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The 19th edition of the Spring of Culture starts on Saturday, January 4, bringing with it a host of music, arts, history and heritage events
A lecture by a top Syrian poet, workshops as well as two exhibitions exploring nature and heritage, are expected to kick off the two-month long festival.
“The Spring of Culture is an integral part of our calendar for the year, offering an opportunity to showcase both Bahraini and international culture in the kingdom,” Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) president Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa explained during a Press conference ahead of the event.
“Bahrain has always been a land where cultures meet. It is, in essence, part of our DNA – welcoming other cultures and engaging with them.
“This is something critical and essential particularly in today’s world where we need to understand and appreciate other cultures, and we can only do that by providing these bridges, through exposure to other cultures.”
In addition to the ongoing Memories Carved in Steel exhibition by Juan Garaizábal at the Bahrain National Museum, there will be a workshop centred on making date molasses at the House of Basketweaving in Karbabad on Saturday, January 4 from 10am to noon. Registration is open through the Baca website. The workshop will cover the types of dates and tools used to make date molasses, as well as the process itself.
Next, renowned Syrian poet Anas Ibrahim Al Dogheim will be delivering a talk titled ‘Outside the Text’ at the Ibrahim Al Arrayed House on Monday, January 6, at 8pm.
Anas was born and raised in Maarrat Al Nu’man and then moved to Turkey in 2015. He published his first poetry collection in 2002 and has articles and poems published in numerous Arabic platforms. He is actively involved in cultural festivals, events and Arabic poetry competitions.
On Wednesday, January 8, the Children and Mothers Welfare Society, in collaboration with Makan Art Gallery, will inaugurate a charity exhibition, titled The Palm Leaf at 10.30am. It will run until January 18.
“This event aims to support and promote the society’s Women’s Training Centre for Paper Crafts, where all artworks will be showcased on papers handcrafted from palm fronds in the centre itself,” a Baca spokesperson said.
“The exhibition features remarkable artists, with all proceeds dedicated to the society’s support.”
Later that same day, Fatema Al Jameaa will open her first-ever exhibition at Albareh Art Gallery, at 7pm. It will continue until January 29, Saturday to Thursday from 9.30am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm.
“In this exhibition, Fatema explores those monumental moments at the brink of dawn, the gradual reflection of soft light across the sky between shadow and illumination, a mesmerising scene to behold, resonating in a symphony of colour, filling the canvas with whispers of light, that tactfully seep through at the onset of a new day,” organisers explained.
The festival will feature tours of iconic locations, where visitors can rediscover the rich heritage of Manama Suq with From The Post series, explore Qal’at Al Bahrain (Bahrain Fort) – a Unesco World Heritage Site, and get a taste of augmented reality at Bahrain National Museum.
Spring of Culture will also feature workshops, promoting local handicrafts, from Al Naqda embroidery and pottery to Arabic calligraphy, traditional boat making and palm tree care.
