Sharjah Culture Department Announces Its Annual Program for Festivals and Ongoing Forums

Sharjah Culture Department Announces Its Annual Program for Festivals and Ongoing Forums

Al-Owais: Sharjah’s Ruler Sponsors a Comprehensive Cultural Journey

Sharjah

The Sharjah Culture Department has announced its annual program for festivals and ongoing forums, starting in September 2024 and continuing until August 2025. The plan includes over 40 festivals and forums organized by the department locally, regionally, and internationally, reinforcing Sharjah's role in leading diverse cultural, intellectual, and creative activities.

His Excellency Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture  said: “The ongoing festivals and forums maintain their Arab cultural presence through a dynamic series of events throughout the year. They begin in Sharjah and extend to the Arab world and African countries, following the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to continuously enhance cultural activation and support Arabic literature through sustained literary and creative engagement. This aligns with His Highness’s emphasis on supporting culture as a vital element for community development and exemplifies His Highness’s commitment to a comprehensive cultural renaissance.”

Al Owais added: “Sharjah has created a unique cultural environment through its various cultural events, serving as a hub for Arab intellectuals to present their creative works by participating in diverse events, including festivals, readings, seminars, and theatrical performances. Creative work is often recognized with numerous awards presented by the department to honor young talents and cultural figures for their significant role in enriching the cultural landscape. Alongside this distinctive cultural presence, it is further supported by public interest and engagement with the multiple cultural scenes in Sharjah and the Arab world.”

"Starting with Narration"

The first event of the Sharjah Culture Department’s program is the Sharjah Narration Forum, starting on September 10, 2024, in Tunisia as a new Arab station for its twentieth edition, with wide Tunisian and Arab participation discussing various issues related to contemporary short stories and their transformations in form and structure. This will be followed by the Eleventh Khorfakkan Short Plays Festival.

In October, the Eleventh Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial will commence with Emirati, Arab, and international participation, while the Ninth Al Mufraq Arabic Poetry Festival will open, marking the beginning of the poetry festivals in the Arab world, followed by the Sixth Marrakech Moroccan Poetry Festival.

In November, the Egyptian audience will have the opportunity to attend the Ninth Luxor Arabic Poetry Festival, while the same month will see the awarding of the Sharjah "UNESCO" Arabic Culture Prize in Paris.

December will feature numerous events, starting with the Fifteenth Sharjah Award for Critical Art Research under the theme "The Arab World in Artistic Orientalism... Civilizational and Aesthetic Dimensions," followed by the Eighth Sharjah Desert Theater Festival. The Sharjah House of Poetry will celebrate International Arabic Language Day, and the Tunisian poetry audience will look forward to the Ninth Kairouan Arabic Poetry Festival. December will conclude with the Twelfth Sharjah Scout Theatre Festival.

"The New Year"

The year 2025 will start with the Twenty-First Sharjah Arabic Poetry Festival. In January, the Twentieth Sharjah Cultural Honors Forum will be held in Tunisia, alongside the Tenth Khorfakkan Theater Festival.

Cultural activities will continue with the Nineteenth Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival in February, the Wadi Al-Helo Popular Poetry Days, and the Tenth Nouakchott Arabic Poetry Festival. The same month will also see the Thirty-Fourth Sharjah Theater Days.

International Poetry Day at the House of Poetry will start in March’s events, celebrating poetry and its creators. The Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition "Katateeb" will be held in its Eighth Edition, and in April, the Sharjah Cultural Honors Forum will continue its Arab tours with the Twenty-First Edition in Egypt. The month will also feature a Performance Art Workshop at the House of Poetry and the First Edition of the Sharjah Arab Creativity Prize, Twenty-Eighth Edition.

In May, the Sixth Tetouan Moroccan Poets Festival will take place, along with the Sharjah Calligraphy Center's Exhibition and the Twelfth Sharjah School Theater Festival. Amman will host the Twenty-Second Sharjah Cultural Honors Forum, and the Eighth Dibba Al-Hisn Bilateral Theater Festival will also occur.

In June, the Twenty-Third Sharjah Cultural Honors Forum will be held in Mauritania. The month will also see the Fourth Edition of the Arab Poetry Forum in Africa, covering Chad, Senegal, and Guinea, with the tour continuing in July in Benin, Niger, and Mali. 

In August, the poetry forums in Africa will continue in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and South Sudan, with the Twelfth Theater Production Elements Course taking place at the Khorfakkan Cultural Center.

The Sharjah Culture Department will continue its cultural programs with poetry evenings and seminars at the House of Poetry, Al-Heera Literary Council, Khorfakkan Literary Council, and Khorfakkan Literary Council, alongside ongoing artistic workshops at the Arabic Calligraphy Center in Al-Souq, and the "Katateeb" program.

"Cultural Magazines"

The department will also continue issuing its cultural magazines, which address local affairs in Sharjah’s various cities. 'Al-Rafid' Magazine will continue to cover the cultural scene in Sharjah, while the 'Al Sharqiya 'and 'Al Wusta' Magazines focus on local developmental and cultural issues in the cities of Al-Dhaid, Al-Bataeh, Maleiha, Al-Madam, Khorfakkan Kalba and Dibba Al Hisn. 

From the Al-Heera Literary Council, the magazine "Al-Heera Mn Al Shariqa" will highlight Nabati poetry and related literary topics.

'Al Shariqa Al-Thaqafiyya’ Magazine which covers various cultural subjects, showcasing Arabic literature through a series of creative materials. 'Al Masrah' Magazine will focus on theatrical studies, texts, book reviews, festival coverage, and spotlighting theatrical and Arab theater groups.

The "Qawafi" Magazine will spotlight Arabic poetry through studies, interviews, and critical readings, and will open submissions for poems from Arab poets.