January 2023 – magpie

RAK’s arts festival is getting into its stride

25 January 2023

The Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival is growing into its role. About to get under way is the eleventh edition, running from 3 to 26 February; it’s developed from early days as a somewhat ad hoc celebration of tradition [… more]

10 to watch: our pick of nonfiction sessions at LitFest 2023

25 January 2023

Every time the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature comes around we browse the list of authors and sessions to see what piques the interest and to find some recommendations for readers. This time we’re looking for sessions with nonfiction authors, [… more]

10 to watch: our pick of fiction sessions at LitFest 2023

22 January 2023

As usual, we’ve been trawling the list of authors appearing at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature to pick out some recommendations for you. This time: fiction sessions, why we like them, and where you can see them. Up next: [… more]

Art for all in Dubai

18 January 2023

On the eve of Art Dubai, Dubai Culture has invited applications for the first commission of Dubai Public Art. This is a new government-funded initiative aimed at providing the city with significant public art installations created by UAE-based artists; it [… more]

15 years of LitFest: Isobel Abulhoul on the life of books

18 January 2023

This is the 15th year for the Emirates Festival of Literature. There will be around 250 authors and other session participants in town; that’s a far cry from the 65 or so who were at the inaugural edition in 2009, [… more]

Life, laughs, death and despair by Danú

11 January 2023

It’s always a pleasure to flag up new work by someone you trust to deliver the goods. For us, Danú Theatre is an ever-reliable source of interesting theatre, always well directed and cleverly staged; and it may not be a [… more]

Coming to Quoz: a weekend of festival fun

11 January 2023

Quoz Arts Fest – described as “the only festival in Dubai where art, food, live music, performance and educational activations converge” – has now been running annually since 2012, usually during the last weekend of January. This year’s tenth QAF [… more]

Tuwaiq Sculpture: 30 more public art installations for Riyadh’s ambitions

11 January 2023

The fourth edition of Tuwaiq Sculpture began at the start of this week, featuring 30 artists from around the world producing large-scale sculptures that will become permanent public art installations in Riyadh’s urban landscape. Themed ‘Energy of Harmony’, this edition [… more]