Dubai Culture showcases rich retrospectives of Emirati heritage to mark Heritage Week celebrations from April 17
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is putting the spotlight on the richness of Emirati heritage through its ‘Heritage Week’ celebrations, under the theme, “Dubai: Live Your Heritage,” featuring a series of cultural activities, from April 17 to 21, 2011.
Building further on the World Heritage Day celebrated on April 18, the five-day celebrations organised by Dubai Culture will offer a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to experience the myriad facets of Emirati heritage.
In line with the founding theme of the World Heritage Day to celebrate one’s national monuments and cultural sites, Dubai Culture’s Heritage Week activities will be held at the key cultural destinations of Dubai in addition to activities at other prominent locations across the city. The activities will provide valuable insights on the history and traditions of the UAE and serve as an educational window on the country’s heritage for visitors.
The historic Al Bastakiya, will be one of the key event destinations, in addition to the Dubai Public Library. Other venues that will showcase a range of activities focused on the heritage of the UAE include the Dubai Culture & Scientific Association, Hatta National Arts & Cultural Association, Dubai International Airport, The Dubai Mall and Dubai Women’s Association.
Some of the activities are open for free for the public, and will offer rich insights into the cultural fabric of the country, its customs, traditions and way of life of the Emirati people.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “Understanding our rich heritage is crucial to further appreciating the Emirati identity, and central to strengthening our cultural outlook. In today’s fast-paced life, it is important that we sit back, reconnect with our roots and draw from the strengths of one’s cultural heritage. With the Heritage Week celebrations, we are showcasing the varied facets of our cultural scene, offering residents and visitors a unique glimpse into our cultural traditions and customs.”
In addition to featuring an open air market that showcases traditional Emirati trinkets and artefacts, Al Bastakiya will screen documentary films on the UAE that depict the various aspects of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
The Dubai Public Library will host a series of lectures on culture, heritage and identity while a special evening of poetry will be held at the Dubai Culture and Scientific Association, Al Mamzar, on April 18 featuring renowned Emirati poets, Rashid Sharar and Alia Alameri “Shojoun Al Dhubyani.”
A live enactment of the UAE’s old practices of fishing and pearl diving will be displayed at The Dubai Mall promenade. To ensure that visitors to Dubai are better familiarised with the heritage of the country, a traditional tent will be set up at the waiting area of Terminal Three at the Dubai International Airport, with a guide to answer questions related to the customs and heritage of the UAE.
Dubai’s Women’s Association will partner in the activities with a variety of educational and heritage related daily activities from 10am until 1pm.
In addition,’Heritage Week’ will also be hosting hundreds of students from schools across Dubai, in collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
World Heritage Day, first launched in 1982 in at a symposium organised by the International Council for Monuments and Sites in Tunisia, celebrates the shared cultural wealth of mankind and underscores the need to preserve and protect one’s heritage.
Notes and media contacts
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 / Iman Ahmed
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller = +9714 334 4550
