Dispatches from Afghanistan

The series "Dispatches from Afghanistan" profiles Afghan artists and their experiences since the rise of the Taliban.

Can Bamiyan and other heritage sites survive the Taliban?

The Taliban say they are dedicated to preserving Afghanistan’s cultural sites, but struggle to gain much needed international support

Taliban orders coal traders to leave Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley—but its residents say this is an empty promise

Since August 2021, illegal excavations and rapid development have destroyed much of the landscape surrounding the at-risk Buddhist heritage site

'I'll do anything I can to save them all': an Afghan contemporary artist on life after narrowly escaping the Taliban

In our series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we speak to artists about their experiences since the rise of the Taliban. Here, Jahan Ara Rafi calls on the international community to help rescue those still stuck in the country

'Jobless, futureless, in constant fear': Afghan artists sign open letter to world leaders asking for help to escape the Taliban

Non-profit Artists at Risk issue letter to Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and other senior figures urging for better systems for those seeking asylum

'I've started wearing a burka and hidden all my instruments': an Afghan musician on life under the Taliban

In our series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we speak to artists about their experiences since the rise of the Taliban. Here, Sima shares how fearing for her life is making her physically ill

'Pessimism is a luxury. For people living in Afghanistan, that is never an option': an Afghan art organisation on life under the Taliban

In our series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we speak to artists and cultural workers about their experiences since the rise of the Taliban

How to help Afghan artists and cultural workers now at risk under the Taliban

As part of our ongoing series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we have compiled a list of organisations supporting those vulnerable both inside and outside of the country

Desperate and in hiding, Afghan artists beg international community for help

Courageous artists confronted extremism from the frontlines. But now, driven underground and fearing for their lives, they feel abandoned

An Afghan cultural worker’s life under the Taliban: 'There is nothing left for us here and we can’t go anywhere else'

In a new series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we speak to artists about their experiences since the rise of the Taliban. Here, Mansoor laments the world’s silence over Afghanistan's fate

An Afghan artist's life under the Taliban: burning art, deleting social media accounts and living in hiding

In a new series "Dispatches from Afghanistan", we speak to artists about their experiences since the rise of the Taliban. Here, contemporary artist and curator Mina recounts the horrors of her failed escape attempt