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The 17th edition of Spring of Culture kicked off last weekend with a street theatre art performance by JOHNman BLANKO, with another street performing troupe set to dazzle crowds this weekend.
The Marlon Banda Show will feature live music alongside theatrical comedy and will usher in the second weekend of the festival.
The festival, which has more than 50 activities including performances, workshops, exhibitions, tours and film festivals lined up, kicked off on January 19, and will continue until the end of March.
“This year, we have made sure that the festival is part of the larger national vision to promote Bahrain as a centre for cultural production and as a space in which all cultures from around the world can find their commons,” Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) president Shaikh Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said during his remarks at the unveiling of this year’s programme.
This coming weekend, the Marlon Banda Show, from Italy, will be entertaining passers-by at a number of venues.
Tomorrow (January 26), at 4pm, the troupe will bring their hilarious and explosive comical show to Al Liwan, followed by an 8pm show at Juffair Square.
On Friday (January 27) at 3pm, there will be a show at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, where live music and theatrical comedy will come together, followed by two shows at The Avenues at 6pm and 8pm.
The final show of the vivacious and engaging troupe will be at Qal’at Al Bahrain Site Museum on Saturday (January 28) at 5.30pm.
In addition, the Mohammed Bin Faris Band will be serenading audiences every Thursday at their Music Hall, starting at 8pm.
“Every Thursday evening, we set sail with the musical sounds of the Mohammed Bin Faris Band through the lyrical voyage telling the tales of a pearl diver’s life, from festive melodies to working songs and farewell ballads,” Baca said, in a statement.
Meanwhile there are two ongoing art exhibitions, including The Living Sea at Bahrain National Museum, open daily from 8am to 8pm and closed on Tuesday, as well as Mutation at the Albareh Art Gallery from 9am to 1.30pm and 4pm to 8pm from Saturday to Thursday.
The Living Sea exhibition presents the view of two friends – photographer and author Prince Hussain Aga Khan and award-winning underwater documentary director Simone Piccoli – on the extraordinary diversity of the underwater worlds of three countries – Tonga, Mexico and Egypt. It runs until March 9.
In Mutation, artist Mohammed Almahdi explores the hybridisation of species seen in nature, delving into the idea of strange mixing and the unknown. His art reflects the intricate complexities of nature, capturing audience’s attention and sparking thought and conversation.
Follow @springofculture on Instagram for details.
