Ithra, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, announced its programs and events planned for 2021 during its second Ithra Annual Gathering. Artists, writers, and intellects attended the event, which unveiled the center’s 2021 calendar including diverse cultural activities in arts, creativity, culture, society for all tastes and ages.
Abdullah Al Rashid, Ithra’s Head of Programs, stated that 2021 will see the launch of the first edition of the Theatre in Schools program, which looks to support the development of the kingdom’s performing arts field. This year will also see the launch of Ithra Academy, which has partnered up with established institutions to offer training programs that guarantee long-term exposure to the creative and cultural industries within Saudi Arabia.
Some of the other cultural events Saudis can look forward to on the Ithra calendar include, “Seeing & Perceiving,” an exhibition based on optical illusion and visual trickery; “Shatr Al Masjid: Art of Orientation exhibition,” which offers a deep insight into mosques and the objects they contain; the return of the flagship creativity and innovation conference Tanween; and the annual Eid and Saudi National Day celebrations.
In a statement, Ithra’s director Hussain Hanbazazah said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major transformations in how we deal with the creative and cultural industries. We were keen to provide innovative solutions so we could continue interacting with our audiences. While the threat of the pandemic is receding, we will remain committed to providing various programs and rich content that enhance the rapid growth and the massive transformations being experienced by the Kingdom’s creative and cultural industries.”
