Category: News update

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched its support program for 30 museums affected by the closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic to assist museums in the Islamic world.

ICESCO published on its website a registration form for the administrations of the museums to fill-out and submit if they wish to be part of the program. Administrations must send the applications by post to the following address: Avenue des F.A.R., Hay Ryad, B.P. 2275, C.P. 10104, Rabat, Morocco, or by e-mail to the following two addresses: contact@icesco.org /culture@icesco.org. The applicants must send the files through the National Commissions of ICESCO Member States.

Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director-General (DG), announced that the Organization will allocate one million dollars to restore the collections of 30 museums in the Islamic world, which had been affected by the various crises. The announcement took place during the celebration of the Week of Museums (September 26 – October 2) and the Day of Heritage in Islamic World on September 25.

The DG also called on countries, governmental institutions, and relevant parties to continue their role, during and after the COVID-19 crisis, in taking the necessary measures to reopen museum institutions and raise public awareness on the importance of museum conservation.

The application form for ICESCO’s museum support program can be downloaded via the following link:

http://www.icesco.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Icesco.pdf

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched the “Virtual Prize for Calligraphy, Patterns and Miniatures” in celebration of the International Day of Islamic Art. Bahrain made the proposition and UNESCO adopted it at the 39^th General Conference.  The Day is observed every 18^th of November.

The application is open to all calligraphers and visual artists to discover their talents in calligraphy and pattern design using virtual tools and techniques. The aim is to promote talents and creativity in the field and ensure the sustainability of the intangible cultural heritage that all ICESCO Member States share.

The initiative is part of the “Distance Culture” Program of the “Global Humanitarian Coalition.” ICESCO launched during the lockdown period resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participation is open to all artists from the Member States and all age groups. The text submitted as part of the Prize must include the first paragraph of the Charter of the Organization.

Participation is open in the categories of calligraphy or miniatures or both, provided that the works be relevant to the topic of choice, and the work submitted consists of a high-resolution image. No special techniques, traditional or modern, are required in the making.

Participants must email their works from November 23, 2020 to February 23,  2021 at the address: calligraphie@icesco.org. A jury will select the 12 candidates eligible to join ICESCO’s mobile international museum and exhibition. The 12 original works (not virtual copies) should be sent by post to the Organization’s mailing address. The jury will select the three winning works.

The first winner will receive USD 5000, the second USD 3000, and the third USD 1500.

The National Commissions and relevant parties in the Member States will announce the Prize in their respective countries. The participation form and guidelines are available on ICESCO’s website.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) took part in a videoconference with the Saudi Cultural Mission in Rabat and King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, as part of the preparations for the celebration of the World Arabic Language Day 2020, under the theme “Arabic Language Academies: Necessity or Luxury?”

The meeting brought together Dr. Majdi Haji Ibrahim, Head of ICESCO Center for Arabic Language for Non-Arabic Speakers; Dr. Youssef Ismaili, Expert at the Center; Dr. Yussra bint Hussain Al-Jazairi, the Saudi Cultural Attaché in Morocco; Mr. Abdulmun’im bin Nacer al-Tamimi, Cultural Supervisor at the Mission; Mr. Abdullah Azouz, Deputy Cultural Supervisor at the Mission; Dr. Abdurrahman al-Salami, Member of the Academic Council of King Abdulaziz University, Director of the Center of Research Excellence in Arabic Language; and Mr. Wael Ali, Director of Quranic Language Waqf Board.

The participants explored the program of the celebration and the proposed formula of ICESCO International Conference, to be held as part of the celebration of the World Arabic Language Day 2020. The Saudi Cultural Mission in Rabat and King Abdulaziz University proposed to invite figures to speak at the conference and organize parallel activities.

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has the pleasure to announce the names of the winners of its creativity awards. The awards include the ICESCO Short Film Award, Short Stories Award, and Drawing and Music Award.

The Organization launched the awards last April as part of its “Distance Culture,” a project of the “ICESCO Digital Home” initiative to promote artistic creativity and intellectual productivity among youth and students during the lockdown period. The Organization believed in the importance of supporting art and literature and identify new talents in the Islamic world, in cooperation with the Layan Cultural Foundation.

The announcement of the awards’ winners comes as part of the celebration of the International Day of Islamic Art over the period from 18 through 25 November 2020. Six short films won the ICESCO Short Film Award as follows:

First Prize: Rajaa Khaled Aïche, Palestine, for her film “My Friend”; and Mohammed Ehsani, Iran, for his film “The Sound of Wind.”

Second Prize: Mohamed Afeeq, Sultanate of Brunei, for his film “Saya;” and Ben Gharnout Mustapha, Algeria, for his film “A New Life for the Fish.”

Third Prize: Ali Fuad, Tanzania, for his film “Distancing;” and Ibrahim Riyad, Egypt, for his film “The Children of the Sea.”

As for the Short Story Award, the winners are as follows:

First Prize: Lina Fouz Boutounfit, Morocco.

Second Prize: Hour bint Khaled Al Nabhanya, Oman.

Third Prize: Hayfaa Saeed Al Mtairi, Saudi Arabia.

ICESCO was keen on ensuring the participation of all age categories in the drawing contest. The winners are divided into two categories:

• Children:

First Prize: Nour bint Mahmoud Al Salmiyeh, Oman.

Second Prize: Maryam Tabandah, Iran.

Third Prize: Hubert Moro, Gabon.

• Adults

First Prize: Hanane Hassan Zayd Yahya, Yemen.

Second Prize: Leila Bounilat, Morocco.

Third Prize: Khaled Saleh Breik, Yemen; and Adel Abdullah Al Majeidi, Egypt.

The Music Award went to two participants from the Kingdom of Morocco:

First Prize: Fatima Ezzahra Rezzak.

Second Prize: Asmae Karimi.

The participating works are characterized by the quality of the preparation, design and direction, and the great interest in educational content. The jury took into consideration the extraordinary conditions in which the works were produced and the unequal access to filming and direction equipment by students in poor and rich countries.

Given the extraordinary current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impossibility to hold a face-to-face award ceremony, ICESCO will transfer the financial rewards to all winners.