Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival
The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival was established in March 2013 through an initiative of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. An integral part of the Al Qasimi Foundation’s mission is to contribute to the cultural development of Ras Al Khaimah, and the Fine Arts Festival is part of this effort.
The Festival is a nonprofit initiative designed to showcase the talent and work of local artists, photographers, and filmmakers in a community setting. It brings together individuals from across the UAE and around the globe to celebrate art and support the development of the arts in Ras Al Khaimah. To this end, the annual Festival showcases the creative spirit of both Emirati and expatriate artists in a variety of categories.
The Festival has grown every year since it was launched in significant ways – including the quality and quantity of submissions, breadth of programming, and patron attendance. What initially began as a three-day festival in 2013 has grown to two-weeks of programmed events and a six-week visual arts exhibition. The newest chapter in the Festival’s history was launched in 2019 to much acclaim with a successful large-scale, outdoor exhibition in Al Jazeera Al Hamra Old Town, which was modelled after La Gacilly Photo Festival in France. As it looks to the future, the Festival aims to provide new surprises that continue to inspire and promote the arts in meaningful ways.
2021 Festival Theme: Hope
With hope we look forward toward the future. As the United Arab Emirates prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival enters its ninth year with a view for tomorrow. What will our world bring? What challenges await us and how will we face them? Our world is rapidly changing: new technology is transforming our economies, urbanization is reshaping our environments, and the current pandemic and climate threats are calling for us to adjust our way of life.
The ninth edition of the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival will celebrate Hope and its promise of possibilities. Through art, we will explore where hope is found, how hope is built, and how hope is shared. We will search for the connection between hope and the future of humanity. How can hope inspire art and how does art inspire hope?
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.”
- Emily Dickinson
Key Dates
The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival will return for its ninth edition celebrating the theme of Hope February 5 – April 3, 2021.
Join us for the Festival’s large-scale visual arts and sculpture exhibition in Al Jazeera Al Hamra Old Town, outdoor film screenings, community art workshops, and school education programs. More information on the schedule and activities will be available closer to the Festival.
Submissions are open until May 31st 2020
Submission Guidlines are available here: https://www.rakfinearts.ae/submission-guidelines
To apply, please visit: https://www.rakfinearts.ae/submit-now
For more details, please visit the Festival website: www.rakfinearts.ae
Thank you for sharing your talent with our community. We look forward to receiving your submissions!