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www.bahrainthisweek.com Follow us on:SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2017 ISSUE 232

Celebrating 46thBahrain National Day

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BAHRAIN NATIONAL DAY

Forty-six years years ago, the Kingdom of Bahrain established 16 December as its National Day, a day that not only celebrates the independence achieved from the British on August 15, 1971, but commemorates the day of accession to the throne of the late Amir, HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Since 1999 when His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa came to the throne, the day has taken on added dimensions as a day of celebration and gratitude from the people to its Royal family for the reforms introduced that led Bahrain to democracy and stability.

Just as they did at the first National Day, citizens enthusiastically participate in the festivities each year. The country is ablaze with lights and colour, and in all the business districts corporate houses decorate their buildings in Bahrain’s striking national colours of red and white. Pageants and festive programs are held across the country, and cars can be seen proudly flaunting the flag or covered with National Day themed stickers and messages. Fireworks, laser shows, colorful floats, carnivals, and concerts – it is truly a day when the spirit of patriotism, unity and joy overflow. For the nation as a whole, National Day has also been a time of retrospection, a moment in time from which to look back at the journey, and to feel a deep sense of gratitude for the vision of the leadership, for the efforts of the government and to all those who have played a role in the success story that is Bahrain today.

Bahrain, though smaller than any of its Gulf neighbours in terms of size, has always been large in aspiration. Among many firsts, it was the first amongst the

Gulf countries to experiment successfully with democracy. With a vision that was as focused, as it was strong in purpose, the government under the guidance of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa successfully implemented a new system of governance in October 2002. The elections in Bahrain were a landmark event not only for the country but also for the entire region. Bahrain had set an example. With the steadfast support of the His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and the Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defence Forces, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, His Majesty King Hamad has directed the course of the nation on a visionary path.

CELEBRATING A LEGACY OF PEACE AND PROGRESS

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Bahrain’s history is as long as it is illustrious. Ancient seals and archaeological findings point to a civilization that has long roots. Epic stories of the legendary Gilgamesh, to etchings found in ancient Sumerian seals all speak of a long story of cultural and social evolution. It is known that some 5000 years ago Bahrain was home to the ancient Dilmun civilization, which lasted around two millennia. Since then Bahrain has been occupied alternately by Babylonians, Sumerians, Greeks, Persians, Portuguese, and Turks, among others – each leaving behind traces of their presence and integration within the country, making Bahrain truly a melting pot of different cultures and civilizations. Strategically placed in the trade route between the Indus Valley civilization consisting of the present Indian sub-continent and the Mesopotamian civilization, which is modern day Iraq, Bahrain was the natural stop over for traders, bringing along with their goods; languages, ideas, trades and knowledge that found in Bahrain’s welcoming and hospitable climate, a natural crucible for dialogue and advancement.

The six hundred years from about 300B.C. to 300A.D, prosperous years in its history saw Bahrain’s reputation as a pearling centre grow. In the first century A.D., the Roman writer Pliny in his accounts makes mention of the fact that Tylos, as Bahrain was known then, was famous for its pearls. Traders from India representing the rich Maharajahs and from the West representing some of the most famed jewellery houses, including Cartier would make their way here to purchase the finest natural pearls which the seas surrounding Bahrain produced. The word “Bahrain”, in fact was coined from the words meaning ‘two seas’ in Arabic, referring to the underground sweet water springs that mingle with the salt-water sea – also a reason for the extraordinary lustre and caliber of the pearls. It has since been a fitting and

lasting name for the archipelago of 33 islands surrounded by sea that makes up Bahrain.

In 640A.D Islam made its way to Bahrain. The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) sent a letter to the ruler of Bahrain inviting him to adopt Islam, making it one of the first countries in the region to accept the religion. For another two centuries, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully together in Bahrain and even today, Bahrain has a small community of indigenous Christians. People of other religions also came into the country over the years and coexisted in harmony, its diversity a testament and credit to the religious tolerance and acceptance the country has always exhibited.

Since the early 1780s, the Al-Khalifa family have been the rulers of Bahrain, holding the country together through many ups and downs and overseeing its challenges through generations. In the 1830s Bahrain signed the first of many treaties with Britain. Britain offered the country naval protection in exchange for free trade access in the Gulf. The British continued to be a presence all through the following decades, administering the country through its power base in India, until the reign of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in 1961.

The discovery of oil in 1932 while marking the end of the dwindling pearl trade saw the fortunes of the country change with the discovery of oil. When His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa became ruler of Bahrain in 196, he spent the first ten years of his rule preparing Bahrain for independent statehood, freeing them from the political and military treaties that bound them to the British government. In 1971, Shaikh Isa took on the title of Amir and, declared Bahrain an independent sovereign Arab State. He was prudent in signing a treaty of perpetual friendship with Britain and in joining the United Nations and other world bodies as well as the Arab League.

LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE YEARS

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With AlRiwaq Art Space celebrating its 20th year anniversary, I decided to sit down with the force behind the movement, Bayan AlBarak-Kanoo: an icon in the fields of art and culture and a pioneer of modern street-life in Bahrain.

I rush to meet Bayan AlBarak-Kanoo at AlRiwaq at 1:30 pm. I am late but not worried- it’s a week into this year’s “Nest” and I know they will be camping there anyway. The usual lunch spots at the front of Adliya strip are full, but as I walk through the back, past the art set up for the month-long street fair, I destress from my day in preparation for what I know will be a delightful and stimulating chat.

A man on the phone mindlessly nods hello as I walk into AlRiwaq café and inside people gently look up from their laptops and friends as I pass.

I ask for Ms Bayan’s office and am directed upstairs. I have never been upstairs and in fact, am still unsure where I was… the upper levels of AlRiwaq is a bunch of mezzanines. I find the correct one easily, slide inside, exchange warm hellos, kisses and quick updates, and accept the same Turkish coffee as Bayan has in front of her.

I credit Ms Bayan with initiating street-life in Bahrain and on this she is rationally modest: “AlRiwaq grew organically and through necessity, even the mezzanine floors were added to fit our purpose into our space and as our purpose and process grew, we spilled out on to the street.

“I moved to Bahrain from Iraq at 19 when I got married, and after completing an undergraduate from the University of Bahrain and having two children [she now has five] I opened AlRiwaq as an art gallery. Along its 20 years, our identity changed from a gallery to a nonprofit “art-space”. This was due to a necessity we saw in encouraging creative expression.

‘…as our purpose and process grew, we spilled out on to the street.’

We investigate what artists need to thrive and we provide guidance, education and potential funding. Art and culture are borderless and so local artists require a platform to connect to the global art scene and funding to show internationally. We also host foreign artists to vitalize the local landscape thus enabling artistic expression to build on itself and evolve.”

I am unconvinced that necessity was the sole impetus for the switch from gallery to nonprofit art-space and press harder, where Bayan thoughtfully admits she was driven by

“responsibility” and then resolutely adds “and a commitment to concepts and the interaction with them”.

Bayan thoughtfully admits she was driven by “responsibility” and then resolutely adds “and a commitment to concepts and the interaction with them”.

“I grew up in Iraq in a culture filled with music, film and visual art and the 70s especially was a vibrant time. In school breaks, we would go to the nearby

gallery. I came and found Bahrainis accepting of others, tolerant and patient. In fact, there was no debate. This was foreign to me as Iraqis are very vocal with their opinions, casually and in public. We have a culture of outspokenness and debate and this is what drives evolution. Art in itself is not an opinion, it is non-confrontational. Art is a platform for expression and the analysis of concepts in different lights and at varying angles, providing a base for discussion and growth.”

“This year the theme of The Nest was “To Appeal” a judgement- to rethink rules governing society and to challenge their application through debate- as in a court of appeals. The aim of our themes is

Interview with

BAYAN ALBARAK-

KANOO

Written by: Noora Mohammed AlMutawa

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to enable thought: we throw out a concept and see what creatively arises and how the public reacts.

“The beauty of street art is in its temporary nature, it vanishes, so the impact it leaves on the individual is what is important. Consumer mentality wants to own, but street art confronts and challenges that feeling.

‘Art in itself is not an opinion, it is non-confrontational. Art is a platform for expression and the analysis of concepts’

“A previous Nest theme was Repetition, like stamping the same picture over and over, creating a larger image and even a different picture entirely. This can relate to trends for example. As a culture, we mock imitation but the fact is that growth is a process of testing and building on what already exists.”

She pauses and we simultaneously look out onto the sun-drenched terrace behind the desk, a unique and surprising feature in the old Bahraini house AlRiwaq inhabits. I absorb our conversation while

Bayan prepares her next thought…. In business for her, preparation and action are intertwined:

“We can’t remain private and stagnant, we must show our ideas to test them. The nest is a perfect venue for this as it is interactive and not intimidating like a shop.

“Because of its public nature, we must be even more responsible. We have a vetting process which ensures the creativity, originality and quality of our vendors and contributing artists and are proud to have been a launch pad for artists and architects who have proceeded to win awards and also for SMEs who utilized the feedback they gained at the Nest to build strong businesses.

‘Bahrain generally is composed of layered cities, unintentional, simply the creative accumulation of things. It is alive with its people’s spirit.’

“We invited the public to walk the back alleys of Adliya, which were empty and unapproachable when the Nest began as ‘Manamatna’ years ago. The people that

walked there breathed life into the area, and so more public spaces opened, which fed back into the energy of the area”

To onlookers, AlRiwaq and Adliya’s Block 338 are locked in a symbiotic relationship. The area owes much of its diversity and liveliness to the gallery-come-art-space and The Nest, previously ‘Market 338’ and ‘Manamatna’ before that. Bayan cuts me off, as my assumption of Adliya’s debt borders on offence.

‘Adliya has its own vibe. We grew with it and into it.’

“Adliya has its own vibe. We grew with it and into it. Bahrain generally is composed of layered cities, unintentional, simply the creative accumulation of things. It is alive with its people’s ingenuity. For example, most of Adliya was residential before zoning changed, so we find commercial establishments occupy old houses. Zoning changed again recently to allow for a height of up to 15 meters so restaurants are building rooftops with beautiful views on to Manama. This wasn’t planned. The area thrives, grows, and builds on itself.”

This must be the hundredth time Bayan uses some form of “thrive” or “grow”. I imagine the woman in front of

me as part of a lively ecosystem-like an elegant tree in a forest- and am filled with appreciation for her palpable resilience and for the vitality of the environment we call home.

At this point, Bayan’s husband stops by her office. They share a laugh about nothing in particular. He is proceeded by their daughter Zain who has been busy in the background and now says she must leave to fetch her son, Bayan’s first grandchild. I figure this is my cue to leave.

I am filled with appreciation for her palpable resilience and for the vitality of the environment we call home.

In our good-byes, I mention that I am turning 30. “This is the age. I started AlRiwaq at 30.” This inspires me, as did the entirety of our meeting which I ruminate over throughout the next weeks. Bayan AlBarak-Kanoo is a woman of resilient spirit, a brilliant creative mind, with an ingrained and unquestionable sense of duty to her surroundings- wherever they are.

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CELEBRATING UNIVERSAL CHILDREN'S DAY

Bahrain for All participated in the celebration of Universal Children’s Day organized by the Ministry of Interior at al Safra school on Saturday 18th November 2017.

The event was inaugurated by Brigadier Abdulla AlZayed and attended by Samir AlDarabi, Director of UNIC Bahrain and other senior officials.

The day was established in 1954 and is celebrated on November 20 each year to improve awareness of their rights of children globally and to improve their welfare. This day also promotes international togetherness, since.

On this day in 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the

Child.The event saw several activities for

children to help better their lives, fight for their rights and help them fulfil their potential. During the ‘fun day with a serious message’ the children, playing the game, ‘Kids Take Over’, assumed roles of media professionals, politicians, businessmen and women, sportspersons and entertainers to highlight pressing challenges their generation faces.

Another game, Recycling Workstation managed by the Culture Authority, involved children being informed about the importance of saving the environment and recycling articles of everyday use.

Takeover Talent Time gave children the opportunity to show off their skills in the areas of dance, music and other art forms, with an idea to put the children on the world stage.

There were also special performances by children from Oman, Sudan, and Egypt while inmates of the Hidd Rehabilitation Centre for Special Needs enthralled the audiences. The ministry’s band, as well as a contingent from the Mounted Police, was in attendance during the opening ceremony.

“We are grateful to be working closely with the Ministry of Interior and for the support from the United Nations Information Centre, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme,” said Bahrain For All

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Founder Nivedita Dhadphale. She said parents, teachers,

medical practitioners, government leaders, civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls, media professionals, young people and children themselves can play an important part in making the day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.

“The right to play is also a right recognized under the Convention of the Rights of the Child so we made sure sports activities organized during the event gave ample opportunities to children to take part in their favourite games.”

Held annually in Bahrain for 26 years under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Jewelry Arabia is the largest and most prestigious jewelry event in the Middle East, consistently attracting over 600 exhibitors from 30 nations. World famous international jewellery houses, watch manufacturers and high-profile designers are regular participants, and many often choose Jewellery Arabia’s platform to introduce new collections and limited edition pieces to the Middle East market. These well-known international names are complemented by creative vendors part of large national pavilions from leading jewelry export countries and by the refined Middle Eastern retailers and manufacturers.