The sixth edition of Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival featuring local and international artists, photographers, and filmmakers is set to take place from February 16 to March 2 with new workshops and an extended calendar.

The two-week long festival, presented by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, includes the works of 84 artists from around the world and features the Foundation’s latest Film Grant recipient, and Ras Al Khaimah native, Ahmed Hasan Ahmed’s film Wudu.

New to the schedule this year are a series of interactive workshops that include miniature painting, short-film script writing, a talk by Mohammad Al Suwaidi on the legacy of pearl diving, as well as photography classes with honorary American guest artist Guy Brooksbank.

The theme of this year’s Festival is recycled art and includes the creation of a new visual arts category dedicated to highlighting waste-to-art works. Introduced in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Waste Management Authority (RAK WMA), the new category encourages artists to re-discover their inspiration via reused materials while at the same time contributing to conservation of natural resources and endorsing social responsibility.

“Working with recycled materials is a unique challenge for artists. Being able to express yourself and tell a story with these materials requires creativity and innovation. These stories are all the more impactful through the materials used to tell them,” said Suqrat bin Bisher, director of the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival.

The festival is a homegrown, community-oriented event that prides itself on promoting local emerging artists and values the continued support of our sponsors. This year, the Festival is sponsored in part by our platinum level sponsor Al Marjan Island and our gold level sponsor the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, as well as several others, with local collaborative partners that include the Ras Al Khaimah National Museum.

The Festival will be held over the course of two weeks, with red carpet events each Friday. Throughout the Festival, the visual art and photography exhibits will be open to the public at the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah.

The 6th Annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival schedule at a glance:
•   Opening Reception and Awards Night (February 16)
•   Film Screening and Awards Night (February 23)
•   Closing Night Red Carpet Reception (March 2)
•   Fine Arts Exhibition and Workshops (February 17 – February 28) – TradeArabia News Service