Latest news with #culturalprogram
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi National Museum to Mark International Museum Day with 3-Day Program
In celebration of International Museum Day 2025, the National Museum of Saudi Arabia will host a three-day cultural program from May 15 to 17 under the theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities," aimed at strengthening cultural identity and supporting sustainable development, in line with the Year of Handicrafts. The program highlights the role of museums as key drivers of local economies by creating new job opportunities and offering educational programs that empower communities. It also emphasizes how museums can lead innovation and creativity by adopting the latest technologies and inspiring positive social change to keep pace with global transformations. The event will feature a series of panel discussions and dialogue sessions. One session, held in collaboration with the Museums Commission, will bring together Chair of the Board of Directors of the Saudi National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Princess Haifa bint Mansour bin Bandar and Director General of the National Museum Rola Al-Ghrair to discuss the future of museums and their evolving role. An interactive talk, hosted in partnership with the Royal Institute for Traditional Arts (WRTH), will explore ways to integrate Saudi folk tales and performing arts into museum experiences that combine learning and entertainment, while enhancing their appeal to younger generations. A separate session, titled "Living Heritage in Rapidly Changing Communities," organized with the Heritage Commission, will address challenges facing intangible cultural heritage and ways to adapt it to evolving lifestyles while ensuring its continuity. The program will conclude with interactive workshops, live demonstrations, and musical performances reflecting the richness and diversity of traditional Saudi crafts and arts, an exceptional visitor experience that blends discovery, learning, and celebration of living heritage. These activities reflect the National Museum's ongoing mission to raise cultural awareness and enhance the role of museums as dynamic platforms for dialogue and societal engagement, linking past, present, and future.
Asharq Al-Awsat
07-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Culture Ministry to Feature at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025
The Saudi Ministry of Culture is set to host a comprehensive program of cultural events at the Abbazia building in Venice, Italy, from May 10 to November 23. This initiative is part of Saudi Arabia's participation in the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. Through a curated cultural program, the ministry will highlight the diversity of Saudi culture and its contemporary creative renaissance, while contributing to global discourse on key issues such as the preservation of cultural heritage and artistic innovation. According to a statement issued by the ministry, the events will spotlight several cultural sectors, including architecture and design, heritage, visual arts, fashion, and culinary arts. The program will also feature panel discussions and workshops in traditional crafts and other fields, providing the international community with insights into the defining features of Saudi culture, its uniqueness, and its deep historical and civilizational roots. The cultural activities will be held within the two-story Abbazia building. The ground floor will be dedicated to an exhibition titled "Rooted Transience", which forms part of the official collateral event in the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale and showcases the winning design of the AlMusalla Prize 2025. The statement added that the upper floor of the venue will include a fully equipped conference hall, designated for the presentation of distinguished cultural programming throughout the Biennale period. These events will underscore Saudi Arabia's artistic and cultural excellence through collaborations with leading cultural and artistic institutions in Venice and across Italy. A cultural retail space will also be available, featuring a curated selection of artisanal products representing Saudi heritage and premium culinary offerings such as traditional Saudi coffee and dates. The cultural events organized by the Ministry of Culture as part of the 2025 Venice Biennale represent a key aspect of its ongoing efforts to strengthen Saudi culture's presence on international platforms and introduce the global community to the diversity of the Kingdom's cultural heritage and the aesthetic and creative vitality of its artistic scene, reflecting the cultural renaissance taking place in the Kingdom.
