Sikka Art and Design Festival hosts creative events, showcases food art
Visitors getting a taste of Sikka Art and Design Festival.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
The 12th edition of the Sikka Art and Design Festival (Feb. 23 – Mar. 3), held under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of Dubai Council, with the theme New Creativity, Same Path, is laying out a vast array of creative experiences for visitors.
The festival, taking place at Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood, is seeing the participation of over 500 local, regional, and global creatives and artists.
Over 250 innovative workshops presented by a group of artists, specialists and supervisors, to event visitors, is one of the highlights of the fest. The workshops showcase various art forms and celebrate the wonders of music, design, culinary arts, plus more.
Among them is the Henna Mixing workshop, where Dr. Azra Khamissa mixes and makes henna cones using organic ingredients including essential oils, while Fatima Elmheiri leads the Drawing Gemstones workshop, where participants learn about gemstones, and polishing techniques, and create artistic designs that highlight their beauty.
The Risopalooza workshop sheds light on the charm of riso printing and the aesthetics of collage. Perryhan El-Ashmawi delves into the art of Al Khoos weaving through her workshop Painting on Khoos, showcasing the seamless integration of traditional handicrafts and modern artistic expressions. Simultaneously, an expert team from Studio Thirteen leads the Paste-up Production workshop, demonstrating intricate techniques employed by street artists to craft their works.
Additional sessions offer hands-on training in street photography methods, image organisation and post-processing.
Through the Modern Arabic Calligraphy workshop, festival visitors learn about different types of calligraphy, their history and the materials used. Guests also discover the artistic technique of Suminagashi used in Japan during the twelfth century, through a specialised workshop conducted by Daniela Waheed from MarbleME. In the Experimental DJing class led by James Kelley, visitors learn DJ equipment operation and mixing techniques to produce new music tracks.
Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children focuses on developing performance art skills through the Theatre Improvisation workshop, while youngsters also have the opportunity to practice yoga exercises and breathing techniques that enhance concentration and positively impact their physical and mental well-being with Carla Julian from Move On Yoga.
In the Al Shindagha Museum Pop-up (House 268(, Sxill Lab offers a memorable experience with Specialty Coffee Making & Latte Art, where attendees learn the art of crafting their coffee infused with the essence of heritage and nostalgia, incorporating flavours such as saffron, cardamom, and dates, while Maher El-Tabchy leads a session on Vegetable Fermentation Masterclass – Make your own Sauerkraut, providing event-goers with the opportunity to explore the art of fermenting. Other culinary workshops delve into the history of chocolate, its diverse manufacturing traditions across the globe, sustainable sourcing methods, and more.
The series of workshops, presented in both Arabic and English, are distributed across eight houses and two outdoor courtyards, offering different types of art, installations, digital works, sculptures and varied interactive spaces inspired by the festival’s theme. For the first time, the festival has also introduced a culinary art component, with the launch of Culinary House to highlight the importance of the art, celebrate its pioneers and underline its global significance. Visitors to the festival can enjoy over 35 homegrown F&B concepts and beverages presented by Dubai Culture in collaboration with a group of local brands. Visitors to the House have the opportunity to indulge in nine taste bud friendly experiences offered by established and emerging chefs, who showcase their creations through curated menus presented daily to guests of the Supper Club, held in collaboration with Break Bread.
Culinary House also hosts the Culinary Tech exhibition by Jose Carrillo and the American University in Dubai (AUD), shedding light on the art of tasting, the future of food, and the relationship between culinary arts and design. Further, Sikka also offers 43 culinary art workshops provided by a selection of chefs, specialists, and experts in culinary arts.
The workshops train participants on food preparation techniques and reveal the secrets of dazzling dish presentation skills, and introduce them to the art of making specialty coffee and latte art.Fatma Al Qurashi, Manager of the Culinary Art Component at Sikka Art and Design Festival, noted that food constitutes a central pillar in the cultures and histories of peoples, reflecting unique heritage and community particularities. “Cooking is a comprehensive artistic experience that embodies creativity, enjoyment, and continuous learning, requiring constant awareness of renewal and innovation in this field,” she said.
“Every chef carries within him a creative individual whose touches are evident in the choice of food ingredients, preparation of dishes and presentation in inspiring and captivating ways. At Dubai Culture, we are keen to highlight the various creative aspects of culinary art, which aligns with our commitment to support and empower local talent, business pioneers, and projects in the food sector.”
She added: “Dubai has succeeded in enhancing its position as a global destination in food tourism, thanks to its cultural diversity that has contributed to enriching culinary art and offering various presentations that stimulate the public to explore different artistic and creative aspects in cooking, which goes beyond the food preparation process into a sensory tasting experience.” Food, besides filling the stomach, is also consciousness, both personal and social. People bond over food and also “break bread” with someone. Food recipes handed down generations become cultural markers of a civilisation.
