‘Universe of Crafts’, Abu Dhabi DCT unveils heritage campaign

The Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi is conducting an intangible heritage campaign “Universe of Crafts”.

As part of the campaign, an exhibition will be held at Al Hosn’s House of Artisans for which the DCT has invited the Emirati community and the UAE residents to come up with their heirloom handicrafts.

The campaign authority will be accepting handicraft items from 11th -30th September under six categories of adornment and perfumery, culinary innovation, sea crafts, pottery, archival images and Al sadu.

With this campaign, DCT aims to create a wide collection of artifacts and personal objects that gives an insight into the lives and works of Emirati artisans and to make it more interesting important stories behind each item will be collected from its owner itself.

“ A large part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s cultural strategy revolves around the preservation and promotion of the emirate’s intangible heritage, safeguarding traditional Emirati practices and handicrafts and fostering pride among the younger generations by  demonstrating the continued relevance of our past to contemporary life.”

Ms. Al Sahmshi also added that the latest initiative of DCT “Universe of Crafts” aims to generate awareness about UAE’s unique cultural heritage.

By involving the local communities directly the campaign expects to collect more in-depth history or personal stories regarding the traditional Emirati heritage and to make the exhibition differ to the previous programs of House of Artisans.

Qasr Al Hosn

Qasr Al Hosn is a 250-years old historic fort which is known to be the oldest stone building existing in Abu Dhabi. Initially, the structure was built as a watchtower and now it is converted into a museum for exhibiting artifacts and pictures related to the country.

House of Artisans

The House of Artisans located near Qasr Al Hosn and the Cultural Foundation plays a significant role in preserving the traditional heritage and crafts and supporting the local artisans.  It works to encourage learning of skills related to crafts and create awareness on traditional arts and practices.