5 must attend workshops at Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) is buzzing with energy and creativity. It offers a fantastic range of workshops for everyone, from ink and paint to writing, curating, and sound experiments. Experiencing art is great, but being part of it is something truly special.
Paint Watercolour Portraits
When: 19-20 August
This workshop is for the artist within who is ready to make a comeback. If, like me, you've carried a quiet longing to paint again or are simply curious about the medium and what watercolour painting is all about, you'll get the foundation you need to create precise and evocative watercolour portraits. You'll learn to artfully blend hues and textures, play with light and shadow to add depth and mood, and master the art of subtlety that brings a portrait to life.
No experience is needed. Just a passion to paint and the will to experiment. Your portrait awaits, and so does a community of artists in the making.
Pen and Ink Drawing Workshop for Kids and Families
When: 20 August
You’ll uncover how to make stunning art and calligraphy come alive on canvas by learning to jive with simple lines, dots, and circles. It’s the perfect opportunity for children and families to bond with abandon, creating beautiful masterpieces and leaving imprints of shared connection and creativity through ink.
Thinking through Space: Curatorial Methods and Tools
When: 23-24 August
In this live masterclass, Sharjah-based curator and instructor May Alqaydi offers you a step-by-step walkthrough on the mechanics of strong curatorial thinking. Through guided exercises, you'll learn everything from dissecting an idea to creating sound curatorial concepts to engaging with the elements of a space - from architecture to light, texture and sound - such that it all bourgeons into a spatially resonant and audience-receptive exhibition.
This workshop is ideal for aspiring curators, and emerging artists, looking to connect with a vibrant community of fellow art lovers and leaders.
Write to Destroy
When: 31 August
In this intimate workshop with award-winning writer Deepak Unnikrishnan, you're challenged to place a writing rule on the table - perhaps one you wish to eliminate, revive, or rewrite entirely. You may already have a rule that you know works better for you than the mainstream. Well, the time is now to bring it from out of the shadows and into the light.
Beat-Making Workshop: The Art of the Sample
When: 6 September
This is your chance to explore the ethics, techniques, and storytelling power of the sample. You'll see recordings not just as media, but as living artifacts of memory, cultural narrative, and community.
This workshop is a key part of a week-long engagement at SAF, a sonic journey that kicks off on August 30th with a live performance of original beats. Sign up for and solely attend the workshop or stay for the whole week’s action: an extended listening session and a talk tracing the evolution of sonic cultures across the African diaspora.
Sneha is a renaissance gal with a passion for all things classic and contemporary. A lover of writing, art, luxury and film, she finds joy in museums, immersive experiences, and creating art with words. When she's not romanticizing life on Pinterest or in real life, you'll find her sipping chai by the waters with a cat on her lap.
