Love festivals? Love street art? Love Arab creativity? Then WOWBaladk, the first regional street art festival in the Middle East, must be your go-to destination this week at Ras Al Ain Gallery, from October 7-11.
What is WOWBaladk? It’s a combination of two great projects that use art as a platform to create awareness. One is Women On Walls, a graffiti initiative launched in Egypt that uses graffiti and street art to spread awareness on women’s rights. The other is the Baladk street art project that was organized in Amman by Al Balad Theater. The Baladk street project emphasized the concept of public art. Together, the WOWBaladk festival is combining the best of both projects by creating a space filled with graffiti and visual art at Ras Al Ain Gallery, and dedicating it to empower women’s rights in the region, with the theme of “Stories from Fear to Freedom”.
WOWBaladk is bringing Arab artists from across the region, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar and Yemen, as well as Swedish artist Carolina Falkholt. The festival will also include seminars, discussions and casual meetings by local women initiatives and organizations. The five-day event will be an open space for local audiences and young artists to interact by creating their own graffiti art.
For more information: Check out the WOW Baladk Facebook page, Women on Walls and follow the festival events @WOWBaladk on Twitter.
