Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has revealed the programming of the eighth season of Reading Box being held from 4 to 13 October at City Centre Mirdif to encourage the habit of reading among the public through diverse reading sessions, cultural and creative workshops, poetry and art evenings and entertainment activities presented by a selection of Emirati and UAE-based writers.
The Reading Box 2023 programme includes over 45 workshops and reading sessions, including one titled ‘Lennie & the Three Paper Boats’ by Mariam bin Tarish, offering children aged 5 to 9 a captivating storytelling session by discovering how characters like Lennie find the courage and patience to navigate stormy islands and reach for their dreams. For adults, Nebras Alqurashi leads a session titled ‘Guardians of the Digital Realm: Securing Our Future Together.’ This sheds light on the growing threat of cyber attacks, which now surpass physical warfare in significance. Attendees gain insights into the keys to cyber security for operational technology, equipping them to safeguard our digital future.
The Reading Box also offers a session that guides participants in crafting their personal vision boards filled with dreams, aspirations, and goals. It also incorporates visualisation techniques, empowering individuals to work toward their dreams through the power of imagination. The Reading Box also fuses art and technology in another session offered to those aged 10 and above. Participants embark on a journey to uncover the enchantment of calligraphy and the art of ratification intelligence. This session delves into the history of this art form while allowing attendees to try their hand at calligraphy.
In the session ‘Soar with the Green Sheikh,’ Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi takes adults on a journey of transformation and personal development by discovering their inner strengths and seeking success through innovative and new approaches. Hiba Khalil also offers children aged 8 – 14 a workshop titled ‘The Power of Words,’ exploring how words impact emotions and physical well being.
Dina Nasser will also take kids aged 3 to 7 on an extraordinary adventure through her session ‘Spark the Sparkly Dragon’ where they befriend a baby dragon and discover the importance of friendship, honesty and caring for others, in addition to creating finger puppets inspired by the book. Through her session titled ‘Hello, Mr. & Ms. Circle,’ Purva Grover offers kids aged 5 to 8 an interactive session that will enhance their artistic and storytelling skills by transforming simple circles into colourful characters that come to life with unique quirks and tales.
The Reading Box also celebrates the inaugural edition of the Dubai Calligraphy Biennale by offering specialised sessions given by calligrapher Zaid Al A’adhami. These shed light on the art of calligraphy and the aesthetics of the Arabic language. The Reading Box initiative supports the Dubai Public Library’s programme that aims to enrich the knowledge of all community members by providing a diverse range of educational and entertainment content. The activities take place daily from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM at City Centre Mirdif.