Dubai Tradition and Arts Authority (Dubai Tradition) is celebrating the cultural significance of saffron on the thirteenth Sikka Artwork & Design Competition, held underneath the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Tradition. Happening in Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood, the competition options over 250 Emirati and UAE & GCC-based artists, providing a various vary of inventive experiences. Dubai Tradition goals to open new horizons for rising expertise by this initiative, offering them with a platform to showcase their work to numerous audiences.
This 12 months’s version, a key initiative underneath the Dubai High quality of Life Technique, introduces the ‘Home of Saffron’ (Home 416)—a devoted area showcasing seven saffron-inspired works. Amongst them, Fatima Alsuwaidi’s ‘An Exploration Via Poetry and Traditions’ delves into the spice’s cultural function, whereas ‘Saffron’s Prints’ by Mariam Bayat explores the connection between artwork and nature. Omar Al Othman’s documentary ‘Saffron in UAE’ captures its significance in native heritage by interviews with a perfumer, a saffron vendor, and a poet who weaves its essence into conventional verse.
The One Third Studio artists—Amna Bin Bishr, Duna Al Ajlan, and Dania Al Ajlan—current a tableware assortment that pays homage to the richness of saffron. Roudhah Al Mazrouei’s ‘Terrain’ depicts the scenic panorama of a village within the UAE. Roudha Bu Abdulla’s ‘Saffron-Infused Emirati Dishes’ illustrates six conventional dishes incorporating the spice, whereas Taqwa Alnaqbi showcases ‘Preserved Saffron’.
Competition guests can have the chance to get pleasure from unique tasting experiences led by 9 famend cooks: Maitha Warshaw, Arwa Lootah, Halima Bahlooq, Muna Alhashemi, Amna AlHashemi, Yanis Ait Yahoui, Kuvan Sharma, Ahmad Halawa, and Aphisith Phongsavanh. These cooks will showcase their creativity by saffron-inspired menus served every day on the ‘Supper Membership,’ the place the furnishings, designed by Hamda Ahmed Al Falahi, and tableware are meant to replicate the heat of the saffron flower. Visitors may also get pleasure from a meal at any of the 51 F&B stalls, together with Farmers, Midori, Aisha Khoury Burgers, Madar, Wakame, Dubai Whispers, Trio, Flat Burger, and plenty of extra.
Past gastronomy, Sikka affords an in depth cultural programme, together with over 100 reside music performances. These function artists reminiscent of Maryam Omran Sajwani, Rashid Waleed Al Marzouqi, Hazza Abdullah Al Dhanhani, Nasser Mohammed Sbeil Fayrouz Mubarak, Kamal Musallam and Timmy Ridgeway Blues. Notable bands taking part are: The One-Man Band, Nafas, The Fizz Group, Yam, and Watar.
Six orchestral performances can even happen with ensembles such because the Firdaus Orchestra underneath the path of the world-renowned A.R. Rahman, alongside the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra, Dubai Metropolis Sound Ensemble, the Centre for Musical Arts Senior Wind Ensemble, the American College of Sharjah Arabic Ensemble, and the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra By ToDA. This 12 months’s version additionally options Emirati Music Night time, bringing collectively native skills reminiscent of Khalifa Mohammed Al Jahouri, Ahmed Al Hashemi, Ameera Al Ali, Zayed Al Zaabi, Hanaa Al Hashemi, Sheikha Al Zarouni, Latifa Majid Al Shehhi, and Maryam Al Abdouli.
As a pillar occasion of ‘Dubai Artwork Season,’ Sikka sheds mild on the historic significance of Dubai Creek and its function in maritime commerce, which contributed to the town’s prosperity. This narrative unfolds in ‘Wind Canvas,’ by Wind Rises a challenge that includes three collaborative works by six artists.
Khawla Darwish and Rashid Al Mulla crafted the primary sail, drawing inspiration from Dubai’s historic Fish Roundabout. Ghada Mehdi and German Fernandez created the second, depicting an imaginative journey that gathers reminiscences from varied lands. The mom and daughter duo Hessa Al Awadhi and Maryam Al Ramsi labored on the third sail, reflecting Al Shindagha’s industrial and cultural legacy by a fusion of digital and traditional artwork.
In one other spotlight, festival-goers can expertise a shadow puppetry efficiency, ‘Creatives on Wheels,’ offered by artist and storyteller Boubaker Boukhari, visible designer Lina Younes, and movie director Samer Arzouni. Impressed by Dubai Creek, the story follows an outdated, toothless crocodile who befriends a hen that means utilizing date pits as substitute tooth. Nonetheless, the one palm tree with the pits stands divided by the river, and to entry them, the crocodile should enable the development of a bridge—reconnecting two villages and restoring their shared previous. Carried out in Arabic by a standard Hakawati (storyteller), the manufacturing combines shadow puppetry and reside music, providing an immersive theatrical expertise.
Sikka supplies native and regional entrepreneurs with a chance to contribute to the event of the cultural and artistic industries by the participation of greater than 50 retail shops reminiscent of: From The Arabs, preserving cultural heritage by fragrances; Tropicfeel, an adventure-forward sustainable model; Bask by Publicity Studio, a curated idea retailer for trend and artwork; 222cult, a high-end abaya model mixing conventional craftsmanship with fashionable model; Atuyah Studios, an experimental textile and trend model; Lotions Botanics, a wellness model utilizing pure components from the UAE; Charms ASAP, a specialised model for Crocs equipment; Nightfall, providing refined and daring abaya prints; KWKB, a celestial-inspired abaya model; Odela & Co, the UAE’s first pure skincare model; Reverse, specialising in unique hand-drawn and printed abayas; and Yello for Sustainable Abayas, the GCC’s first round, zero-waste abaya model.
The ‘Ahlan W Sahlan Inventive Studio’ can even current a set of revolutionary designs and ideas, together with Clique’s personalised pouches and immediate cameras; Elain Knit’s handcrafted knitted baggage manufactured from chunky velvet yarn; Ghaf Publishing, devoted to reviving Arab literary heritage; Khyaali Retailer by Mariam Al Obaidli mixing Emirati tradition with creativeness; and The Noor Inventive, which fuses conventional aesthetics with fashionable ideas.
The competition, which runs till 9 February, is organised in partnership with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, and the Emirates Council for Rural Growth.
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