Saudi's Tanween fest enthrals visitors with tools to 'Shaping Creativity'

Dhahran: Tanween, the annual creativity festival with talks, workshops, exhibitions etc., held by King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture or Ithra, has opened here on October 27 with the theme of Tools: Shaping Creativity, Arab News reported.

The fourth instalment of the event will explore tools that would help societies forge creative communities, encourage innovation while celebrating the creators and innovator who shapes the modern world through their work, the report says.

The event is scheduled through two-day tracks. The Emerging Creatives track was for final year students, graduates and those in the early stages of their careers. The next one was the Creative Economy track focusing on innovative tools that are revolutionising businesses.

The third one is Graphics and Communication, scheduled on November 5 and 6, concentrating on visual communicators, designers and graphic artists. Finally, Architecture and Products on 12 and 13 of the month will conclude the event. The last one will focus on "tools of tomorrow".

The main attractions include installations like "House of Hair" or the Arabian tent, "Saaf", which highlights the traditional palm-weaving craft and "Faseelah", an outdoor architectural pavilion showcasing innovative construction methodology and techniques.

Miznah Alzamil, head of innovation and creativity in Ithra, said that this year's theme would explore the aspect of the creative process and look into how cultural and creative industries continue to innovate and steer the future of the creative economy.

This year's event includes speakers like Chris Law, former senior design director of Adidas; Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFares, founding director of the Khatt Foundation international contemporary artist and researcher Sougwen Chung; and Arthur Mamou-Mani, founder of the award-winning Mamou-Mani Architects practice.

Chung, whose art is related with felid of investigation on the relationship between humans and machines, has delivered a speech during the opening week of the event. She told Arab News that she witnessed tradition and innovation brought together in the event.

The event hosted several Saudi creative groups centred on upcycling, reusing and finding materials to create sustainable, environmentally friendly products. Alternative materials like eggshells expired rice, seaweed and hazelnut shells for sustainable products and recycling plastic for dinner wares, furniture and utensils.

Tanween's last three years' themes were Disruption, Play and The New Next. 1,7o,000 people have visited Tanween since the inaugural event in 2018.