Sharjah’s Dual Festivals: A Celebration Of Reading And Animation Begins
The 15th Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2024) alongside the 2nd edition of the Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) is set to commence at Expo Centre Sharjah tomorrow. This event, orchestrated by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), is slated to offer an enriching blend of cultural, creative, and educational experiences until May 12 for SCRF and May 5 for SAC. With over 1,500 activities on its agenda, SCRF 2024 will welcome 265 guests from 25 countries and 186 publishers from across 20 nations.
SCRF 2024 aims to delve into the intricacies of the publishing sector, reading habits, and the challenges within the book industry through speeches and discussions led by industry stalwarts. The festival's schedule is tailored to accommodate visitors throughout the week, with operating hours from 9 AM to 8 PM from Monday to Thursday, a special slot from 4 PM to 9 PM on Fridays, and extended hours from 9 AM to 9 PM on weekends.
The festival's rich program encompasses a wide array of topics including sustainability, fashion, crafts, and music. It will feature 205 shows and performances by 19 groups hailing from 13 different countries. Highlights include the Kuwaiti play ‘Your Choice,’ the Pakistani play ‘Hum Bhi Agar Bacche Hote,’ and a tribute to Moin Akhtar under Anwar Maqsood’s direction.
At the heart of SCRF 2024's cultural program is the emphasis on fostering children's communication skills and creativity. The festival will host 70 discussions with speakers from 24 countries. Noteworthy participants include Jerry Craft and Stacey Baer from the USA, Ying Ying Ng from Malaysia, Catherine Delos from the Philippines, Dr. Taleb Omran from Syria, Dr. El Aid Jlouli from Algeria, and Wafaa Al Shamsi from Oman. Additionally, SCRF will celebrate the talents of young artists through the Sharjah Children’s Book Illustration Award and will feature the Poetry Knight competition.
Running concurrently with SCRF, SAC will unfold over five days packed with more than 60 events including workshops, panel discussions, and music concerts. This segment of the festival will draw upon the expertise of 70 professionals from 11 countries. The conference has been meticulously curated with contributions from industry giants such as Disney, Warner Bros, and Sony. A highlight of SAC includes Andreas Deja premiering his short film ‘Mushka’. Attendees can also look forward to insights from animation legends Kristof Serrand, John Pomeroy, Junichi Hayama, along with prominent figures from the Arab animation scene like Dr. Mohamed Ghazala, Islam Mazhar, and Ahmad Thabet.
Together, SCRF 2024 and SAC 2024 are poised to offer a captivating blend of literature, communication, and creativity. These festivals not only aim to entertain but also educate attendees through a comprehensive lineup of activities, discussions, and performances designed to celebrate the vibrant world of books and animation.
With inputs from WAM
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