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Music and song along with dance, drama, visual arts, poetry and literature form the overriding themes of Bahrain's much awaited Spring of Culture programmes this year.
There will be 34 events featuring artists from around the globe and Bahrain have been organised at various venues around the kingdom. They begin on March 1 and continue until April 15.
The events are from Austria, Benin (West Africa), China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, the US and Bahrain.
This year special emphasis has been given to creating a family programme and a new education programme, which runs alongside the festival.
Organisers have also decided to include tickets with assigned seat numbers for the Arad Fort events.
The festival begins with Lebanese artiste Nidal Al Achkar's play, Long was the Night at the Embassy's Gate' which draws attention to the dilemma of thousands of Lebanese young people leaving their country to escape its political upheaval. It includes a live band playing traditional instruments such as an oud to accompany the performers.
In celebration of Jerusalem, Arab Capital for Culture in 2009, The Edward Said National Conservatory for music from Palestine will perform the Celebrating Jerusalem programme as the first Arad Fort event.
Other famous international vocalists set to mesmerise audiences are Angelique Kidjo, Grammy Award winner from Benin (West Africa), Omara Portuondo, Cuba's diva of music, and Ghalia Benali from Tunisia who won the world music award in 2008.
Children and their families will have their fair share of fun at Arad Fort with an evening of Korean madness in the kitchen in Nanta Theatre's Cookin' performance.
Another musical delight on the calendar is the first time concert for children as young as one by Dan Zanes and Friends Grammy award winners for the best musical album for children.
At the culture hall, the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, renowned for its compelling drama, will bring the Sound of Music to life as two foot tall costumed puppets march, dance and ride bikes while audiences sing along to songs such as My Favourite Things and Climb Every mountain.
At the same venue Camut Band from Spain will also entertain audiences with their mix of African percussion, tap dance, voice and sand dance in addition to the Osrchestre National De Barbes who re-invent traditional music from the Maghreb.
Art events will continue in the halls of Al Riwaq Art Gallery which opens its new space with an international exhibition titled 'The Ultimate Experience' curated by William Wells of Townhouse Cairo.
Other interesting spaces to watch out for are Al Bareh Art Gallery and Bin Mattar House. And La Fontaine will feature Qawali Group from Pakistan in association with Theatre de Ville conveying a message of peace and tolerance.
The Economic Development Board organises Spring of Culture each year in partnership with the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre, the Sector for Culture and National Heritage and other Bahraini cultural institutions including Al Riwaq Art Gallery, La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art, Al Bareh Art Gallery and the Bahrain Art Society. Batelco continues as the long-standing sponsor of the festival.
For more detailed information and updates log on to www.springofculture.org or call 39900630.
