The 14th edition of Bahrain Summer Festival will take place form July 11 to 31 under the slogan “Golden Edition” and will celebrate outstanding Bahraini achievements, said the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca).

Baca will organise the festival daily from 5:00 to 9:00 pm in the Bahrain National Museum, the Art Center and the Cultural Hall, reported Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

“Here comes again Bahrain Summer Festival! it returns to share our celebration of our Golden Jubilee of Bahraini achievements, as we meet the festival’s audience face to face for the first time in two years,” Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, President of Baca, was quoted as saying during a press conference.

 She  added: “As usual, the Bahrain summer will be our way of conveying the message that our cultural seasons are sustainable, and it is the culture’s way of creating a space for cultural exchange between the Kingdom of Bahrain and various peoples and countries.”

In addition, she pointed out that the festival has become a unique and successful example of cooperation achieved between various parties to support sustainable cultural activity, as nine embassies, five government agencies and other civil institutions, and dozens of artists and trainers, participated in the festival. She thanked the Saudi Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, which is present throughout the festival, and all the contributors and supporters of the festival this year.

Speaking on behalf of Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Heritage Commission, Asma Al-Dakhil, Director General of Heritage Content, Events and Awareness Sector expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, and to Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa for providing the opportunity to participate in the 14th Bahrain Summer Festival.

The Ambassador of South Korea to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Hae Kwan stressed the importance of cultural relations between Bahrain and South Korea, thanking the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities for the constant communication with the Korean Embassy, which resulted in many successful activities over the past years. She added that it is encouraging and inspiring to celebrate culture through the Bahrain Summer Festival, pointing out to the South Korean strong and significant presence at the festival, displaying authentic traditional dance and music, a mirror that reflects the Korean history and civilization.

The festival features an extensive program of cultural activity that includes a series of workshops, an exciting program of performances and live artistic and entertainment activities on the stage of the Cultural Hall, in addition to a variety of mobile restaurants, the Nakhool Star competition, and many more, so that visitors of all ages have an enjoyable time.

In addition, the Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture will present a number of workshops at the Arts Center that seek to introduce the famous handicrafts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In addition to other activities such as the Little Explorer Initiative, which seeks to prepare a generation that is aware of the importance of antiquities, protects and celebrates them, and the Noqush Project, which is concerned with reviving the Saudi national heritage represented by rock arts and inscriptions.

In conjunction with the Bahrain Summer Festival, the "Young Artisan" initiative program will be launched in July 2022 at Al Jasra Handicrafts Center. The initiative is concerned with teaching handicrafts and promoting the concept of heritage in support of efforts to revive traditional crafts in Bahrain. Over the course of four weeks and at an average of two days a week, young people between the ages of 7 and 12 will participate in the program consisting of workshops focusing on aspects of Bahraini crafts. These workshops include pottery, the manufacture of wooden boxes, Saf al Khoos (palm tree basket making), and engraving on gypsum, which are among the most important crafts in vogue today.

Music and shows
The Bahrain Festival will kick off on 11 July 2022, at the Cultural Hall that will host a musical piano evening for three rising Bahraini stars in a special show highlighting the local talents. Mohamed Al-Najjar, the winner of several music awards, has performed many shows across the United Kingdom, where he is studying piano and composition, with his latest performances on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Theatre stage earlier this year.

The Cultural Hall will continue to host another world-famous most outrageous live science show, revamped, and better than ever for three successive days, on 12, 13, and 14 July. With captivating, high-energy experiments at the Cultural Hall, “Brainiac Remixed” Live takes stage for the very first time in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Watch these science adventurers leap with courage and curiosity from the safety of your seats, doing new experiments for all to enjoy!

On 15 July, and in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Palestine in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Palestine TV's “Beit Byout” presents a production on “The Little Lantern” based on late Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani’s story. The play follows a princess whose father, the king, wills she bring the sun to the palace after his death for her to reign in power — the play trails her thrilling journey, leaving a meaningful message behind.

On 16 July 2022, the Culture Hall, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will host the Korean crew “MAKERS” presenting a unique show exploring the main events and features within the contemporary history of Korea, from historical movements to the globally acclaimed K-Pop genre.

On 21 July, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Missoula Children’s Theatre presents an original musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland based on Lewis Carroll’s tale. On 17 July, the public certainly enjoy Spanish Flamingo show at the Cultural Hall too. For three successive days, The DaSilva Marionette Circus Troupe from the UK will dazzle the audience by its aerial acrobatics on flying trapeze, spectacular cycling stunts, trampolining, and laugh at the antics of cheeky clowns!

Shows will carry on this time with live Indonesian dance on 25 July; the show is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This concert, melodies of the Angklung, a traditional musical instrument made from bamboo that originates from West Java, Indonesia, are mixed beautifully with modern instruments such as the guitar and piano for this performance. On 29, 30 & 31 July “Marco & Rolanda’s BuBBles Revolution” show will be presented.

Workshops:
The Bahrain Summer Festival 2022 workshops will be held between the Cultural Hall, the Bahrain National Museum and the Arts Center. Over the three weeks of the festival, more than 500 workshops will be held, ranging from handicrafts, plastic arts, sciences, music and others.

At the Cultural Hall, Missoula Children’s Theatre will present workshops in Acting, Improvisation and Mime, after which participants will participate in the Alice in Wonderland theater show. The Bahrain National Museum will also host Conceptual Sketching: Visualizing Dilmun. The Art Center too will offer a series of workshops that will run until the end of the festival, in cooperation with many embassies, private and public commissions and 30 artists and trainers.

Diversified activities during the festival:
Bahrain Summer Festival engages to offer an amazing continuous event all through the festival from 5:00- 9:00 pm, namely the “Storytelling Corner”. Indeed, in collaboration with Isa Cultural Centre, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture (Heritage Commission), and the UAE Embassy in Bahrain, as well as to the various workshops offered at the Art Centre, children will be taken on an exciting journey into different worlds and diverse personalities through storytelling, in addition to a number of enjoyable activities that combine entertainment with knowledge and education! In addition, in collaboration with Watani Magazine - Ministry of Interior, different activities for young children, educating them about many duties towards the country will be offered.

The magazine will be distributed during the whole period of the festival. On weekends, and in an environment full of fun and creativity, children will get a colourful Nakhool character face painting or any of their favourite cartoon characters.

The child favourite competition returns this year. In this edition of the “Nakhool Star” competition, children from 7 to 15 years have the opportunity to display their artistic talents in the fields of music, singing, and/or acting, to win the title of Nakhool Star 2022! To contribute in discovering and developing the talents and creativity of our young stars, the Bahrain Summer Festival holds auditions on the 17th, 18th and 19th of July for all participating children, and a semi-final round on the 27th of July at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and announcing this edition’s Nakhool Star on the 28th of July at 5:00 p.m.. All are welcome to attend and encourage the stars on the stage of the Cultural Hall.