Arts Festival Returns Across 32 Spaces with 40 Events in Art, Design, Music and Film

QUOZ Arts Festival launched last year by Alserkal Avenue and ArtintheCity in partnership with Emirates NBD, returns for its second edition on Saturday, 23 November 2013 with an expanded program and public events spanning across 32 arts spaces within art, music, design and film spectrum.

DUBAI / This November QUOZ will build upon its arts festival atmosphere with more public programming in partnership with Art Dubai and Dubai International Film Festival, as well as an expanded list of participants with a variety of free events tailored to their programmes, and giving visitors the unique opportunity to discover the local arts scene and engage with the gallerists, artists, creatives and cultural minds alike.

The full day programme of events, which extends from 10am - 10pm will include live art on public murals by local artists, workshops, film screenings, art exhibition openings and daytime outdoor music performances, inviting the multi-cultural audience of Dubai to come together for a daytime arts festival full of cultural activities throughout Saturday.

There will be events for both children and adults, starting in the morning that include public art murals, childrenÊ¼s and improvisation workshops and other family activities. As Hetal Pawani, Director of ArtintheCity expressed "I am excited to reveal a broad programme of daytime events for the whole family across Al Quoz, including public art activities at thejamjar with London-based muralist Nazir Tanbouli."

Later afternoon Alserkal Avenue Arts District will welcome visitors to explore the contemporary art spaces through guided tours by gallery directors and artists, talks and art events offering a unique opportunity to meet and discover the program of the art galleries within. "QUOZ provides a unique daytime platform to discover the creative fabric of Al Quoz, including Alserkal Avenue Arts District, which will facilitate additional educational events for the community through its A4 pop-up space," added Vilma Jurkute, Director of Cultural Development in Alserkal Avenue.

The day will see a launch of a new community project space by Alserkal Avenue titled A4 Pop-up Space, welcoming a cultural bookstore by Art Dubai in partnership with Jashanmal Bookstores, as well as a Campus Art Dubai public event, held in partnership with The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA). It will bring together a host of editors in a panel discussion entitled Indie Print Publishing in the U.A.E., to debate the role of print in the digital world, critique versus citizen journalism and telling locally relevant stories.

The evening activities will offer events within film, fashion, music and dance performances by DIFF, The cARTel and The Fridge, all continuing until 10pm. Dubai International Film Festival will present two films entitled Silence: All Roads Lead to Music directed by Haider Rashid and Daddy ABC directed by Hamad M. Alawar.

The audience is encouraged to use the public transportation to get to Al Quoz, as free shuttle services will be offered throughout the day to take the visitors across the participating spaces. With the support of Gargash Mercedes Benz ArtBus shuttle vehicles will also be on hand throughout the day to transport passengers to and from scheduled events.

Cultural minds are invited to get together and exchange ideas and opinions, ask questions and learn more about Dubaiâ€™s vibrant arts scene in this rapidly expanding cultural hub through the only Arts Festival to take place in Dubai. It has become an arts initiative for the community, as Patron of the Arts and Developer of Alserkal Avenue Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal added: "Art brings the community together and it is through initiatives such as QUOZ that we can further cultivate cultural exchange, which we hope will grow within the expanded part of Alserkal Avenue district to be launched in 2014."