Overview
The Learning Programme for Children and Families at Sharjah Art Foundation offers workshops conducted by professional artists working in a broad range of visual and performing arts.
Taking place on two Saturdays, 16 and 23 April 2022, Ramadan Nights programme includes workshops where participants can learn how to make jam using fresh fruits, create Ramadan lanterns and unique Eid gifts, and weave baskets using the Emirati craft of safafah, while listening to oriental music instruments and stories of the hakawati.
The sessions will be held at The Flying Saucer in the Dasman area of Sharjah. A Foundation venue since 2015, The Flying Saucer has been renovated and returned to its original 1970s silhouette. It features new exterior areas as well as community gathering spaces, which include a multi-activity café, a sunken courtyard, a library and multiple screening walls.
The workshops are free and open to the public. Depending on the needs of the participants, sessions are conducted in English and/or Arabic.
Sharjah Art Foundation is committed to making its programmes as inclusive and accessible as possible. Disability symbols are included with all session descriptions to indicate accessibility.
Key to symbols:
Registration
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Workshops and performances: Day 1
Ramadan Night 1 Workshops and Performance
Date: Saturday, 16 April 2022
Timings: 9:30 pm–12:00 am
The Woven Basket
With Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:00 pm
Ages: 6-15
Languages: Arabic and English
Safafah is the Emirati craft of weaving strips of dried palm fronds (khose), bringing sustainability and tradition together. In collaboration with Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, participants will be learning this weaving technique that can be used to create baskets, mats and other household items using wool.
Making Jam with Fresh Fruits
With Mona Alajami
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:00 pm
Ages: 16+
Languages: Arabic and English
In this workshop, participants will learn how to make jam using fresh fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries and apricots. They will also learn how to preserve and store the jam.
Making Scented Candles
With Hamad Mughawer
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:00 pm
All ages
Languages: Arabic and English
In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the main ingredients needed to make candles and use essential oils to add fragrance to it. Later, they will transfer the wax into clay candle containers, customised and decorated by them.
Hakawati
With Ahmad Yousif and Eman Abdel-Karim
Timings: 11:00 pm–12:00 am
All ages
Languages: Arabic
Participants will be invited to listen to a hakawati [traditional Arabic storyteller] narrate a story in an entertaining and creative way. Before the advent of television, the hakawati used to provide the community with their evening entertainment, delighting listeners with stories of heroism or romance that included important life lessons.
Workshops and performances: Day 2
Ramadan Night 2 Workshops and Performance
Date: Saturday, 23 April 2022
Timings: 9:30 pm–12:00 am
Making Boxes and Postcards
With the Foundation team
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:30 pm
Ages: 6–15
Languages: Arabic and English
In this workshop, participants will be drawing on cardboard boxes and decorating them with coloured and illustrated postcards to make unique Eid gifts for their friends or family.
Oud Players Meet Up and Performance
With Saif AlAli
Timings: 10:30 pm–11:30 pm
All ages
Enjoy an evening of live oud music in The Flying Saucer. Audiences will experience traditional folk music through the rich and deep sounds of this wonderful instrument played by Saif AlAli.
Sharing of Cultures
With Sarah AlNuaimi
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:30 pm
All ages
Participants will gather around a table to discuss and exchange recipes of their favourite meals, and talk about the most special dish that is cooked in their homes. Later, they will create illustrated elements or ingredients that reflect their culture.
Painting Islamic Patterns on Glass
With Areen Hassan
Timings: 9:30 pm–11:30 pm
Ages: 16+
Languages: Arabic and English
This workshop is a practical introduction to Islamic geometric patterns. Inspired by Islamic patterns in mosques, participants will learn how to construct geometric patterns and gain an understanding of the historical and symbolic significance of geometry in art. Using this knowledge, participants will paint colourful and decorative patterns on glass using paint and other mediums.