Zara Saghir
Zara Saghir is an Assistant Producer for The British Textile Biennial (BTB) and The Super Slow Way (SSW)—a place-based cultural programme working with communities across East Lancashire. BTB explores the politics of cloth in the post-industrial landscapes left behind by the cotton industry, engaging with communities that have textiles woven into their heritage. SSW delivers an ambitious programme of artist commissions and residencies, collaborating with people, partners, and heritage sites to reimagine a 20-mile stretch of the Leeds–Liverpool Canal as a new Linear Park for Pennine Lancashire.
In her role as Assistant Producer, Zara has supported a wide range of cultural projects, contributing across planning, administration, installation, workshops, and community engagement. As a socially engaged artist herself, she understands the importance of fostering meaningful, collaborative relationships between artists, communities, and artworks.
Through her own creative practice, Zara explores taboo issues within her British South Asian culture, interrogating systems of power, values, and hierarchy. She draws on her personal experiences to create
space for voices that have been overlooked or silenced—helping them to be heard and encouraging advocacy through art.
Zara is currently developing new photographic works as part of a month-long residency in Islamabad, supported by The British Council, Art of Small Talk (Islamabad), and Insitu (Pendle).
“As a Pakistani woman born in England, I’ve grown up with a deep appreciation for my cultural roots. I feel a strong responsibility to engage with women who have been shaped by similar narratives. I am reaching out in the hope of connecting with the women you work with, as I believe their stories and lived experiences are invaluable.”
Her artistic practice centres on how women uplift one another and create spaces for honest, empowering dialogue—whether through shared struggles, achievements, or reflections on the journeys that have brought them to where they are today. She is particularly interested in speaking with women who have fought for their rights and hearing their hopes for future generations.
Following an enriching research residency in Islamabad—and winning The Blackburn Open 2025, where her work was acquired for a permanent collection—Zara is now focused on expanding the photographic, video, and audio works she created in Pakistan. With the support of curatorial guidance, she aims to shape this into a cohesive solo exhibition.
As an artist of Asian heritage, she is driven by the potential to create challenging yet inclusive work that better reflects the rich diversity of Blackburn’s creative community.
Mrs Khan explores marriage, gender roles, and cultural identity, blending sharp humour with moments of quiet reflection. Rooted in both South Asian and Western heritage, the exhibition questions who holds power in rituals of union and what it means to challenge, subvert, or reclaim those roles. Artist Zara Saghir explores taboo issues within British South Asian culture, interrogating systems of power, values, and hierarchy. Drawing on personal experience, she creates space for voices that have been overlooked or silenced, using art as a tool for advocacy, care, and cultural activism.
@zara_s94