The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, a centre for culture, arts and heritage, is inviting artists to showcase their vision of the transformation and progress of Dubai in the year 2015 on canvas at a cultural fair.

The Dubai International Character & Licensing Fair (Character Dubai) opened today (October 27) at the Dubai International Convention Centre to run until October 29.

Character Dubai is the Middle East’s first and only dedicated trade event for the production, marketing and licensing for cartoon characters, animation, logs, films, brands and design, said a statement.

During the three-day event, artists can visit Dubai Culture’s pavilion where a dedicated canvas is in the making for the Dubai 2015 art piece.

A suggestion box has also been set up for artists and visitors to the exhibition to share their ideas and inspiration for special projects that will be reviewed by industry experts for potential support by the Authority.

Leading international animation producers, content creators, comic artists, media, advertisers, graphic designers, marketing professionals, manufacturers, retailers, licensees, licensing agents, licensors and other decision makers and investors are taking part in the expo.

“With 37 per cent of the population of over 300 million in Mena below the age of 14 years and over 100 satellite channels covering the region, the animation and cartoon character industry is booming,” said Saeed Al Nabouda, chief projects officer of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.

“Dubai is serving as the gateway for the industry by not only offering the infrastructure support but also opening new channels of creativity.”

He added: “Character Dubai is a perfect fit to our objective of promoting Dubai’s status as a hub for culture and the arts. The special pavilion for artists further highlights our goal of offering a sustained platform for expressing artistic creativity.

“We are confident that Character Dubai will inspire the creative community to achieve remarkable and inspiring success stories like Freej and Shabiyat Alcartoon, which not only capture the cultural diversity of Dubai but also represent the creative flourish of young UAE nationals.  The authority will continue to promote visual art and design talent in Dubai and support its growth as a flourishing industry.”

Within the ‘Dubai 2015’ art project, artists are encouraged to represent the city six years from now through characters and other creative tools. These contributions as well as the suggestions of artists will be leveraged by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to further strengthen the cultural mosaic of Dubai and ensure more active engagement with the creative community. – TradeArabia News Service