DFWAC Participation In 14th Sikka Art And Design Festival To Promote Family Dialogue

Dubai Foundation for Women and Children is taking part in the 14th Sikka Art and Design Festival with an interactive family-focused project that uses play to support communication. The event, under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, runs from 23rd January to 1st February at Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood.

The festival forms part of Dubai Art Season and carries the theme "Dubai’s Visions, Narrating Our Future Identity", aligned with Dubai’s Quality of Life Strategy, which places culture and arts at the heart of social development. DFWAC’s contribution sits within this context, linking creative practice with wellbeing for families and communities.

DFWAC presents an interactive artistic experience based on the Do You Know Me? game, introduced in mid-2024 as a tool to support dialogue within families and wider society. At Sikka Art and Design Festival, the concept appears as a large mural with an engaging platform that enables visitors to try the questions in a public setting.

The installation combines visual art with direct participation. Visitors can interact with the game, then receive a complimentary copy to use at home. The work is created and delivered by Emirati talent, ensuring local cultural references remain central, while encouraging reflection on relationships and communication away from formal settings.

Sheikha Saeed Al Mansouri, Acting Director-General of Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, stated that the participation illustrates DFWAC’s approach of using creative tools for positive social impact. The interactive experience supports the objectives of the Year of the Family by encouraging open conversation and stronger household ties through simple, accessible activities.

Al Mansouri underlined that art can act as a bridge within homes, noting that the initiative creates space for genuine interaction away from screens and daily pressure. The concept is designed to extend beyond a static artwork, prompting discussion between generations and inviting repeated use of the game in domestic environments.

Al Mansouri also pointed to the foundation’s ongoing commitment to Emirati competencies, highlighting support for national talent in designing awareness projects that emerge from community needs. Such initiatives aim to reflect local realities while also addressing wider social questions relevant across the UAE and the Gulf region.

Alanood AlMehairi, Creative Executive at Dubai Foundation for Women and Children and designer of both the mural and the game, explained that the visual identity relies on bright colours and a straightforward, welcoming style that appeals to various age groups. Each question is treated as a starting point for reflection, interaction and deeper understanding in a family-centred space.

Sikka Art and Design Festival remains a core platform in Dubai’s creative ecosystem, bringing together emerging artists, young talents and diverse art forms from the UAE and neighbouring Gulf states. The programme offers exhibitions, workshops, talks, public installations, live performances and local food outlets, supporting a cultural environment where initiatives like DFWAC’s family-focused project can reach broader audiences.

With inputs from WAM