The activities accompanying Katara Naham Al Khaleej Art Award has continued at Katara the Culture Village Foundation, where a seminar on future thinking in maritime singing arts issues discussed the experiences of the GCC institutions in maritime arts.
Hamad Hamdan Al-Muhannadi, researcher in the field and the seminar director, said: "In the previous editions, Katara has worked on the Katara Naham Al Khaleej Art Award and received wide participation. Now, we have reached a stage that requires steps to enhance the art of Naham in the region."
The seminar discussed the possibility of integrating these arts into the educational system and the obstacles and challenges to achieving that, in addition to orchestral experiences about these arts in various GCC countries, and whether these experiences produced artists as the main context for this art form no longer exists.
"We have reached some guiding recommendations, including the importance of integrating these arts into educational curricula, including competitions and extracurricular activities," he said, stressing the need to promote these art forms, especially at the international community, recommending the organization of an artistic forum, where the international organizations concerned with folk arts would be invited to help promote these arts globally. The focus was on the importance of nurturing new Naham talents at various levels.
Dr Iyad al-Saadi, Director General at the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, said: "Iraq's participation in the fourth edition of Katara Naham Art Award aims to preserve the heritage and the specialized singing style in the field of the sea and pearl diving, a profession that is beginning to disappear."
He added that this award aims to motivate creators to showcase their talents to contribute to its continuity to preserve this heritage in a way that serves the talents of the new young generation.
Professor Wahid al-Khan, heritage researcher, musical composer, and orchestral musician from Bahrain, said: "The goal of these sessions is to look to the future and pass on this heritage to future generations."
At the end of the seminar, the researchers took a tour of the Katara Falcon Museum, where they were introduced to the museum's most prominent collections.
Katara Creative Creativity hosts the "Maritime Libraries" event until April 30, with two sessions, the first from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM and the second from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Besides, at Katara Building 19, the "Maritime Museum" is held in two sessions as well, the first from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM and the second from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
