Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of Rubu’ Qarn for Creating Leaders and Innovators has inaugurated the sixth Sharjah Children Biennial (SCB)’s art exhibition at Mughaider Children’s Center for Arts in Sharjah today.
On the occasion, Sheikha Jawaher stated that the key message of this edition of the unique artistic celebration is not only to discover new inventors through art, but build future generations powered by their intellect, noble approach and vision to face life’s challenges.
The biennial showcases 48 invention ideas for a month until 20 March, created by children aged
six to 18 years from 6 countries, that have been turned into real life inventions, prototypes and models by a team of dedicated artists and makers.
Her Highness continued: “The ideas and innovations unveiled at SCB underline that every young individual’s mind goes into creating the core of community, and every idea they have can be seen as a life-changing project. To the children, I say, we care about you and your dreams, which you have beautifully expressed in your drawings; in them we see the future of our world. I call on you to continue to create, even after the Biennial, and turn your creativity spirit into a way of life – at home, at school, with your family and friends, because life opens its doors to those who knock on it with nobility, intellectuality and creativity.”
“Amid preparations of the sixth edition, what caught my attention was the richness of the ideas presented by children and youth, the complex social dimensions they addressed, and their willingness to think up new inventions to overcome pressing challenges that the world faces and help those in need.”
“One of the key messages of the Biennial is to encourage the children and youth to see beauty in everything, and use it as a tool to realise their full potential. So, thank you to all those involved in a project that reflects the true meaning of civilisation, and to those who believe equally in the importance of showing our children the aesthetic qualities of the world they live in. By connecting with these qualities to harness those within them, we are on our way to building generations who believe in themselves and their ability to lead their country and their people to progress.”
The sixth edition of SCB received a total of 3,494 entries, including 435 from the UAE, 2,000 from China, 808 from the UK, 165 from Argentina, 38 from Lebanon, 16 from Saudi Arabia, 16 from Bangladesh, 6 from Ireland, 3 each from Egypt and France, 2 from Sudan, and finally, one each from Kuwait and Australia.
Of those, 48 entries were selected to be turned into real, UAE tops the final selections chart with 17 artworks making the final cut, followed by the UK’s 11, China with 10, 6 from Ireland, and 3 from Saudi Arabia. Theme-wise representation of the submitted works includes 24 under ‘Helping Others’, 12 in the ‘Environment’ category, and the third theme, ‘Entertainment and Creativity’ is represented by 12 invention ideas.
The biennial’s month-long art exhibition will feature daily artistic workshops for young visitors, from Sunday to Wednesday, in the morning and evening. Throughout the month-long biennial, a range of fun-filled activities will be organised every Thursday evening at the Mughaider Children Center’s backyard.
Roaming art workshops will also be organised, every Friday and Saturday, across the UAE throughout the one-month event. Al Qasba, Sharjah’s popular entertainment and family destination will host workshops on February 22-23. Marina 1 in Ajman will host theirs on March 1-2, while Last Exist Al Khawaneej in Dubai will be the venue for workshops on March 8-9. In Fujairah, they will be conducted at the Fujairah Mall on March 15-16.
The sixth edition of the prestigious event is held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA) and Chairperson of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators.
SCB 6 is organised by Sharjah Children, a subsidiary of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation, in collaboration with the UK-based Little Inventors, a global art project dedicated to turning children’s innovative ideas into real inventions.
Sharjah Children Biennial aligns in its goals with the emirate’s vision that aims to promote the aesthetic values of art in younger generations and brush up their cultural and artistic skills and talents. SCB also aims to nurture a generation of creative artists who can contribute to their country’s drive of development. SCB’s objectives also reflect the UAE vision to become a world leader in innovation and creativity.