The 9th edition of Quoz Arts Fest took place in Dubai. The street festival on Alserkal Avenue is a mix of live music, exhibitions, food trucks, interactive art and wellness offerings.
The action-packed program began with outdoor yoga. Simona Stanton, founder and owner of Shimi’s Yoga Studio and Yoga La Vie, said Alserkal is about different business concepts and the passions of the founders.
“That’s what we love about Quoz Arts Fest because it brings together so many people who may not have heard of yoga. And it’s an opportunity for them and us to share that passion and create a stronger and… create a bigger community,” she told Euronews.
awaken dreams
This year’s edition was themed “Waking Dreams”. The organizers invited visitors to sleepwalk through dreamscapes during the day and transformed the creative hub into a space floating in time. One of the standout attractions was Gaia, a traveling artwork by British artist Luke Jerram. It has a diameter of seven meters and shows detailed NASA images of the earth’s surface.
The creative community on Alserkal Avenue and Al Quoz, including Courtyard, Times Square, The Smash Room and Akka Project, came together for the weekend festival.
Festival of Art and Culture
It’s a celebration of local arts and culture, and there was also a wide range of independent local businesses, from food trucks to clothes and jewelry vendors.
In addition to stalls, many of Alserkal’s permanent residents were also represented at the street festival.
In the creative space and café Kave there was a “market of outsiders” where a range of sustainable and creative products were offered.
Zaina Kanaan, the co-founder of Kave, said that the extra traffic from the event is great because people are coming in and are curious about what’s on offer.
“For us, it’s all about raising awareness of our work and getting more people involved in the community. Events like this bring people together and give us an opportunity to showcase our work.”
The Cinema Akil on Alserka Avenue is a program cinema. During the festival there was an extensive program of events, including a film marathon.
Cinema Akil’s marketing and business development manager, Khalid Al-Sabi, said it was a unique venue unlike any other in the UAE.
“It was the first arthouse cinema in the region and we are showing films that are not normally shown in multiplex cinemas. It is a platform to support and promote emerging filmmakers and directors from around the world and the region. We are proud to offer them a home.”
With over 45,000 visitors, the 9th edition was the largest Quoz Arts Fest to date.
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