Dubai Culture presents rich calendar of cultural initiatives in March to foster local talent
·
Sikka
Art Fair, Global Art Forum_5 at Art Dubai, Emirates Airline Festival of
Literature, ArtBus and ongoing Art Residency programme, among key events
·
Focus
on building infrastructure and original content creation to drive the city’s
status as regional hub for culture and the arts
Dubai, UAE; March 7, 2011: The month of March will
witness an unprecedented line-up of cultural and arts initiatives in Dubai,
presented by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
Dubai
Culture is organising and presenting several key cultural and arts initiatives
that are aimed at strengthening Dubai’s cultural infrastructure and to drive
original content creation by inspiring the local artistic community and
talented individuals.
Dr.
Salah Al Qassim, Advisor to the Dubai
Culture & Arts Authority, said: “One of the founding objectives of the
Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is to support and drive initiatives that
contribute to the concerted growth and evolution of Dubai’s cultural scene.
This is demonstrated by the support we offer to wide-ranging cultural
activities this month. The focal point of our support to these various
initiatives in visual arts and literature is to promote local talent by
providing greater exposure to globally accomplished professionals and to set
robust platforms for artists in Dubai to highlight their creativity.”
A
high-point in Dubai’s cultural calendar, March will witness the launch of Dubai
Culture’s first of its kind initiative, the Sikka Art Fair to be held from
March 12 to 21 at Al Bastakiya, the cultural nerve-centre and heart of the
city’s proud heritage.
Featuring
works of art by Emirati and local artists, the Sikka Art Fair at Al Bastakiya
will complement Art Dubai, the leading contemporary art fair in the region to
be held from March 16 to 19 at Madinat Jumeirah, where Dubai Culture is
presenting the Global Art Forum_5, the leading platform for cultural debate and
discussion in the wider Middle East, North Africa and South Asia region. The Global Art Forum_5 focuses on key issues
that bring together the arts scenes of the region with the rest of the world,
and explores the broad theme of ‘Changing Audiences.’
In
the run-up to Art Dubai, Dubai Culture has already commenced an
artists-in-residence programme in association with The Delfina Foundation,
Tashkeel and Art Dubai, with the support of the British Council, at Al
Bastakiya. House 44 in Al Bastakiya has been opened for five artists – three of
them Emirati and two international – who work independently to create artforms
including installations. All the artworks will be displayed at House 44, which
will open to the public for the Art Week from March 13 to 20.
Further
complementing the artistic flourish of the month, Dubai Culture is offering art
lovers the unique opportunity to tour art venues in Dubai as well as attend the
Sharjah Biennial 10 with the ArtBus. The exteriors of the bus will feature
exclusive artworks by Emirati artists Zeinab Al Shamsi, Sheikha Bin Thaher and
Saeed Al-Madani, who have been specially commissioned by Dubai Culture
Dubai
Culture, in partnership with Emirates Airline, is also presenting the Emirates
Airline Festival of Literature being held from March 8 to 12. As part of the
Festival, Dubai Culture is presenting the Education Day, to be held on March 10
and 11, which brings together the world’s leading authors with school children
and university students from across the UAE. A special Education Day will also be
hosted this year, comprising Government and local schools. More than 4,000
students from over 60 schools are expected to participate in these stimulating
discussions that are aimed to ignite the literary skills of the participants.
Through
the partnership with Dubai Culture, this year, the Festival features over 130
authors from around the world and over 125 programmed events that celebrate the
spirit of literature. The festival
will be marked by a breathtaking Opening Ceremony, and
will feature immediate translation of all the sessions, Literacy Stand,
Calligraphy workshops and exhibitions.
Dr.
Salah concluded: “These initiatives also mark the strong and collaborative
involvement of the public and private sectors, and will drive the growth of
Dubai’s talented artistic community.”
For
more information, please log on to www.dubaiculture.ae
-ends-
Note to Editors
About
Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:
The Dubai
Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President &
Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Dubai Culture plays a critical part in
achieving the vision of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 of establishing the city
as vibrant, global Arabian metropolis that shapes culture and arts in the
region and the world. The organisation has announced several initiatives that
strengthen the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai. These include:
Muhammad
the Messenger Museum: The
first project of its kind in the world to focus on and highlight the life and
message of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him).
Sikka Art Fair: An annual art fair aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in
the UAE.
Dubai
Festival for Youth Theatre:
An annual festival that celebrates and fosters the art of theatre in the UAE.
Dubai
Next: To encourage and
sponsor initiatives that contribute actively to the development of the cultural
events and activities in Dubai. Recently, Dubai Culture showcased Dubai's
aspirations in culture to an international audience at one of the world's most
prestigious platforms, the Art Basel 39 art fair.
Gulf
Film Festival: Dubai
Culture recognises that a healthy film industry is necessary to take stories
about Dubai's culture, traditions, history and contemporary lifestyle to the
world.
Khor
Dubai: A living museum
that celebrates the multicultural diversity of Dubai.
The
Holy Lands: A
collaboration with the unique and creatively rich Reiss Engelhorn Museen of
Mannheim to bring an exclusive collection of never before exhibited rare
photographs to the region and more specifically Dubai.
For
more information, please contact:
Nivine
William / Sara Hamam
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
+9714 3344550
n.william@asdaa.com, s.hamam@asdaa.com