Spring of Culture to begin on February 25
Manama : The 12th edition of the Spring of Culture, which will run for two months from February to April 2017, was officially launched at a function held at Qala’at Al-Bahrain Site Museum here yesterday.
The festival will begin on February 25, the Arab Tourism Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the birth of the famous Arab traveller Ibn Battuta.
The festival is jointly organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), the Economic Development Board, and Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research in collaboration with Albareh Art Gallery, Al Riwaq Art Space, and La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art.
“The programme of the festival is numerous that we simply cannot compress the events into just a single season, so each year we engage once more with our cultural audience with a diverse range of top-class global and local shows and events featuring leading performers and cultural figures,” said President of BACA, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa at the press conference.
“As we celebrate our 12th anniversary, we grow ever-confident of culture’s capabilities and positive impact. We also are mindful that by telling the many stories of success over the course of our history through our archaeological monuments, we can bring joy to our communities and instil a sense of pride in our identity and heritage, while at the same time promoting the best of what Bahrain has to offer,” Shaikha Mai said. “The Spring of Culture Festival demonstrates how to connect and develop private sector investments in culture in order to highlight Bahrain’s openness to other world cultures since ancient times. These efforts are in line with the Economic Development Board’s objective of supporting tourism as it is an important sector that has tremendous development and job creation potential,” Economic Development Board CEO Khalid Al-Rumaihi noted.
Historical opera
The audience will enjoy a diverse array of exceptional events and magical evenings that cover everything from archaeology to culture and art, starting with the timeless love story of ‘Antar and Abla’ in a brilliant historical opera production at the Bahrain National Theatre, which is produced by Opera Lebanon. The theatre’s lobby also houses stunning visual artworks taking part in the 43rd Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition.
Families will be given a variety of shows to choose from, as the festival features an array of international performances by professional artists in various venues across the Kingdom of Bahrain. These include Groove Onkels, a percussion band that does not use actual musical instruments, as well as the amazing acrobatic light-hearted dance extravaganza of Tap Factory.
Another not-to-miss show is the magic and sleight of hand of Argentine Edgar Groll, and the Canadian theatrical production Journey to the Planet of the Senses. Moreover, the audience can enjoy the incredible Indian acrobatic art of Pole Mallakhamba, the marvellously diverse soundtracks of the contemporary circus act Traces, and the fun interactive Bahraini children production A Tale or Two for Alef.
Festival speakers
The Spring of Culture Festival also features leading Arab and international public figures in a series of talks held in cooperation with the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research. The intellectuals, media and literary personalities include Saudi broadcaster and journalist Dawood Al-Shirian, Tunisia’s former Minister of Culture Sonia M’barek, Lebanese writer and editor Fares Youwakim, Lebanese writer Ivana Marchalian, Joshua David, Palestinian poet Ehab Bseiso, pioneering Palestinian artist and writer Raeda Taha, and American-Egyptian writer and Director of London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Middle East and Gulf Security program, Mamoun Fandy. In addition, lectures and seminars about photography, food culture, and Ancient Tylos-Period statues will be held as part of the festival, as well as lectures by French archaeologist Dr. Pierre Lombard and Bahraini researcher and writer Dr. Abdullah Al-Madani. BACA will also open cultural projects such as Dar Al-Riffa Al-Oda in East Riffa and Al-Maktaba Al-Khalifiya in Muharraq. Sites of historical significance will also be highlighted, such as Al-Khamis Mosque, whose status as the most important Islamic archaeological site in the Gulf region will be highlighted as part of a major conference on Islamic archaeology to be held in the Bahrain National Museum, as well as celebrating the deep-rooted heritage of Bab Al-Bahrain’s gold industry. The festival will showcase the heritage of seafaring chants and folk music with concerts by the Mohammed bin Faris Band and Fjiri music at Dar Al-Muharraq.
Exhibitions
The art and culture exhibitions will open new horizons for visitors into different worlds and perspectives, such as the collaborative “Out Of Time” exhibit which brings together 20 artists from around the world, “Two Architects Two Visions” featuring the works of a Saudi-Italian pair of artists, and “The Selfless Holy Ground”; Exhibition which depicts the contradiction between the spiritual and religious connotations of sacred rituals and human nature, as well as an exhibition on the UNESCO World Heritage-inscribed; “Pearling Path” “Do You Trust Me” photography exhibition.
Sponsors of the event
GFH Financial Group, Huawei,
National Bank of Bahrain
Aluminum Bahrain
Bahrain Airport Company
Bahrain Duty Free
Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait
DHL
Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance
Investate
National Oil and Gas Authority
Bahrain Maritime
Mercantile International
Embassies of Italy, Japan, USA and Mexico
Music Calendar
March 6: Acclaimed Mexican guitarist Paco Renteria to perform at the Cultural Hall
March 9: Soprano trio Musica Scotto Le Stelle’s concert
“Music Under the Stars” at La Fontaine
March 18: Mo Zowayed and Majaz Band at Bahrain Bay
March 9: The audience will be treated to a wholly unique audio experience featuring workers of the Bahrain National Quarry
March 10: Featured Arab singers Majed Al Muhandis and Waleed Al Shami to perform at Bahrain Bay
March 17: Palestinian artist Omar Kamal
March 17: Chelsey Green and the Green Project Ensemble to perform at the Cultural Hall
March 20: Syrian artist Bashar Zarkan
March 31: English Blues singer Dana Gillespie at La Fontaine, and chart-topping English band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue to perform at Bahrain Bay
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