote peace and social cohesion. Drawing, storytelling, music and play have also given children opportunities to express themselves and connect with others.

“Losing my tools does not mean I have lost my skills, and losing my workspace does not mean I have lost my ability to create,” Awad told Al Jazeera. Awad and other displaced artists found shelter at an old school in Port Sudan, where they helped clean and prepare the building for families forced from their homes. “Now, concerns about the possibility of eviction have left us uncertain about where we will go next,” he said.

While art cannot replace a lost home or end the war, Awad believes it can preserve memories, bring communities together and offer children space to play and express themselves. “From the ashes, we will rise” is the motto of the Ahalina group — for Awad it is more than a slogan; it is a reminder to keep creating, despite everything the war has taken from him.

The war has taken a heavy toll on Sudan’s cultural life, damaging heritage sites and disrupting the livelihoods of artists across the country. In June 2026, UNESCO estimated that Sudan’s cultural sector faced a $30 million funding gap. Behind that figure are deeply personal losses: artists killed by the war or forced to leave behind studios, galleries, artworks and the tools they need to work.

In April 2024, UNESCO reported that the Artists and Writers Union in Port Sudan had provided shelter to more than 112 displaced artists and other cultural professionals. In April 2026, UNESCO said its initiatives in Port Sudan had benefited more than 350 artists, women, girls and internally displaced cultural professionals, supporting efforts to sustain Sudan’s cultural life amid the conflict.

Asim Abdelaziz, a 31-year-old musician and filmmaker, left El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, amid escalating fighting and repeated drone attacks. He arrived in Port Sudan in November 2023, hoping to find safety and work. Separated from his family, who are scattered between Omdurman and El Obeid, Asim lives alone in a shelter for displaced artists. In Port Sudan he has worked with the local Artists and Writers Union, UNESCO and community organisations, and has collaborated with the Ministry of Culture and Information and other artists on music programmes addressing social issues including hate speech and racism.

Asim said the war has spurred hate speech and deepened divisions between Sudan’s different communities. “I have seen firsthand how hate speech affects people’s lives,” he told Al Jazeera. “Through music, I try to remind Sudanese people that we are all brothers and sisters, and that war does not represent who we are.” Mokhalaya, a project he founded a year ago to document and archive traditional music and rhythms from across the country, is one avenue for this. “I hope to take the project to international festivals, introducing audiences abroad to Sudan’s rich musical traditions and cultural diversity,” he said. Preserving heritage, he added, is not just about safeguarding the past, but about keeping Sudan’s cultural identity alive during a war that has displaced communities and disrupted lives.

Abdelqader Hashem, secretary of the Red Sea State Writers and Artists Union, told Al Jazeera the union has supported artists and their families who fled fighting in other parts of Sudan since the war began on April 15, 2023. “We worked to establish a shelter for displaced artists in a school in Port Sudan and sought support from local and international organisations to provide for their basic needs,” he said. Beyond shelter, the union has helped displaced artists take part in the city’s cultural activities, contributing to community awareness programmes on issues such as the dangers of drug use. It has also implemented projects in partnership with UNESCO to train children in displacement camps in handicrafts, including concrete crafts, Hashem said. “Most of the displaced artists have since returned to their homes in Khartoum following the Sudanese army’s recapture of the capital,” he added.