Culture & Education | Thursday 13 April, 2017 4:57 am |

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has announced the latest edition of its ‘Live our Heritage Festival’, which will run under the theme ‘UAE Folk Arts’ from 14 to 18 April 2017 at Mirdif City Centre.

The final day of ‘Live our Heritage Festival’ will coincides with World Heritage Day – the annual event that is held on the 18 April – and has secured both support and sponsorship from many governmental and private sector parties including folk arts associations, Dubai Heritage Development Centres managed by the Authority, and Al-Futtaim Group. The festival aims to raise awareness of UAE heritage across the Emirate’s communities, and serves to promote the values and traditions of the Founding Fathers among the younger generation, visitors and residents.

The festival will include an open stage for competitions and sessions, in addition to a permanent exhibition of folk art instruments, and a section showcasing local crafts. The stage will welcome a variety of folk arts, with each day of the festival focusing on a specific theme such as ‘Al Andima’ maritime folk, ‘Al Ayala’ and ‘Al Liwa’ folk dance, as well as sessions hosted with folk dance specialists.

Fatima Lootah, Manager of Dubai Heritage Development Centres and Head of the Live our Heritage Festival Committee, commented: “By hosting the ‘Live our Heritage Festival’, Dubai Culture aims to preserve UAE heritage and promote it across new generations. We are confident that the diverse festival activities will support our goal of spreading Emirati values among UAE citizens and residents alike. The festival also helps us to celebrate and shed the light on the specialised artists who work in UAE heritage crafts and folk dance, which demonstrates the Authority’s commitment to nurturing local talent in Dubai and the UAE.”  

The festival will contribute to the development and support of the culture, arts and heritage sectors, and will enrich UAE heritage by promoting it to the next generations. The festival’s range of activities will also build communications between the Authority and other governmental and private sectors bodies, resulting in the creation of a unified platform for UAE heritage folk arts and crafts.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures, through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors.