CARAVAN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS-- February 3-12, 2011 (Cairo, Egypt)
(An interfaith and East / West art gathering of premier Middle Eastern and Western Artists using the Arts as a bridge for intercultural and inter-religious dialogue)
In the wake of the New Year’s Eve suicide bombing in Egypt at a church, hosted during the UN’s World Interfaith Harmony Week, the CARAVAN Festival of the Arts will be held in early February at the historic St. John’s Church in Maadi, Cairo, ¬¬with the goal of building bridges between Muslims and Christians, through the visual arts, literature, film and music. The arts initiative comes out of a vision that the Arts can be one of the most effective mediums to enhance understanding and encourage friendship between Christians and Muslims in both the Middle East and the West.
To be officially opened on February 3 at 7 PM by the Grand Imam of Al Azhar in Cairo, Sheik Ahmed el Tayeb, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative to Egypt, James Rawley, and The Most Rev Dr Mouneer H Anis (Bishop of the Diocese of Egypt & North Africa), 45 premier Middle Eastern and Western visual artists will come together for the exhibition held inside the church, each submitting work reflecting the theme, “My Neighbor”. A diverse range of artists will participate, from one of Egypt’s leading contemporary artists, Mohammed Abla, to rising star Reda Abdel Rahman, to expatriate artists Britt Boutros Ghali and Roland Prime.
Special guests to the CARAVAN Festival are Reza Aslan, the New York Times bestselling Iranian-American author, Khalid Abdalla, British-Egyptian film actor (star of The Kite Runner, United 93, and Green Zone with Matt Damon), and Mohammed Antar, world renowned Ney (Middle Eastern Flute) player.
Attendance is free, and 20% of all art sales go to Middle Eastern charities. The initiative has generated attention from the global media and art world. Primary sponsors are the Nile Hotel Kempinski, British Council-Egypt, and the Episcopal Foundation of Wyoming.
CARAVAN Festival of the Arts--February 3-12, 2011
(held at St. John’s Church/Maadi, Cairo…corner of Port Said Rd & Rd 17)
*Opening Night of the Art Exhibition—3 February 7 PM (19h00)--Opening presentations by New York Times bestselling Iranian-American author, Resa Aslan, and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar in Cairo, Sheikh Ahmed el Tayeb, UN Representative to Egypt, James Rawley, and The Most Rev Dr Mouneer H Anis (Bishop of the Diocese of Egypt & North Africa), on the theme of “My Neighbor—East & West,” with all 45 Arab and Western artists present (the exhibition will then be open through 12 February).
*Literature Night---5 February at 7 PM (19h00)---talk and book-signing by Reza Aslan, world renowned bestselling Iranian-American author. Title of Lecture: “Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization”.
* Film Night—7 February at 7 PM (19h00)—Talk by Khalid Abdalla, British-Egyptian film actor (star of The Kite Runner, United 93, and Green Zone), followed by film screening.
*Musical Concert---9 February at 7:00 PM (19h00) —a performance by Mohammed Antar, world renowned Ney (Middle Eastern Flute) player.
CARAVAN Festival of the Arts: “My Neighbor—East /West”--- www.oncaravan.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact Paul-Gordon Chandler at email: info@oncaravan.org. Photographs available upon request.
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The participating visual artists include:
Middle Eastern Artists Country
Mohamed Abla Egypt
Mansour Ahmed Egypt
Maher Ali Egypt
Bishop Mouneer H Anis Egypt
Farid Fadel Egypt
Farres Ahmed Farres Egypt
Mariam Forham Egypt
Omar El Fayoumi Egypt
Rania El Hakim Egypt
Carelle Homsy Egypt
Hakim Jamain Jordan
Isolde Kadry Egypt
Nabil Lahoud Egypt
Girgis Lotfi Egypt
Naguib Mahmoud Egypt
Dia Makeen Egypt
Mohamed Mandour Egypt
Abdel Waheb Abdel Mohsen Egypt
Galila Nawar Egypt
Wilson Abrama Adluru Ntana Sudan
Ahmed Osama Egypt
Reda Abdel Rahman Egypt
Ahmed Selim Egypt
Asmaa Takieddine Syria
Mohamed Youssef Egypt
Hisham El Zeiny Egypt
Western Artists
Cath Barnes Welsh
anne de boistesselin France
Neil Crouch Canada
Silvia Davies Germany
Renee van Lille-Demetroudes South Africa
Britt Boutros Ghali Norway
Dorian Haqmoun Switzerland
Julie Klimentos UK
Cosima Lukashevich USA
Jerome Meadows USA
Julia Morgan-Leamon USA
Kimberly Odekirk USA
Julie Oxenforth UK
Roland Prime UK
Carolyn Seaton USA
Cecilia Smith USA
Lucy Westwood UK
Katrina Vrebalovich Norway
Marielle van der Woude The Netherlands