Minister of Culture Abdel-Wahed Al-Nabawi, Minister of State for Population Hala Youssef and Head of the Cultural Development Fund Mohamed Abu Seada attended a Message of Peace celebration choreographed by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at Al-Ghouri Caravansary featuring Sufi chanting and hymns. The Samaa Troupe for Spiritual Chanting, the A Cappella Choir, the Indonesia Troupe for Sufi Chanting were among the participants. Words on Water, part of the third India by the Nile Festival, brought together designer Laila Tyabji (founding chairperson of DASTKAR, a Society for Crafts & Craftspeople), festival organiser and Teamwork Arts Director Sanjoy Roy, journalist Siddharth Bhatia, Supreme Council of Culture Head Mohamed Afifi, Bibliotheca Alexandrina Central Projects and Services Sector Head Khaled Azab, CEO of AR Publications Ashraf Reda and artist Mohamed Abla to discuss preserving culture. According to Indian Ambassador Navdeep Suri, “This conversation between experts and intellectuals from the two sides will hopefully create an enduring platform to share our learnings and best practices.” On Sunday 5 April, together with the Head of the Cultural Development Fund Mohamed Abu-Seada, Suri inaugurated the Indian Handicrafts Exhibition at Al-Fustat Centre for Traditional Crafts. A symposium was organied following the inauguration moderated by founder of Asala Society for Preserving Folk Arts Ezzeddin Naguib and featuring Heba Handoussa, the head of the Egypt Network for Integrated Development (ENID), Tyabji, professor of folk literature Ahmed Morsi and the First Undersecretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Fifi Awwad. This event, combining display of handpicked craft merchandise with demonstrations by master craftsmen from both countries, exhibited the range of handicrafts, and built collaborations in the field (see Listings p.19). After a successful tour of 18 international film festivals, Yasmin Raeis received her sixth award for Mohamed Khan's Factory Girl: a Special Mention from the Jury of the Feature Film section at the International Oriental Film Festival in Geneva. Raeis expressed her happiness, saying, “I am thrilled to receive a Special Mention by the Jury and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all the support of international festivals and communities for my role in the film.” Raeis had won the Best Actress award from the Dubai International Film Festival in 2013, the Best Actress Award from the Malmo Arab Film Festival in Sweden, the Best Actress Award from the 41st Egyptian Film Association Festival and, only a few days ago, the Best Actress Award from the Silk Road Film Festival in Dublin, Ireland. At the Townhouse Gallery Factory Space, the Australian Embassy in Cairo, in collaboration with the Centre for Culture and Development and the SAWA Fashion School, organised a fashion show entitled Tarakeeb Mokhtalata (Combined Forms) Graduate Show on Sunday 29 March, reports Mai Samih. The designs were produced by SAWA students and supervised by design instructors Mohamed Khafagi and Jasmine Abdel-Wahab. The course lasts six months in which students are taught the history as well as the basics of fashion design. Participants this year include Somalians, Egyptians and others. “This year what makes the show unique is that the regular cup designs disappear while different assemblages appear using scarfs and leather, for example,” comments Mina Noshi who is responsible for the Townhouse Outreach Programme which organised the SAWA workshop. More news on the third India by the Nile Festival, “Savour the Flavour” is a unique experience highlighting the variety and richness of Indian tea. The tea tasting ceremony brings to Egypt the finest blends designed to satisfy every mood and every palate. It will take place at the Fairmont Hotel on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 April, 10am to 2pm. The Pharaonic Village organised a gigantic Orphan Day event under the auspices of the head of Bint Misr Association Essmat Al-Mirghani with the participation of children from the Resala Association, the Bint Misr Association and the Al-Qorsaya Island community. Abdel-Salam Ragab, the director of the Pharaonic Village, delivered a speech about the importance of ongoing care for orphans all year round, and the village PR Director Hayam Saad handed the attendees certificates of appreciation. The celebration was attended by actors Ahmed Abdel-Wareth, Hind Akef, Mirna Walid, Abdel-Hamid Sanad and singer Maysa. Khaled Al-Halafawi's Zan'et Al-Settat (The Women's Quarter) premiered last week in the presence of cast and crew members Hassan Al-Raddad, Aiten Amer, Emy Samir Ghanem, Mai Selim and Mahmoud Al-Leithi. The film was written by Hisham Maged and produced by Ahmed Al-Sobki. Al-Ahly's football players and their Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido paid a visit to Bahiya Cancer Hospital for women in Al-Haram, which caters to women with breast cancer.
