Sikka Arts Festival: A Multidisciplinary Celebration of Local Creativity

For a decade, Sikka Arts Festival has been an annual celebration of creativity in Dubai and an opportunity to showcase Emirati and UAE-based artists.  Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority,  the event is a highlight of Dubai Art Season each Spring. 

Originally focused on visual arts and design, in recent years SIKKA has expanded its scope to include film screenings, musical performances, talks and workshops and invited creatives from across the GCC to be a part of the festival. 

‘SIKKA’ - the Arabic translation of alleyway -  gives the neighborhood a unique character, and features  a series of buildings (called ‘houses’) with wind-towers (Barjeels) and open courtyards.

The footprint of the area first appeared in the 1690s and it is a protected area. Al Fahidi borders Dubai Creek, which is where the story of Dubai begins.

Many cultural organisations and galleries are based in the area and put on special events and exhibitions to coincide with Sikka each year. These include the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Akaas Visual Arts, Tashkeel and XVA Gallery.

During Sikka Arts Festival, certain houses are given over to partner organizations for exhibitions, such as Zayed University. Other local organisations have activated spaces for workshops, such as Dubai Jiggy, Medaf Studio, and Yadawei Pottery.

‘Little SIKKA’ is a space for children’s activities. Courtyards are utilized as spaces for particular creative pursuits, such as the SIKKA Stories courtyard for storytelling and spoken word performances, SIKKA Senses in 2019, the House of Islamic Arts and social house in 2018.

The rooftops have been activated for installations or performances. Fellow GCC countries have participated, with interaction encouraged between creatives coming in from abroad and based in the UAE.