Running until 9 February, the festival features over 450 workshops and talks covering arts, design, architecture, visual storytelling, and traditional crafts. The event supports the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy, ensuring a rich cultural experience for attendees. The festival’s sessions are led by industry experts and artists, offering valuable insights and practical training. Al Shindagha Museum, the UAE’s largest heritage museum, has been transformed into a dynamic hub for creativity.

Sikka Art & Design Festival : Hands-On Artistic Workshops

The festival offers workshops tailored to various creative disciplines. Emerging City is hosting Gypsum Art, where participants explore gypsum carving techniques. The Traditional Jewellery House presents Jewellery Making: Marriyah (Necklace), providing hands-on experience in crafting traditional ornaments.

Visitors at the People and Faith House can join Henna Stencil and Prayer Bead Crafting sessions. The Traditional Crafts House introduces Spindle, a workshop on hand-weaving using traditional tools.

At House 355 – Masterpieces, creativity takes center stage with Graffiti Art: Express Yourself with Spray Paint, where participants learn graffiti fundamentals from a professional artist. House 341 – Realiity House offers Doodles & AI, transforming simple sketches into digital art using artificial intelligence. The Glitch Art session explores creative distortions inspired by digital effects.

Workshops at House 314 by Sxill Lab include Handmade Tile Making and Cheese Board Design. Meanwhile, House 326 – Sikka Platform presents sustainability-focused sessions such as Sustainability Now: Eco-Friendly Solutions and Perfume Making for Adults. At House 15, Tashkeel hosts modern printing workshops like Hand Printing on Bags and Riso Printing.

Sikka Art & Design Festival : Music, Writing, and Storytelling

At House 196 – Urban House by The Workshop DXB, singer Shilpa Ananth leads Unlocking Authenticity: The Psychology of Songwriting. The session delves into emotional and experiential influences on songwriting, helping participants refine their music composition skills.

The Merin Pavilion hosts Letters to the City: Writing Public Spaces, where attendees reflect on meaningful locations in Dubai by writing personalized messages dedicated to them.

Inspiring Talks and Creative Discussions

The festival includes Sikka Speaks, a dedicated space featuring leading creatives discussing industry trends. Highlights include:

• Creative Minds: Art Therapy for Young Explorers – Art therapist Caline Boghos guides children through therapeutic practices and imaginative play.
• Immersive Magic: Where Art, Music, and Technology Transform Experiences – A panel featuring Anna Lebedeva, Jalal Luqman, Maryam Al Obeidli, Denis Rosiev, Evgenia Romanidi, and Nicholas Mann, moderated by Elias Attallah.
• Decoding Humour: The Art of Multicultural Comedy in Dubai – Featuring comedians Shadi Jad and Saniya Abbas, moderated by Liz Baines.
• Artistic Intervention in Satwa: Tracing Urban Nostalgia – A discussion led by Khalil Abdulwahid and Karim Jabbari.
• Go Global! International Opportunities & Strategies for Dubai-Based Artists – Moderated by Sophie Mayuko, featuring Sanaz Askari, Giuseppe Moscatello, and Behrang Samadzadkan.

A Collaborative Effort

The festival is organized in partnership with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, and the Emirates Council for Rural Development. This collaborative effort ensures a world-class platform for artists, designers, and cultural enthusiasts.

With an extensive lineup of workshops, talks, and exhibitions, Sikka Art & Design Festival 2025 continues to establish Dubai as a leading creative and cultural hub.

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Application Process and Deadline

Dubai Culture invites all Emirati and UAE & GCC-based artists, creatives and designers to participate in the festival with their diverse works in visual arts, painting, sculpture, photography, design, murals, multimedia, culinary art and more. The festival will also feature interactive workshops, musical and cinematic performances, talks and panel discussions that enrich the local cultural movement and support the global art sector’s trends.

Submission Guidelines and Requirements

Dubai Culture will begin accepting applications on 8 August, with the deadline set for 8 October. A committee of experts and artists will then review the submissions and select the works eligible for the festival under the Sikka Platform. The open call invites established and emerging artists in the UAE and GCC, whether individually or in groups. Participants must present unique ideas that reflect their perspectives and the richness of the local art scene, use environmentally friendly materials, and ensure that their works are original, recent, and not previously displayed at other festivals or events. Creatives interested in participating can find all details and access the application form on the Authority’s website.

Through the Sikka Art & Design Festival, Dubai Culture not only aims to provide an innovative platform that brings together various types of arts but also celebrates both leading and emerging talent, including young artists from or residing in the UAE and the GCC. This initiative aligns with Dubai’s cultural vision to make the emirate a global center for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

Previous Festival Success and Participation

The 12^th edition of the festival successfully attracted over 162,000 visitors who viewed the collection of works that adorned the houses of Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood. Visitors engaged with the artistic and entertainment performances, workshops, and discussion sessions held throughout the 10-day festival. The event also saw the participation of over 500 Emirati and UAE & GCC-based artists who showcased around 300 different artworks in multiple forms across 14 houses.

To be part of the 13^th Sikka Art & Design Festival 2025, visit https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/events/Sikka-25-Open-Call 

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This is one of the most anticipated events on Dubai’s annual art calendar, as the meandering lanes of Al Fahidi will be transformed into a joyful place, with each residence transformed into an art gallery. The topic for this year’s festival, ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth,’ was chosen with the help of Giuseppe Moscatello, an Italian curator and artist. The Sikka Art and Design Festival offers the audience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a diverse range of fantastic exhibitions, seminars, films, and music.

Artists from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Cooperation Council were commissioned to create exclusive artworks to be placed around Al Fahidi. They’ve been supervised by a group of Emirati curators, including artists Maitha Al Zaffin, Kamla Al Olama, and Shamma Almheiri. Bin Kharbash stated that this year’s edition will provide an opportunity to display a wide range of arts and creative abilities from both within and beyond the UAE in all sectors of performing arts. This helps to solidify Dubai’s reputation as a haven for creativity and talent, as well as an incubator for the arts, creativity, and innovation.

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The festival’s current edition will be held under the theme ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth,’ with a new visual identity inspired by a Sidr tree at Al Fahidi, according to the authorities.

“This year’s edition, which celebrates the Festival’s tenth anniversary, is being hosted under its new umbrella, the Sikka Art and Design Platform, which aims to encourage rising creative talent’s professional advancement,” it stated.

The ‘Back to Roots House’ by UAE-based Jewelers, which offers a self-guided journey through time, art, and jewelry, as well as murals by talented UAE and GCC-based artists such as Saggaf Alhashemi, Gary Yong, Perry El-Ashmawi, and Bahrain-based artist Huvil, will be among the many design exhibitions and creative installations at the Sikka Art and Design Festival. The Festival will also feature innovative works produced by a collection of artists, mainly Lebanese, at the Al Fahidi Historical Neighborhood.

The festival is a highlight of Dubai Art Season (DAS), an annual artistic celebration hosted by Dubai Culture in February and March to honor the emirate’s burgeoning creative and cultural scene. The Dubai Art Season brings together a variety of creative activities and events in public spaces, including art projects, interactive initiatives, workshops, exhibitions, debate sessions, and performing arts.

The city’s arts sector has experienced a burst of creativity, fueled by the emirate’s extensive investment and support for cultural growth. The city has converted itself into a global art and culture destination because of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Sikka Art and Design Festival aspires to develop an integrated ecosystem that supports budding creatives and gives a platform for them to begin their road to become professional artists as part of its new orientation. The artworks on display this year were chosen to tell fascinating stories about the festival’s ten-year journey.

“Through the Sikka Art and Design Festival, we want to provide local and regional artists with unique possibilities to present their artworks to a wide local and international audience in Dubai, under the supervision of specialists,” said Hala Badri, director-general of Dubai Culture. This is in line with our aim to engage, inspire, and support potential individuals to succeed, thereby strengthening Dubai’s position as a worldwide leader and a global capital for the creative world.

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