Labour MP for Bradford West, author of “Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics” and forced marriage survivor announced as keynote speaker at annual event.
Naz Shah, (pictured) the Labour MP for Bradford West, forced marriage survivor and author of “Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics”, will lead Savera UK’s annual “March to End HBA” and deliver a keynote speech at this year’s “Culture is Beautiful” festival this coming Saturday 29th August 2026.
A tireless campaigner against ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices, Naz was born in Bradford but sent to Pakistan by her mother at the age of twelve to escape the attentions of her mother’s abuser. In Pakistan, she was forced into a marriage at the age of fifteen. When she was twenty, her mother was convicted of the murder of her abuser. Naz was instrumental in campaigning for and securing a reduction of her mother’s tariff, and this year shared her story in her first book ‘Honoured’.
Naz will share her personal experience and her campaigning work at Savera UK’s ‘Culture is Beautiful’ festival 2026 at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, after leading its annual “March to End HBA” from Williamson Square alongside founding partners of the event, Zonta UK and charity CEO and founder, Afrah Qassim. Under the theme ‘Culture is Beautiful: No Excuse for Abuse’, the event seeks to raise awareness of the issue of HBA and harmful practices, how these forms of abuse are often wrongly conflated with culture or religion, and highlight these practices as human rights violations.
During the festival there will be performances from Katumba Drumming & Movement, The Dancing Queens, an award-winning intergenerational dance,
wellbeing and carnival collective, artistically directed by Ithalia Johnson; renowned drummer and percussionist Felix Ngindu, the Community Music Group from RAWD, a disability-led performing arts charity dedicated to creating creative opportunities for disabled artists; powerful dance performances from MD Productions, who use movement, music, and storytelling to spark conversations, celebrate identity, and promote unity, Luma Creation’s Inti Tusuy, a Latin American dance group led by Valeria Cazas and Liverpool Rainbow Chorus, an inclusive LGBTQIA+ community choir that has been bringing people together through music since 2008.
The event will feature a free henna station and a craft tent, where people will be able learn how to write their names in Arabic, with the team from the Liverpool Arabic Centre, and try their hands at origami and carnival mask decorating, supported by Savera UK volunteers. Visitors will be able to view artworks created by pupils from Barlows Primary School, Florence Melly Primary School, St Paul & St Timothy’s Catholic Infant School, St Margaret’s, and Faith Primary Academy, as part of Savera UK’s cultural education activity, Hands of Heritage. The project encouraged pupils to explore the tradition of henna painting, learning
about the stories, symbolism, and celebrations woven into this beautiful art form, before creating their own henna-inspired designs.
There will also be stalls featuring a fundraising raffle and prize draw to win a three-night stay at a five-star caravan at Thornley Leisure, a Savera UK information stand, local services and businesses, and Eat Up Gud who will be serving up flavours of the Caribbean.
Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and Founder, said: “We are excited to be joined by Naz Shah MP for our march and festival this year. As a tireless campaigner to
end HBA and harmful practices, an advocate for survivors and those at risk and as a survivor of forced marriage and ‘honour’ based abuse herself, her story and voice is incredibly powerful, and we are grateful for her time and support. Each year we hold this event to remind people that these forms of abuse are not a
part of any culture or faith and can never be excused as such. It is also an opportunity to celebrate what culture really is, the traditions, music, dance and food
that create our identity, give us a place to belong and – when shared – have the power to unite us. In a time of increasing division, it is important to remember that we are always stronger together, and together we can end these forms of abuse for good. We look forward to welcoming as many people as possible to celebrate the beauty and diversity of our communities and join our mission to end HBA and harmful practices.”
Festival sponsors for 2026 include Thornley Leisure, Merseyrail and Auteur Media and Festival Supporters are Morecrofts and MSB Solicitors.
The event will be delivered in partnership with Zonta UK, part of Zonta International, who established the March to end HBA with Savera UK in 2022, and venue partner, St Luke’s Bombed Out Church.
To find out more about “Culture is Beautiful: March to End HBA & Culture at
the Bombed Out Church”
visit: https://www.saverauk.co.uk/culture-is-beautiful/
