Antidote at the Victoria Theatre Halifax

Antidote

The Victoria Theatre's unique and experimental music programme

Antidote is a programme of artistes that see things from a slightly different point of view, for audiences who like to challenge their understanding of live music and features some of the UK's finest performers. Each event is unique and guest curated by Andy Abbott of ADRA Promotions.

The July 2025 event features Ibantatu Basque and Hameed Brothers Qawwal.

Ibantuta is an Oud player from the Basque Country in France, who trained with an Iraqi Oud master in the Middle East. After five years under his tutorage, Ibantuta embarked on a year-long journey along the Silk Roads, collaborating with traditional string musicians. Over the course of his travels, he met over 40 musicians and recorded a track in each of the 12 countries he visited.

The album entitled 'The Musical Threads of the Silk Roads' was released in October 2023 under the label homerecords.be. It reached 11th on the World Music Chart.

The live performance for this album is presented in the format of a 'film-concert', whereby Ibantuta plays the Oud live against a backdrop of music videos from the journey. It is an intimate show that celebrates our profound connection in a richly diverse world, reminding us that we are all profoundly connected by the common thread of humanity. It is a truly immersive musical experience that is deeply moving and uplifting.

Bradford group Hameed Brothers Qawwal are one of the UK’s leading and first performers