Reflections: a free cultural festival at Al Qasba in Sharjah this weekend

The event will feature a varied line up of activities and workshops

From Wednesday, December 18 to Sunday, December 22, Al Qasba in Sharjah, pictured, will feature free activities as part of the Reflections festival

Sharjah’s festival of art, music and knowledge, Reflection, is set to return for its second edition from December 18 to December 22.

Following the success of last year’s debut, the five-day festival will transform Al Qasba in Sharjah into a vibrant art hub with a line-up of activities for all age groups.

Free and open to the public, the event will host photography walks, live painting sessions, dance and music performances, as well as a number of workshops and talks. Short film screenings will be held at the Masrah al Qasba, along with ballet and theatre performances by students.

An exhibition on wheels is also scheduled, and will be brought in on a Sharjah Museums Department bus. The activities are scheduled between 5pm and 10pm on each day.

There will be several music and dance performances, including Zumba lessons and Bollywood dance sessions.

For craft fans, a silk printmaking workshop will be held on the opening day, while Bee’ah, the environmental management company, will hold a series of workshops for children and adults. The workshops will teach participants how to turn everyday household materials and waste into crafts.

Children will learn how to make bags out of old T-shirts while adults will make magazine collages, stationary art and pop-up cards. An Ikebana Design Workshop will also be held, offering a hands-on starter to the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

Aspiring photographers have much to look forward to at this year’s Reflection. The Nikon School will hold a theory session on the basics of photography. The talk is followed by the Nikon Photowalk, teaching photography fundamentals and techniques at Al Qasba Walkways. The Emirates Falcon Photography Society will hold an exhibition of works by its members on the second day of the event.

In theatre, a sound and movement workshop, presented by Anthony Tassa, performing arts coordinator at the American University of Sharjah, will be held at the Masrah Al Qasbah Theatre. Naser Al Sughaiyer from The Human Lab Company will host an Acting and Improvisational Theatre workshop at the same venue, while the Media Mantra company will hold a number of stage performances.

For more visit the Al Qasba website or email [e-mail]