The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (RAKFAF) opens tonight in Al Jazirah Al Hamra Old Town, bringing together a variety of regional and international artists and collectors.
The event, which runs until February 28, will feature sculpture and contemporary art exhibitions, as well as film screenings and workshops at the National Museum. An open-air exhibition, which runs until April 20, will juxtapose modern artworks against the backdrop of the historic town in line with this year's theme, "Old Meets New".
This year's honorary visiting artist is American photographer Karen Knorr, whose best-known works include a series called Belgravia, in which she critiqued the British class system, and an extensive series celebrating the interiors of Indian homes. Knorr will also be conducting a workshop at the festival. Works by UAE-based British photographer Gillian Robertson and Colombian artist Leonardo Montoya, who lives in the United States, will also be on display.
Among the Emirati artists featured at the seventh edition of RAKFAF are Amani Al Mansoori and Helima Al Shehhi.
The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival opens tonight. Supplied
Director of Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival Arts and culture director of Al Qasimi Foundation, Suqrat bin Bisher, said: “Since its inception, we have been proud to see the immensely positive impact RAKFAF has had on the community in Ras Al Khaimah. It is fantastic to be able to curate a festival that celebrates artistic innovation and reignites the passion for arts. Encouraging artists to cultivate and express their creativity is something we continuously strive to accomplish.”
The opening will be attended by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. “The festival plays a major role in supporting the social, cultural and economic development of the emirate,” he said. “The array of artwork on show highlights our past and present, bringing our traditions, successes and visions to centre stage. Hosting these kinds of events helps to give people a voice, and it is through these voices that the strength and beauty of Ras Al Khaimah shines.”
The outdoor film programme includes screenings of two documentaries produced through RAKFAF's 2018 film grant competition. Aminah, directed by Rebecca Beamer, is a biography of Emirati poet Ahmad Al Assam. Grain of Sand, meanwhile, is a documentary celebrating the heritage of Bahraini pearl divers told through the eyes of British musician and filmmaker Jason Carter.
The festival is free to the public. For more information, visit www.rakfinearts.ae
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios Director: JP Dutta Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane Rating: 2/5
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Scoreline
Switzerland 5
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
