Al Murabbaa Arts Festival: New Ajman festival to take place in October

Festival organisers have also announced an open call for artists and creatives to submit proposals for their works

Al Murabbaa Arts Festival will take place in the Ajman Heritage District that surrounds the Ajman Museum. Courtesy Ajman Tourism Development Department

Ajman is home to the newly launched Al Murabbaa Arts Festival, which is aimed at supporting young artists and will be held over 10 days from October to November this year.

The announcement was made by the Ajman Tourism Development Department on Monday. Held under the patronage of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, the Crown Prince of Ajman, the festival will take place in the Ajman Heritage District that surrounds the Ajman Museum.

With its motto “Inspired by Yesterday to Imagine Tomorrow”, Al Murabbaa Arts Festival hopes to serve as a platform for emerging talent within the creative arts community of Ajman and the UAE.

Organisers have launched an open call for artists and creatives to propose works that will be shown during the event. This can include visual arts, design workshops, literary works, performance art and film. Chosen participants will receive Dh5,000 ($1,361) each in order to produce their work and can also sell their creations during the festival. The deadline for applications is August 12.

Festival organisers will be supported by the likes of Tashkeel, Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), and the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Awards (Hipa) to develop its programming.

Details regarding Hipa’s involvement are still unclear, although its secretary general Ali Khalifa bin Thalith has stated that they will work with the ATDD to “support the art, culture and tourism sectors”, as well promote knowledge exchange between sectors, with arts and culture “enhancing touristic attractions”.

Hani Asfour, dean of DIDI, said the institute will focus on design’s role in developing “future-oriented designers” and will present “a collection of innovative artworks that reflect the potentials of the new generation of innovators in the UAE”.

The first iteration of the Al Murabbaa Arts Festival will take place from Thursday, October 28 to Saturday, November 6.

More information can be found here.