This special edition Christmas workshop, led by artist Yasmin Sinai, invited participants to create their own paper-mâché angel sculptures.

Through guided instruction, participants explored both the technical and symbolic aspects of angelic forms, developing their own sculptural interpretations while learning the fundamentals of working with paper-mâché.

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Sensing the Land invited participants to slow down and listen to the land, built environment, and spaces around them, exploring how place shapes individual experiences, identities, and connections.

Through a methodology of montage and collective mapping, participants worked with visual, sonic, and sensory fragments to construct a living map of perception and memory. The process recognised the different cultural, social, and political contexts participants bring with them, valuing these perspectives as essential to how we sense, interpret, and inhabit space.

The session marked the beginning of a continuing series exploring the relationship between people, place, and purpose, considering how art and design, grounded in research, can open new ways of seeing, belonging, and imagining the world around us.

@plantae.by.zia

Designed as part of Lucy Park’s ArtTalk series for children aged 5–11, this fun and educational event invited young participants to engage with the work and creative process of Fariba Oni, one of the participating artists in the group exhibition WOVEN.

Oni shared stories behind her work, offering children an opportunity to learn about her artistic practice and process. The session encouraged participants to listen, ask questions, touch, and explore, creating a space for experimentation with materials and ideas.

Part of a growing series of children’s programmes, ArtTalk encourages young audiences to connect thought with making and discover how ideas can be transformed into form.

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Designed as part of Lucy Park’s ArtTalk series for children aged 5–11, this fun and educational session invited young participants to explore the history and architecture of the Courtyard Art & Community Centre.

Through model-building activities, participants were encouraged to design and create their own mini structures, exploring ideas of architecture, space, and creative construction.

The immersive experience allowed children to discover the Courtyard and its unique spaces while engaging with the current exhibition, encouraging curiosity, imagination, and hands-on exploration.

The Workbook Available To Purchace

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Designed for children aged 5–11, this ArtTalk and Art Making session introduced young participants to the world of photography through a guided tour of the Wilfred Thesiger photography exhibition.

The session explored the process of framing and capturing images, encouraging children to observe their surroundings and consider how photographs can tell stories. Through discussion, observation, and hands-on art-making activities, participants were invited to engage with the exhibition in an interactive and imaginative way.

The workshop formed part of Lucy Park’s ArtTalk series, creating opportunities for children to explore exhibitions through curiosity, conversation, and creative making.

@lucy_arttalks

The first in the Design Discussion Series, hosted by art and design practitioners Khadeeja Zayan and Ziya Ismail, this session invited participants to reflect on design as a practice and its wider impact.

Bringing together designers from across creative disciplines, the session explored questions such as what design means to us, what leads us to design, and who our designs impact. Participants engaged in an open discussion followed by a hands-on workshop.

The session considered the role of people, places, and context in shaping design, while reflecting on the influence and responsibility of designers within today’s dynamic and uncertain environment.

@plantae.by.zia

This workshop invited participants to connect with nature through observational drawing, exploring the Courtyard Garden and its diverse range of plant species as a source of inspiration.

The session began with an introduction to botanical art and drawing techniques, followed by hands-on sketching in the garden. Participants were encouraged to slow down, observe the details of the plants around them, and capture their forms through drawing.

Facilitated by Ziya Ismail, the workshop offered insights into her own artistic process, alongside practical tips for observing and translating the essence, structure, and character of plants through art.

@plantae.by.zia

As part of the Dubai Future Forum, Samar brought her exploration of cultural futures to the Courtyard through a special exhibition and participatory workshop titled Nomadic Futures: Reimagining Cultural Narratives.

The programme featured Future Ancestors, a special edition of AI-collaborative artworks exploring transcultural identities, alongside an avant-garde textile sculpture created by Samar in collaboration with Olivier Borde, combining artisanal processes with artificial intelligence in its creation and ideation.

The programme also included Breaking Bread: Future Ancestors’ Quilted Commons, a three-hour participatory futures workshop in which participants exchanged and wove stories through textiles rather than food. Inspired by the ritual of gathering around a dinner table, the workshop invited participants to collectively imagine new cultural narratives and futures.

The exhibition was open throughout the Dubai Future Forum from 18–21 November 2024, with the Breaking Bread workshop taking place on 18 November.

Designed for children aged 5–11, this ArtTalk and Art Making session, titled Once Upon a Time in Tehran, introduced young participants to the artwork of Kasra Golrang from the Laal Collection Part II.

Through observation, discussion, and hands-on art-making activities, the session encouraged children to engage with the exhibition in an interactive and imaginative way, exploring the stories, imagery, and ideas within the artworks.

Part of Lucy Park’s ArtTalk series, the workshop created a space for young audiences to discover art through curiosity, conversation, and creative making.

@lucy_arttalks