Dubai Culture extends registration for SIKKA Art Fair 2019 until 14th October

• Inviting talented Emirati, UAE-based, and GCC artists and collectives to participate in the leading annual exhibition
• The Emirate’s leading annual fair for emerging talent returns to Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood 16th – 24th March 2019

 Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, announced an extension for the registration of the ninth edition of SIKKA Art Fair until 14th October. The submissions are open for Emirati, UAE-based, and GCC artists and collectives.

The decision was made by Dubai Culture to afford artists who wish to join the upcoming edition of SIKKA Art Fair 2019 more time to register and to enable the artists to further prepare their artworks for the event. This extension is the final opportunity for them to complete the registration procedures.

Aligning with the ever-growing nature of the event, the invitation for submissions is extended to talented Emirati, UAE-based, and GCC artists and collectives working across the visual and performing arts, music, and film sectors. The Authority welcomes original artworks that have never been published before to showcase them in many indoor and outdoor venues, providing a variety of exciting and creative opportunities for artists who wish to participate.

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 Art Fair returns to Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood from 16th – 24th March, 2019 as a headline event of Dubai Art Season, a two-month, city-wide celebration of arts, culture, and creativity in the Emirate, taking place across March and April every year.

The latest 2018 edition witnessed record-breaking numbers, attracting over 200 submissions and over 45,000 visitors over 10 days, with more than 1,500 people participating in over 50 workshops. Furthermore, SIKKA 2018 hosted a ‘Creative Economy Youth Circle’ for the first time ever, in partnership with the Emirate’s Youth Council which was attended by over 30 young Emirates and several leading figures from the culture and arts sector.

SIKKA Art Fair complements the city-wide activation of cultural events that will take place during Dubai Art Season, which runs throughout March and April every year. The season’s flagship events include Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, Art Dubai, DIFC Art Nights, Al Serkal Avenue Galleries Night, and Middle East Film & Comic Con, alongside an array of creative events and activities.

To register to SIKKA Art Fair 2019, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae  http://dubaiculture.gov.ae/ar/pages/sikka-form.aspx

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

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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:

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on 8th March, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order 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, heritage, arts and literature, and to empower these sectors to bring happiness to Dubai’s society.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai. These include Dubai Art Season, the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative, which kicks-off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Dubai and SIKKA Art Fair, an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, as part of Art Week; Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 12th 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 and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries 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, offering activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 16 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture officially launched Etihad Museum in December 2016. The museum provides a platform to encourage cultural exchange and to 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 & globally, the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage.

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