Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture)began the countdown to the launch of the 11^thedition of Sikka Art and Design Festival, which is being held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, and Member of Dubai Council, from February 24 to March 5, at the heart of Old Dubai in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

The festival, which falls under the umbrella of Dubai Art Season, is a key pillar of Dubai’s creative scene that aligns with Dubai’s cultural vision aimed at cementing the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

This year, Sikka presents a variety of art projects and performances, which will be displayed across 13 houses, each of which showcasing different types of art, installations, digital pieces, and various interactive spaces, including Sikka House;Khaleeji House; Bait Al Film; Digital Arts House; Photography House; Bait Al Khazaf;and Talli House, which is the latest addition to Sikka and aims to provide new artworks inspired by the Al Tallicraft. This year, the festival will also showcase six murals and nine outdoor installations, in addition to holding over 100 panels, talks and workshops highlighting the developments of the arts sector and its global trends, as well as variety of cinema, music and entertainment activities and performances. The various poetry evenings that are also to be held in this inspiring atmosphere reflect Dubai’s creative potential.

Noor Khalfan Al Roumi, Sikka Art & Design Festival Project Manageraffirmed that the festival has become a key and unique event on the regional art map, saying: “The festival provides a unique platform for Emirati and UAE & GCC-based talents to showcase their creativity and artistic innovations at the heart of Old Dubai, where visitors can witness the inspiring journey and the cultural and artistic experiences that express Dubai’s aspirations to be the capital of the creative economy by 2026. The festival represents an opportunity for emerging artists to create new success stories in the framework of their interaction with the cultural industries as one of the main catalysts for Dubai’s growth and economic diversification.”

Al Roumiadded:“This year, we seek to present an exceptional edition that highlights the developments and successes made by Sikka Art and Design Festival on the local and regional scene over the past decade. It reflects the Authority’s commitment to creating a sustainable creative ecosystem that contributes to enabling artists to display their artistic and cultural works in the open spaces provided by the festival.”

This year, over 188 Emirati and UAE & GCC-based creatives are participating in festival, all of whom worked to develop and draw inspiration from the festival’s theme ‘New Creativity. Same Path.’

Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children is also participating in this year’s edition, presenting a programme rich in activities and training workshops in cooperation with a group of talented artists. This participation is aimed at promoting culture among children and motivating them to unleash their creativity and develop their artistic abilities and talents.

Dubai Culture will work in cooperation with the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai to provide a set of options and alternatives that facilitate public access to the festival, where they can use public transportation, like buses and the metro, noting that the activities start at 5 until 11 p.m. on all weekdays, while during the weekend it will runfrom4p.m. until midnight.

To view the festival’s activities and register in the workshops, please visit https://sikkartandesign.com/