His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council(SMC), this morning inaugurated the activities of the 21st edition of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum (SINF). The event, which is organized annually by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, is taking place the Expo Centre Sharjah under the slogan “Animal Stories” and will run until 24 September.
Upon his arrival, His Highness was received Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Director of the Districts & Villages Affairs Department, Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture (SDC), His Excellency DrAbdulaziz Al Musallam, Chairman of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage and Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee of the Forum, Salem Yousef Al Qasir, Chairman of the Labor Standards Development Authority in Sharjah, and IssaHilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council (SSC), with a number of directors and officials of government departments and bodies and representatives of cultural organizations.
During a tour of the Forum, His Highness was briefed on the creative scene of living human treasures and listened to a presentation on the SINF, its journey over the past 21 years, its achievements, and its role in consolidating and strengthening the position of the narrator in society.
His Highness met with the guests and participants and discussed the importance of continuing the preservation of narrators as living human treasures who carry within them the spirit of all the stories, tales, dreams and hopes which inspire knowledge, and which serve as the intellectual and cultural supplement that humanity needs in every place and at all times.
The launch included a welcome speech and an overview of the SINF, national peace and the Holy Qur’an, a holographic presentation for the slogan of SINF, a video of the Forum’s song.
Success and excellence with the unlimited support of the Ruler of Sharjah
His Excellency DrAbdul Aziz Al Musallam said: “We are pleased with the presence of His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, at the launch of the 21st edition of the Sharjah International Narrator Forum. The unlimited support of His Highness emboldens us to continue our serious and vital work in an effort to achieve excellence and success.”
Dr Al Musallam stated that the SINF offers a distinctive cultural and knowledge journey during which cultural heritages from around the world can be explored. He stressed that several new events have been added, making this year’s SINF a truly enriching experience that adds to Sharjah’s path of success, progress, and prosperity. In addition, he said, the month of September will forever be synonymous with the narrator.
Dr Al Musallam pointed out that the Institute continues to strive to develop this event in various fields, with a special focus on highlighting the importance of oral heritage. He added that attention must be paid to its campaign of living human treasures, which has become a well-established tradition at the annual event, and that the precious human treasures who are important sources of heritage and history must be celebrated.
He invited attendees to visit the station featuring narrators, newsmen and storytellers, as well as to explore the folklore campaign, concluding that a feast of international and cultural activities awaited.
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi honored the honored personality for this year and a group of narrators in addition to the young narrator.
The Republic of Sudan will be country-in-focus in this year’s edition of the forum and will be represented by Dr Ahmed Abdel Rahim Nasr, the honored personality of the year in recognition of his contributions to Arab cultural heritage. The Tunisian storyteller AbdelazizLaroui will also be honored as a legal personality in celebration of his rich storytelling legacy.
The new session of the forum includes seminars, lectures and sessions that review many important approaches to animal stories, with the participation of a group of experts, researchers and writers from more than 38 countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Senegal, Kenya, Comoros, India, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Bolivia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Dominican Republic, Finland, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada and Romania”.
The SINF’s intellectual program includes various lectures, specialized seminars, dialogues, a cultural café, and a corner for signing the forum’s publications. Sessions deal with a range of interesting topics, including the art of miniatures in Islamic civilization, animal tongues in the Arab novel, animals in ancient Egyptian narratives, animal stories in Arab and world heritage, and many more.
A selection of Emirati and Arab artists
A group of Emirati and Arab artists will participate in the forum, most notably the artist Dr. Yahya Al-Fakhrani, HalaFakher from Egypt, Muhammad Yassin from Bahrain, Sana BakrYounis from Saudi Arabia, as well as Dr. Habib Ghuloom and Jassim Obaid from the UAE.
Animal story exhibition and virtual events
This year’s forum will be accompanied by an exhibition on animal stories in the Emirati, Arab and world heritage, in addition to more than 30 different titles from the publications of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, highlighting the forum’s slogan and its richness and diversity, as well as 16 workshops, including interactive sessions which were held before the start of the forum, and were met with great interest from participants.
With the aim of introducing the forum to the public and enabling them to follow its comprehensive program of events and activities, whether outside the UAE or abroad, this year’s session includes a set of virtual events broadcast remotely, including some cultural café seminars, storytelling sessions, as well as live transmission of the forum In some Arab countries, via the Internet and social media platforms.
