Qasr al-Hosn Festival looks to reveal UAE heritage

Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi, has revealed programme details of the annual Qasr Al Hosn Festival, being held from February 11th to 21st 2015 in Abu Dhabi city.

Held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the festival will celebrate the UAE's tangible and intangible heritage through a rich, diverse programme featuring guided tours of the Fort, inspiring activities and live performances in the Cultural Foundation building, in addition to public programmes held on the festival grounds reflecting various elements of UAE culture.
For this year's edition of the Festival, the cultural programme is inspired by two themes: Abu Dhabi's traditional heritage as epitomised by the iconic Qasr Al Hosn Fort and its surrounding areas, and the importance of modern heritage showcased in the Cultural Foundation building through a variety of activities.
By attending the Festival, people will have the opportunity to access the iconic Fort and Cultural Foundation, participate in architectural, historical and cultural journeys, and be part of one of the capital's cultural development initiatives.
"The 2015 programme was created to offer visitors with a holistic cultural experience, and narrate stories in a compelling, educational, yet engaging manner. The Festival area has been redesigned to include new elements and activities that seamlessly fuse the traditional with the modern. This year, we are looking forward to reopening the doors of the Cultural Foundation by activating larger areas within through a rich programme of experiential activities, workshops and performances designed to revive its memory and to introduce the conservation approach for such an important modern heritage building," said Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
"With Qasr Al Hosn Festival, we are not just celebrating monuments, we are celebrating the people that have carried the story of a nation from generation to generation. We are looking to illustrate the importance of conserving the Fort as a symbol of great significance in Emirati history, protecting our national identity and heritage through passing down our most valued traditions. We're looking to celebrate our recent history through a compelling narrative using modern-day tools to recreate historic experiences," added Sheikh Sultan.
The 2015 Qasr Al Hosn Festival will present the history of Qasr Al Hosn to visitors through a series of curated programmes. A larger area of the Cultural Foundation building will be opened this year. The building will host a series of interactive activities celebrating its collective memory and invite the public to participate in activities designed to bring the building back to life, such as: ‘Lest We Forget: Structures of Memory in the United Arab Emirates'. Commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, this exhibition seeks to archive the history of architectural and urban development in the UAE over the past century.
Source: WAM