Spring of Culture festival to start on February 25

Chart-topping English band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue, Mexican guitarist Paco Renteria English Blues singer Dana Gillespie, Majed Al Muhandis and Waleed Al Shami will be among the top performers at Bahrain’s Spring of Culture festival this year.

The line-up for the annual festival co-organised by Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), the Economic Development Board (EDB), and Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammad Al Khalifa Centre for Culture and Research was announced by Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, BACA’s president at the iconic Qalaat Al Bahrain Museum in Manama.

Several private sector organisations and embassies are supporting and participating in the two-month festival that will start on February 25 and performances will be held at several locations.

The festival events were also made possible by contributions from the embassies of Italy, Japan, US and Mexico in Bahrain, organisers said.

The festival will feature several aspects of international culture and art and Arab and public figures in a series of talks

The list of the intellectuals, media and literary personalities includes Saudi broadcaster Dawood Al Sharian, Tunisia’s former Minister of Culture Sonia Mubarek, Lebanese writer and editor Fares Youwakim, Lebanese writer Ivana Marchalian, Joshua David, Palestinian poet Ehab Bseiso, Palestinian artist and writer Raeda Taha, and American-Egyptian writer Mamoun Fandi.

Lectures and seminars about photography, food culture, and ancient Tylos-Period statues as well as lectures by French archaeologist Dr Pierre Lombard and Bahraini researcher and writer Dr Abdullah Al Madani will also be held as part of the festival.

“As we celebrate our 12th anniversary, we grow more confident of the capabilities and positive impact of culture,” Shaikha Mai said. “We are also fully aware that by sharing the numerous stories of success throughout our history through our archaeological monuments, we can bring joy to our communities and instill a sense of pride in our identity and heritage, while at the same time promoting the best of what Bahrain has to offer.”

EDB Chief Executive Officer Khalid Al Rumaihi said that the Spring of Culture festival “demonstrates how to connect and develop private sector investments in culture in order to highlight Bahrain’s openness to other world cultures since ancient times

source : gulfnews