"Sharjah Heritage Days" Promotes community awareness of intangible cultural heritage
Sharjah, February 10 / WAM / “Sharjah Heritage Days”, organized by the Sharjah Heritage Institute in the heart of Sharjah, continues until February 15, its cultural and intellectual program that evokes features of identity and explores its manifestations in the details of daily life.
The intellectual sessions accompanying the events constitute a space for cognitive dialogue about elements of intangible cultural heritage and their role in building community awareness.
As part of the “Sharjah Heritage Days” activities, Bait Al Naboodah hosted an intellectual session last evening that shed light on heritage crafts as a living memory of place and people and a bridge linking the past to the present and enhancing the continuity of cultural identity in the conscience of society.
In the first section, artist Abdullah Saleh addressed the role of traditional crafts as a memory of place and man, and reviewed crafts and professions in the United Arab Emirates through a personal experience that reflected man’s connection to his environment and his ability to employ local resources to meet his needs and express his identity, which reflects the depth of the relationship between craft, environment, and man at the same time.
In the second topic, Dr. Khaled Metwally from the Institute of Arts in Egypt discussed the topic of traditional crafts between continuity and renewal, stressing the importance of developing and modernizing traditional crafts in a way that ensures their sustainability and keeps pace with contemporary transformations without prejudice to their essence and cultural value. He noted the need to support craftsmen and transfer their experiences to new generations using modern educational and training methods.
The session emphasized that heritage crafts are not just handicrafts or traditional products, but rather represent an integral part of society’s life and reflect its capabilities, values, and relationship with the environment, embodying stories of human struggle and creativity throughout the ages, and emphasizing its role in strengthening national identity and establishing awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
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