The Narrative Summit platform has launched the first episode of Narrative Summit – Reshaping Norms 2021, after five successful online episodes in 2020. The first episode explores how different forms of art carry stories from Egypt's cultural heritage and mirrors the country's national identity. In this episode, young Egyptian handicrafts entrepreneurs, sponsors of arts, and tourism promoters reflect on their experience in adding a contemporary touch to the originality of the past. During the episode, Mohamed El Kahhal, partner and head of production at El Kahhal Carpets, said that handmade carpets are unique pieces of art, each reflecting the authenticity, culture, and identity of Egypt. He added that manufacturing handmade carpets goes through three basic stages, in which old methods are deployed, starting with the preparation of spinning wool, dyeing threads, then weaving on the loom. Hend El Kahhal, partner and head of sales at El Kahhal Carpets, said that it is impossible to produce the same carpet twice. "Handmade carpets are unique pieces of art, as each carpet is inspired by the lives of its maker and the long experience they accumulated over the years to serve as a mirror for the Egyptian cultural heritage," she said. Also appearing in the first episode is Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art D'Egypte. She said, "Egypt is a country rich in its history and culture, and when foreigners visit, they seek a different experience, in which contemporary life merges with history, which is what Art D'Egypte strives to present." "While the government plays a major role in the development of Egyptian society to meet the requirements of the future, we, on our part, are trying to contribute to opening a different field for cultural tourism in Egypt, fuelled by our belief in the cultural diplomacy of Egypt, its soft power, and the role of people in preserving their cultural heritage," she added. Last year, Art D'Egypte organised virtual exhibitions to spread Egyptian art abroad amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Abdel Ghaffar said that the "Forever is Now" exhibition, which will be held in October 2021 for the first time at the Giza Pyramids plateau, will be a tribute from the world's artists to the Egyptian civilisation that inspired all the arts of the world. "It will be a message of hope from Egypt to the world that people and their achievements will remain for as long as pyramids," she said. In 2020, Narrative Summit launched five sessions of its flagship online forum Reshaping Norms, receiving great follow-up on social media, hitting 11 million followers, 4.5 million views, and 3.5 million interactions.
