We are pleased to present you with a selection of the activities of the Goethe-Institut Irak in our November newsletter and wish you an interesting read.
Open Decks offers beginner DJs the opportunity to learn the basics of DJing, try out professional equipment, and present their first sets. The program provides free learning opportunities and fosters exchange within the electronic music scene in Kurdistan.
The current edition is dedicated to minimal techno. The event will take place on October 31 at the Framing Photojournalism School and is a joint program of the Goethe-Institut and the Exodus Community.
“Deconstructing Stagnation” brings together female artists, authors, critics, musicians, and filmmakers to explore issues of identity, artistic freedom, and social change. The project creates space for new perspectives and enhances the visibility of women’s voices in cultural life.
From November 25 to December 1, 2026, a program featuring exhibitions, film screenings, performances, and discussions will take place in Sulaymaniyah. The project is being implemented by the Culture Factory in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut.
At the end of November, Karawansara Music XP 2026 will bring together musicians, DJs, and music enthusiasts in Erbil. The two-day program combines concerts, electronic music, workshops, and panel discussions, offering insights into current developments in the local and international music scenes.
November 26 will be dedicated to electronic music, featuring performances by local and international DJs. On November 27, workshops and panel discussions on music production, collaboration, and music networks will take place. The event will conclude with a live concert featuring Kurdish and international artists.
Starting in November 2026, German language exams at the Goethe-Institut Irak will also be available in a digital format. The digital B1 exam will kick off the program on November 11. To celebrate the launch of the new format, participants will receive a 50% discount on their first digital exam. Registration is now open.
From November 12 to 14, 2026, students from various PASCH schools will gather for a language camp in Shaqlawa. Interactive language activities, workshops, and creative and athletic programs will provide numerous opportunities to use German outside the classroom. The focus will be on cultural exchange, collaborative learning, and the joy of the German language.
Through the Nuhat Film Development Program, the Goethe-Institut and the Duhok International Film Festival support young filmmakers from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The program helps emerging directors develop their skills in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, and production.
As part of a multi-stage training program, participants work on their own film projects and present their concepts to a jury of experts during the Duhok International Film Festival. The most compelling projects receive seed funding for further development.
In addition to hands-on workshops, the program offers opportunities for networking and professional exchange.
As part of the EU Film Festival (November 13–19, 2026), Fatih Akin’s AMRUM (2025) will be screened. The film follows 12-year-old Nanning during the final weeks of World War II on the North Sea island of Amrum. As he tries to fulfill his mother’s heartfelt wish, he increasingly begins to question his family’s beliefs. AMRUM intertwines the story of a young boy coming of age with the social upheavals of the postwar era.
Erbil
German Film Week
Three films, three different perspectives: from Germany during the final days of the war, to a future shaped by artificial intelligence, to Iraq in the 1990s. From November 14 to 16, 2026, the Goethe-Institut will screen films from Germany, Kurdistan, and Iraq starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Hawler Cinema in the Royal Mall Erbil.
The program features Amrum by Fatih Akın, the Kurdish science fiction film Anfa 8 by Karzan Kardozi, and The President’s Cake, which explores life in Iraq in the 1990s.
Admission is free. We look forward to three evenings of cinema together.
How do AI, algorithms, and digital platforms influence our daily lives? Through the Decode:ME project, the Goethe-Institut Iraq, in collaboration with Youth Hub, is exploring the opportunities and challenges of digital technologies. The focus is on media literacy, data protection, and digital self-determination.
The project includes an interactive exhibition based on Tactical Tech’s “The Glass Room,” a festival featuring workshops and discussions, as well as activities at six PASCH schools in Erbil, Sulaimaniya, and Duhok. Information on dates and program highlights will be posted on the Goethe-Institut Iraq’s social media channels.
Through the NET Excellence Project, the Goethe-Institut Iraq, in collaboration with the Kurdistan Cultural and Arts Center (KCAC), the Culture Factory Sulaimaniyah, and the Festival Academy, supports young cultural professionals in developing and implementing their own festival ideas.
Following workshops and mentoring sessions, several festival concepts were developed, four of which were selected for funding. After the kickoff festival in October in Koya, three more festivals will follow in November.
From November 5 to 7, 2026, the Runaki Festival will take place at the Culture Factory in Sulaimaniyah. The program includes exhibitions, performances, interactive events, and discussions at the intersection of art, literature, music, and technology.
The festival focuses on current cultural and digital developments, as well as dialogue about new forms of artistic expression.
On November 20 and 21, 2026, the Dengbêj & Govend Festival will take place in Sinuni, Shingal. The festival will focus on the Kurdish storytelling tradition of Dengbêjî and the communal dance Govend as important forms of expression within Kurdish cultural heritage.
The festival brings together artists and cultural practitioners from various regions and creates a space for cultural exchange, the transmission of traditional knowledge, and intergenerational encounters.
Kurdish Folklore Games Festival
From November 26 to 28, 2026, the Kurdish Folklore Games Festival at the Erbil Citadel will bring together people of different generations. The festival focuses on traditional Kurdish games that keep cultural heritage alive and foster interaction between young and old.
Through playing together and sharing memories, traditional customs are passed down and brought to life in new ways.
