UAE's cultural calendar highlight confirmed for 2009
Festival will run from Saturday 21 March to Saturday 4 April
Artists performing at the Festival will be "world-class; our most inspiring schedule yet"
Abu Dhabi, 10 November 2008: The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) today announced the dates of the 6th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The festival is the region's foremost cultural event, attracting world-class artists from across the globe.
Next year's Festival will begin with a gala performance on Saturday 21 March and will run for two weeks, finishing on Saturday 4 April. Tickets are set to go on sale on 25 January next year, with full details of performers announced at that time.
H. E. Mrs Hoda I. Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, said:
"The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival is now well-established as one of the highlights of the Gulf's cultural calendar, and we are delighted to be able to welcome the world's greatest living artists to Abu Dhabi for a sixth year. Next year, our line up of artists will be world-class - it's our most inspiring schedule yet.
"Just as important as our schedule of artists, however, is the other side of the Festival - the education and awards programme run by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation. Throughout the Festival we will be running workshops and talks for the public to find out more about the performances.
"In particular, we will be repeating the very successful Children's Day of previous years, which will see children from a wide range of local schools join professional artists for a series of live performances. And of course we will be announcing the winner of the 2009 Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival Award."
The 6th Festival is set to build on the incredible success of 2008's event, which saw more than 9,000 people attend a schedule of performances ranging from ballet to Arabian and Western contemporary classical music. The Visual Arts Exhibition was also incorporated into the festival for the first time. Following the success of the exhibitions, workshops and educational programs held in venues across the city, the contribution of the visual arts is to be expanded in 2009.
With 35 public performances and events, the 5th Festival saw 2,150 tickets sold to the 10 major events, with many fully sold-out, and the Festival's organisers anticipate an even stronger demand for 2009's enlarged programme. 507 visiting artists and support staff made their way to Abu Dhabi for the last Festival, responsible for over 2,100 nights booked in local hotels.
Would-be concertgoers and exhibition visitors can register at the Festival site (http://www.admafestival.com) to receive further information as it is announced.
The Festival is an integral part of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation's efforts to complement Abu Dhabi's cultural vision by setting the highest standards for social responsibility, and advancing the arts, education, culture and creativity in the Emirate.
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About ADMAF:
The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) was established in 1996 as a non-profit organisation based on benevolent work. It aims to complement Abu Dhabi's cultural vision, setting the highest standard for social responsibility institutes. ADMAF advances the arts, education, culture and creativity in the Emirate.
ADMAF serves under the Presidency and Patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research. The organisation established the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival in 2004.
Other achievements include the creation of the Abu Dhabi Young Press Leaders program in 2008 to encourage the direct involvement of young nationals in the Emirate's journalism, the Language of the Desert Exhibition featuring contemporary Gulf Arab artists, the bi-annual International Comic Strip & Cartoon Art Festival, among many other cultural endeavours.
As part of its Educational Mission, ADMAF also organises and sponsors a number of high profile awards in the UAE: the Annual Creativity Award (established 1999), the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival Award (established 2004) and the Comic Strips and Cartoon Art Festival Award (2007).
For more information:
Marilyne Morin
Communications Manager
Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation
Tel: +971 50 818 2304
Email: mmorin@admfau.ae
Luke Alexander
Account manager
Four Communications
Tel: +971 55 985 3382
Email: luke.alexander@fourcommunications.com
© Press Release 2008
