The Harbour Project

‘Create Bahrain’ presents the launch of a new creative and educational experience and one that will allow young, emerging and experimental artists to utilize alternative spaces - and possibly allow the development of an art district - within the Financial Harbour.

While the BFH is an iconic building of Manama’s skyline, it’s interior spaces have not been seen or accessed by many. This festival opens the BFH doors to new possibilities, propositions and creative alternatives.

The BFH buildings will be used as studios, laboratories and stages. In addition to music and art performances, the festival will also feature a strong family and youth oriented program as well as a film program featuring video art and experimental film to be projected in our cinema.

The project will launch on the 16th January 2014 and will continue with a program for the 2 following days that will comprise of a launch party, curated exhibitions, and a public program. The aim of the project is to activate the spaces within the Financial Harbour and allow artists, curators, creators, musicians to recreate the spaces and work on exhibitions and projects.

After the launch, the exhibitions, workshops and film screenings will continue over the course of the month and every weekend the pop-up café and pop up shop will offer different caterers/vendors the option to utilise and recreate a designated space.

Goals:

· To investigate the role of arts and culture in Bahrain using the opportunity to access BFH spaces and to rethink the contemporary creatively in Bahrain
· To shape forms of encounter – thinking about the BFH spaces differently
· To re-imagine the space of the bank and financing beyond stereotypes
· To document the past, present and future of BFH and the surrounding area

Themes:

· Making visible//Making transparent//Making accessible//Making anew/Alternate futures/Rethinking financial spaces/


Program Elements:

· Studio Series
· Audio Commission
· Family Program
· Film/ Performance/ Music Program
· Shop
· Food