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The 13th edition of the Bahrain Summer Festival is set to be held remotely next month, bringing a range of events including stage plays, musical concerts, workshops, cooking shows and, of course, the annual Nakhool talent competition, writes Naman Arora.
The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) announced during a virtual press conference that the events will be streamed via the festival’s YouTube channel from July 1 to 31.
It will bring together events and performances from the Interior Ministry, National Institute for Human Rights and Supreme Council for the Environment, as well as the embassies of France, Italy, United States of America, China, Palestine, Russia, Egypt and the Philippines.
“This year’s Bahrain Summer Festival will be closer to the audience than ever before, despite the distance imposed by the global health crisis,” said Baca president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa.
“Our message is that our cultural seasons are sustainable and will continue. We take equal pride in the fact that this year’s festival will coincide with our celebration of the Pearling Path Project, set for completion later this year.”
Kicking off the festival on July 1 will be Resto Maryam, a Lebanese stage play which will be broadcast throughout the month on YouTube. Running alongside it will be a series of public competitions held every Monday and Thursday, as well as educational activities and games, all available on Baca’s website.
There will also be a traditional Chinese music concert on July 4 and Tony Memmel and his Band will take the virtual stage on July 7, followed later in the month by two shows from the Embassy of Palestine entitled The Children of Our Neighborhood and The Wonders of Science, and a concert organised by the Egyptian Embassy entitled Rehab Mutawa featuring the Bahrain Music Band.
Local music, with performances by Galali Folklore Band, Mohammed bin Faris Band and the Bahrain Police Band, will entertain audiences throughout the month.
The festival’s programme also includes children’s short story writing classes that will serve as the platform for this year’s Nakhool Star talent competition, as well as music, arts, and cooking workshops showcasing the cultures of countries around the world.
For more details, visit www.culture.gov.bh or follow @NakhoolBah and @CultureBah on Instagram.
