SBA trains emerging Emirati illustrators

As part of its continuous efforts to nurture the talents of Emirati illustrators, the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has organised a 12-day arts production workshop at its headquarters. The training they receive at this workshop will enable the artists to qualify for participation at the upcoming Bologna International Children’s Book Fair in April 2020, where Sharjah has been invited to be the Guest of Honour.

The workshop titled ‘Illustration is the second script’ is part of SBA’s workshop series. Egyptian artist, Waleed Tahir, led this workshop overseeing the creative output of participating artists who were assigned the creation of illustrations based on the narratives of children’s stories, which will be featured in children’s books.

The first three days of the workshop witnessed a comprehensive brainstorming session, which formed the basis for the illustrative activity that was focused on narrating the storylines offered to the illustrators, and their objective was to visually describe the written script. The artists chose various topics, creative directions as well as raw illustration materials to be used in the stories, which were all evaluated by experts.

Meanwhile, The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) office in the Eastern region is organising a series of summer camps from July 7 until Aug 1, in keeping with its objective of encouraging creativity and fostering a culture of innovation in young generations.

Titled ‘Towards a Creative Summer’, the camps are targeted at children aged 7 to 13 years in Sharjah’s Eastern region. The camps will be held in Dibba Al Hisn from July 7 to 11; in Khorfakkan from July 14 to 18; in Wadi Al Helo from July 21 to 25; and in Kalba from July 28 to August 1.

The objective of the workshops is to educate the participants on the basics of tolerance and develop their creativity and innovation skills, in addition to educating them about the environment and the importance of preserving it. The focus will be on using science, mathematics and numeracy skills to ignite the participants’ imagination and stimulate their intellect.

The camp will also focus on teamwork and collective action. To this end, the children will be enrolled in groups and educated on the advantages and benefits of cooperation. Brainstorming sessions will be held to develop their critical and creative thinking skills, with arts and crafts workshops to implement what they learn and reinforce those concepts in their minds. Interactive story-telling sessions will contribute to fostering ethical values and good habits in the children.

Fadhil Hussein, Director of SBA Office in the Eastern Region, said that the camp would contribute to educating the younger generations about the critical role of creativity. He stressed that SBA’s objectives were aimed at furthering investment in human capital and empowering youth to become active agents of the community.

“SBA has always been giving young generations access to books, science and culture through events like the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF), which became the first of its kind in the region.

The SBA was launched in 2014 by an Emiri decree by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. SBA’s mandate includes enhancing investment in the creative industries, building a platform for cultural and knowledge exchange across the world, highlighting the importance of books in today’s multimedia world, and supporting the children’s book industry.

Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) was launched in 2014, by Emiri decree by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, UAE Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. SBA’s mandate includes enhancing investment in creative industries, building a platform for culture and knowledge exchange between people of the world, highlighting the importance of books in today’s multimedia world, and supporting the children’s book industry.

The SBA has jurisdiction over a number of important cultural projects in the UAE including Sharjah Book City, the very first publishing free zone in the Arab World. The authority’s jurisdiction also covers public libraries in Sharjah; Sharjah International Book Fair, the fourth largest book fair in the world; Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, Sharjah Exhibition for Children Books’ Illustrations; and Sharjah International Book Fair Translation Grant.