Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, representative of the ruler in the Al Ain region, Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the eighth edition of the Festival of Traditional Crafts and Industries under the slogan “The craft of the grandparents, the pride of the grandchildren”, which will continue for 20 years. From 1 to 20 November, at Al Qattara Market in the Al Ain region.
Busy program
This year’s edition of the festival is filled with a program full of live cultural events, activities, workshops, and performances that celebrate the UAE’s ancient heritage of traditional crafts and industries, and encourage their preservation and development, while highlighting the most talented craftsmen in this sector.
On this occasion, Saud Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “The Handicrafts and Handicrafts Festival is one of the most important events on our cultural agenda, and an ideal platform to preserve our ancient heritage and ensure the sustainability of its transmission through generations. This event also focuses on supporting talented people in this field, by providing them with new professional and creative opportunities, providing them with the necessary tools and means, and introducing them on a wide scale, in order to ensure that they establish a prosperous career in authentic traditional arts.
As part of the festival, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy live craft performances that show the traditional tools and methods used to create a range of beautiful and unique Emirati handicrafts.
Offers
The festival includes performances by popular bands and well-known artists, including “Al Ayala”, interactive cultural and heritage programs, competitions, falcon shows, and a market dedicated to displaying a variety of crafts, clothes and traditional foods, among others. The festival contributes to introducing the current and emerging generations and those wishing to get a closer look at the Emirati culture, by providing them with that opportunity to reflect on all those details that woven the historical social ties in the hands of the ancestors. It will also organize workshops for students and training courses throughout the festival.
On the sidelines of the Handicrafts and Handicrafts Festival, Al Qattara Arts Center will host the “Al Suwayyah” program, which is a series of heritage workshops aimed at developing craft skills and contributing to the preservation of the Emirati heritage and its ancient traditions. In addition to organizing the second season of the memory of the Emirati song within the circle’s music program “Voices from the Emirates”, with the participation of a group of artists, namely, Abdel Moneim Al Ameri, Oraib Hamdan and Omar Suhail.
The festival also provides students during the morning period with school tours accompanied by educational guides, during which students will learn about the traditional crafts of the United Arab Emirates, including the Sadu craft, pottery making, ropes and Talli.
