Welcome to Mona Media

In a fast moving, everchanging world, we endeavour to produce creative film, theatre and workshops that connect with the umbilical cord of universal love kindness and humanity at its best.

There is something in and through the arts that holds the light of truth a way of communicating the human experience and allowing to connect, it also possess the ability to be used to bring out the dark side of humanity and manipulate us

our journey is to tell the story as many before us have captured the essence of life like Shakespeare Rumi and thousands more like them we will never be able to create that which is perfect only the creator of all creators can. But we hope you enjoy and learn from our attempt at reflecting life light and truth in the present world we live in.

Who we are

We have over 20 years of experience in the media industry creating films documentaries theatre productions and writing

our own material.

we have been commissioned by many organisations such as local authorities NHS school's collages and charity organisations to develop a verity of workshops

using film and drama in the education sector health sector and private sector our work includes heavy subjects

such as child sexual exploitation knife crime to more light-hearted entertainment

such as nose of Nahida Price of dreams and calling on Angels to name a few.

Our Body of work

Being of British Asian heritage and in the media industry we found that the mainstream media was incompatible with our beliefs and most often required compromising oneself to be able to participate such as physical scenes between male female as we were unwilling to compromise our integrity, we embarked on telling our own stories and created a platform for others to join and develop as actors' writers' producers we worked with people from grass roots to professional productions. And so, our story began we broke barriers and stereotypes bring together people from all walks of life to participate performing at venues where British Asian’s had never performed such as the Theatre royal. Our experience of east and west gives us the insight to create productions that relate and bring people together.

OUR PRODUCTIONS

•Double Edge – a story about knife crime theatre award winning theatre production

•Get to know me before I get to know you HYBRID a documentary about child sexual exploitation accompanied by workshop training package for teachers in schools

•Calling on Angels – A story about a mixed-race girl who loses her Muslim farther at a young age and as a teenager goes on a journey to reconnected with his side of the family Theatre

•Deep in the frozen night – theatre feature length production set in the after math of the Pakistan earth quake a meeting of east and west through, the eyes of a young teen age British Asian girl and three women in Pakistan.

•Price of dreams a film about the young men perusing a music career through there desperation to make it they uphold a lie of getting a record contract the whole community get behind them only to discover there was no record contract the boys learn what it more valuable in life

•Flotilla set on a boat in the wake of the flotilla incident in Palestine the annexed of the Israel Palastain conflict on the flotilla

•SHINE a health event bringing together organisations from diverse fields of health and wellbeing with over 4000 attendees

•BAM British Asian Magazine we published a magazine before social media was a thing it was a platform for young British Asian's to connect with the arts and be inspired by peers as well as social and political content

•Bully a film about bullying accompanied with a workshop for teachers to deliver in schools

•Addicted a theatre about drug addiction following the story of a addict and there experience in the Asian community for health sector organisations to build cultural awareness

•Nose of Nahida a short story about a young Asian girl who has plastic surgery on her nose comedy satire

•Popcorn boy a story about a group of street kids in Pakistan and how they live and create their own world living in abject povertly but finding relief through creative means

•Like swans fly a story about a British Asian girl and her struggles to fit into east and western culture

Mona Media was established by Zuhrah Rehman, who discovered that fully immersing oneself in the creative media sector in the West required some compromise regarding resource practices and cultural sensitivities. As a successful British Asian, Zuhrah made a significant impact in the Pakistani film and fashion industry but felt that opportunities in the UK were not as accessible. She recognized that the British Asian community and the broader ethnic communities had limited platforms to express their voices. Thus, Zuhrah founded Mona Media in 2003. Mona Media had a remarkable impact, trailblazing film and theatre productions that brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, garnering attention and being endorsed by the Prince of Wales (now King Charles), several mayors of Nottingham, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Member of Parliament Vernon Coaker, along with numerous leaders from public, private, and third sectors. Mona Media made history by being the first British Asian production company to showcase at the Theatre Royal, attracting thousands of visitors, from regular theatre-goers to first-time experiences; Mona Media was truly breaking the mold.

After a successful decade, our founder Zuhrah was ready to start a family, as was our Director. We decided to prioritize our commitment to raising a young family, with the intention of re-establishing Mona Media once the children were old enough. In the interim, we remained in demand and occasionally produced film and theatre productions for partners. As we were in the planning stages of relaunching Mona Media, the national climate seemed to be shifting, with rising racism and anti-migrant campaigns. We felt it was time to reclaim our voices and showcase, as we had before, the beauty of being British and Asian, demonstrating how native British and multicultural British individuals are not as divided as the current divisive rhetoric suggests. It is a false dichotomy, as most of Britain comprises peaceful people who appreciate each other's rich diversity. WE ARE BACK AND WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE SOME NOISE; it's time to create the stories that resonate with us all as human beings—laughing, crying, and sharing our stories, recognizing our commonalities and exploring the unknowns together as a society that embraces without instilling phobias and fears of others.

Cheif Executive: Syed Ali

Founder: Zuhrah Rehman

Biography: Syed Ali

Chief Executive, Mona Media

Syed Ali is an award-winning director, producer, and strategic leader with over two decades of experience at the intersection of media, community development, and global health. As the Chief Executive of Mona Media, he leverages his extensive background in film, theatre, and business development to create powerful, issue-based content that drives social change and amplifies underrepresented voices.

A visionary leader with a Master’s in Media Globalisation from Nottingham Trent University, Syed’s career is defined by his ability to translate complex social challenges into impactful creative projects and strategic initiatives. He has a proven track record of not only identifying critical issues but also developing and delivering the multifaceted campaigns needed to address them.

His work often bridges the gap between the creative arts and public service. This is exemplified by his leadership on projects like the "Changing Lives CSE toolkit and film" and the award-winning theatre production Double Edge, which tackled the urgent issue of knife crime. These productions demonstrate his commitment to using media as a tool for education and advocacy. This dedication to societal impact is further underscored by his work developing and delivering mental health training programs for the National Health Service (NHS), influencing strategic organizational change and improving access to psychological therapies for culturally diverse communities.

Syed brings a unique global perspective to his leadership. His experience as Director of Business Development and Partnerships for the World Health Innovation Summit saw him develop a strategic plan aligning with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, successfully marketing and expanding the brand across Africa, the US, Europe, and Asia. He possesses a rare combination of creative storytelling, commercial acumen, and community engagement, having secured significant funding and contracts from organizations including the BBC, Arts Council England, and various city councils and health authorities.

At the helm of Mona Media, Syed continues to drive the company's mission to produce high-quality, thought-provoking media. His expertise in strategic planning, team leadership, and financial management, coupled with his deep understanding of marketing and brand development, ensures Mona Media remains at the forefront of creating content that is both commercially viable and socially responsible.


Co-Creation Model

Active authors, never passive subjects

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