Arab experts concluded that Arab culture is no longer a priority, and that its reality does not please a loved one. Speakers at the Eastern Book Fair, which is held in partnership between the Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority and the (Ithraa) Center, addressed the challenges of cultural institutions and their role in creating influence, and they diagnosed the most important challenges facing them. The cultural scene, and unanimously agreed on the need for cultural institutions to move to provide more creative industries and keep pace with the rise in popularity of digital content.
The Director of the Ithraa Center, Abdullah Al-Rashed, emphasized that globalization is the most prominent issue facing culture in the Arab world, explaining that globalization has led to the dismantling of the cultural scene, and put the attractiveness of culture in a challenge with itself as it is capable of providing promising cultural industries. Al-Rashed called for the manufacture of qualitative cultural content. Through institutions and cultural centers to create a harmonious pace with the electronic acceleration. Al-Rashed explained that presenting long-term goals accelerates the spread of adaptation and flexibility within cultural institutions, as it is in the mission and objectives of “Ithra,” adding that the center has been working for three years to produce Arabic content through its platforms to keep pace with advanced technologies and simulate augmented and extended reality, and indicated that it is based on The role of the center represented in spreading culture and producing content, it is moving towards constancy of purpose and flexibility in the mechanisms, whether in the Ithra theater or in its library, which receives more than half a million visitors annually, or through art exhibitions that are held throughout the year, reviewing the importance of what cultural institutions produce in terms of diversity. And quality and content, especially that making an impact and leaving an impact is linked to the role of cultural institutions that are aware of their role, in order to achieve societal development and protect the cultural heritage.
While the representative of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO), Dr. Abdel-Fattah Al-Hajmari, considers illiteracy one of the causes of cultural growth fluctuation, which makes it imperative for specialists to think about working on projects of cultural feasibility, and to address several challenges, including writing and publishing, pointing out that they are still witnessing a slowdown in spreading between countries, pointing out that translation still needs to know what is issued and published outside borders, since one-tenth of what is published in the Arab world of literary works has not been translated, while the state of Brazil surpasses all Arab countries in translation, stressing the importance of the role of enlightenment and empowerment of the individual , and satisfying it from a cultural point of view, leading to the so-called cultural urbanization based on the establishment of art galleries and the opening of global markets for cultural products. He stressed that education on cultural values and taking care of them would be a carrier of various works of literature about educating individuals and societies in Arab countries.
The Executive Director of the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Valentina Kassisieh, addressed the decline in looking at culture and not considering it a priority decades ago, pointing out that its reality does not please a lover, in light of the decline in translations, the dwindling of publications, the difficulty of reaching the recipient, and in light of the increase in books that contributed to the shrinkage of the cultural scene. . She affirmed that culture is a right for all, pointing to the danger of cultural consumption, especially electronically, without paying attention to the content, calling for strengthening the national identity with a clear and free culture, and refining the skills of ideas, whether in building knowledge or understanding the available activities, whether in literature, theatre, music, and art.
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) contributed to the Eastern Book Fair, with more than 140 various activities for adults and children. The activities of the cultural program include dialogue sessions, workshops, interactive screens, augmented reality technologies, performances for children and adolescents, and attractive interactive family experiences. Approximately 230 speakers participated in the program, and (Ithraa) took visitors to the exhibition on a cultural journey between literature and the arts, as well as The allocation of the Ithraa pavilion, which will be a rich and inspiring destination for all visitors of all ages, and the audience will interact with dialogue sessions, workshops, interactive screens, and augmented reality technologies, as well as performances for children and adolescents, and attractive interactive family experiences. The Arabic poem was attended through 5 poetry evenings, while the seminars included The dialogue covered more than 30 cultural issues, 25 workshops involved the public in opinion and proposals to present an attractive culture, and 5 discussion sessions were held with writers and writers who won several awards in various literary fields. Children's Literature Conference, which discussed children's literature issues from different perspectives of the most prominent specialists from around the world.
The Director of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), Abdullah bin Khaled Al-Rashed, explained to Okaz that the center is keen to activate strategic partnerships with the relevant authorities in promoting the cultural movement in the Kingdom, pointing out the importance of partnership with the Literature, Publishing and Translation Authority in the Eastern Book Fair in terms of The Ithraa Center was keen to strengthen these partnerships that advance the cultural sector in the Kingdom and contribute to enriching the cultural scene through a series of enriching programs and panel discussions.
It is noteworthy that Arab names contributed to the seminars, including the Moroccan critic Abdel Fattah Al-Hajmari, the Egyptian writer Miral Al-Tahawy, the Jordanian writer Ibrahim Nasrallah, and the Egyptian writer Mansoura Ezzeddine, along with the winner of the “Man Booker” award, the Indian writer Jinanjali Shri, and the winner of the Naguib Mahfouz Prize 2022 Egyptian novelist. Fatima Qandil.
Ali Al-Rubai (Dammam) @Al_ARobai