Dubai Culture closes SIKKA Art Fair 2019 artist applications with a record number of submissions

The fair is one of the essential cornerstones of the Dubai Art Season, the Emirate’s most prominent artistic and cultural event

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, announced that registration for the ninth edition of SIKKA Art Fair, which closed in October, received an unprecedented response from artists wishing to participate in the exhibition which will be held from 16^th -24^th March 2019 in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Office at Dubai Culture, SIKKA offers a unique platform for emerging United Arab Emirates and regional talents to showcase their work through a range of exhibitions, interactive installations, workshops, film, music and an array of performing arts activities.

The Authority confirmed a 100% increase in the number of applications compared to 2018 by emerging UAE and GCC artists, along with a notable increase in turnout of 30% from GCC submissions. Due to popular demand from the public, Dubai Culture also extended this year’s application deadline by two weeks giving potential applicants additional time to work on their application proposals.

Walid Ahmed, Head of Committee of Dubai Art Season at Dubai Culture, said: "SIKKA Art Fair is considered one of the biggest events in the region which attracts Emirati as well as UAE- and GCC- based artists to showcase their artistic and creative work. We expect to witness a distinctive ninth session due to the large number of submissions we received, which increases year after year and serves as evidence for the importance of the art fair as a platform that supports emerging talent. The fair is also in line with Dubai Culture’s mandate to support creative talent, aiming to position Dubai as a global, creative, and sustainable city for culture, arts, heritage, and literature to enhance happiness and positivity among the society."

The Authority will announce SIKKA 2019 participating artists in December 2018. The art fair complements the city-wide activation of cultural events that will take place during Dubai Art Season, taking place annually throughout March and April. The season’s flagship events include Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Art Dubai, DIFC Art Nights, and Al Serkal Avenue Galleries Night, alongside an array of creative events and activities.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures to enhance Dubai's position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with the aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally.

For more information on Dubai Culture:

Web: www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DubaiCultureArtsAuthority

Twitter: @DubaiCulture

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DubaiCulture

Instagram: @dubaiculture

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/6043316/

#SIKKA19

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About SIKKA Art Fair

SIKKA Art Fair, a contemporary, artist-led fair, was launched by Dubai Culture and takes place annually under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Office at Dubai Culture. SIKKA Art Fair is a flagship event of Dubai Art Season — Dubai Culture’s city-wide activation of cultural events that runs throughout March and April every year. SIKKA is the first annual initiative of its kind focused on supporting and showcasing Emirati, UAE and GCC-based artists, offering them a unique platform for regional and local emerging talent to showcase their work via a range of exciting exhibitions, art installations, workshops, film, music and performing arts.

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) launched on 8^th March 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority’s vision is to establish Dubai as a global, creative, and sustainable city for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, and to empower these sectors to bring happiness to Dubai’s society.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focussed on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season, the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative that kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week which features Art Dubai and SIKKA Art Fair, an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region; Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and celebrated its 12^th anniversary in 2018; and Dubai Next, a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae), the nation’s first government-empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation, providing a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in supporting the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026 by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Library’s branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative that complements the UAE National Reading Strategy with activities open to all age groups, revolving around four key themes: happiness, reading, family, and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 16 heritage sites across the Emirate and organises the ‘Live our Heritage Festival,’ a social initiative that promotes the practice and preservation of the UAE's cultural heritage, old social practices and, UAE handicrafts.

Furthermore, as part of the Authority’s mandate to preserve national heritage, Dubai Heritage Development Centres at Dubai Government schools were established in 2011 as per the agreement inked between Dubai Culture and Dubai Educational Zone. In 2018, the first branch of a higher education institution was established as part of an agreement between Dubai Culture and Zayed University to serve as educational platforms for UAE heritage and raise cultural awareness among students.

Additionally, the first edition of the ‘Cultural Pottery Festival’ was launched in 2018 under the theme ‘Pottery: Legacy and History.’ The Authority aims to shed light and revive the pottery industry by giving it a distinctive cultural, touristic, and marketing character to sustain the components of the UAE’s heritage and handicrafts.

As the custodian of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture officially launched Etihad Museum in December 2016 that provides a platform to encourage cultural exchange and connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority’s mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange, regionally and globally, the museums will play a catalytic role in preserving Emirati Heritage

For more information on Dubai Culture, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

© Press Release 2018