Under the theme ‘Crafts of the Ancestors, Pride of the People’, the seventh edition of the Traditional Handicrafts Festival will showcase the rich heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi that has been prevalent for decades. The festival will run until November 13 and will showcase the handicrafts at Traditional Handicrafts Festival that will take place at Al Ain’s Souq Al Qattara.
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the festival will showcase the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi, as well as handicrafts and practices which have been passed down the generations. The event aims to support the preservation and production of unique Emirati crafts, as well as raise awareness of the cultural professionals who make their living in this industry.
This year, the festival will feature a series of performances, cultural activities and workshops that celebrate the traditional handicrafts and their practitioners from across the UAE, with the participation of public and private partners and institutions specialising in selling and marketing heritage products. The festival will also see a series of demonstrations, workshops and creative sessions that focus on crafts such as Al Sadu weaving and Talli embroidery, as well as traditional performances like Al Ayyala and Al Taghrooda, along with concerts from Bait Al Oud musicians and Emirati singers.
There is also something for the kids at the festival as there is a Creative Kids’ Workshop that will bring out the inner artist in young visitors, and the Nabati poetry competition, that will be held in the Poets Majlis, a segment for poetry lovers. For the film buffs, the festival is showcasing Cinema Al Bait – an open-air screening of a series of global blockbuster hits. Cinema Al Bait kicked off with Forty Years and One Night, a social drama directed by Saudi director Mohammed Alholayil.