Art Camp for children this summer at The Farjam Collection

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC announces the first year of Art Camp - a summer programme of art and activities for children.  The first summer camp of its kind in the UAE, Art Camp gives children the opportunity to explore their creative talent while learning from some of the finest works of art from the past.  Surrounded by a range of outstanding and rare works including calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and arms, children will spend their summer exploring the fascinating world of Islamic art through worksheets, games and hands-on craft activities. 

The Farjam Collection is partnering with Zayed University to curate an exhibition of Islamic art which will run throughout the summer in tandem with Art Camp. The exhibition will lead on from the first exhibition of highlights at The Farjam Collection @ DIFC, showcasing a different selection of works from Dr Farjam’s remarkable private collection.  Students from Zayed University will coordinate the exhibition under the supervision of Islamic art expert and Associate Professor Dr. Ron Hawker, and the guiding hand of staff from The Farjam Collection. “The Farjam Collection represents a wonderful opportunity for students to work closely with a wide range of stunningly beautiful and historically important objects. The students from Zayed University are relishing the chance to apply their design skills to this context,” says Ron Hawker. 

Art Camp is supported by students from three prestigious academic institutions based in the UK – the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.  Students from Oxford and Cambridge will be involved in producing content and activities for Art Camp based on the art on view.  Drawing on their varied specialities in the arts, these students will contribute their ideas for new and engaging art-based activities for children.  Durham University will support the programme by offering research papers written by gifted students to serve as tools in the creation of both exhibition and activity-related content.  “We have been thrilled with the number of very talented students who have applied to be involved with Art Camp this summer,” said Rebecca Jarvest, Collection and Exhibitions Coordinator at The Farjam Collection.  “As a Cambridge graduate and former intern at The Farjam Collection I am delighted that we are building an on-going relationship with these institutions.” 

 “The philosophy for Art Camp is to create, explore, and enjoy”, commented Emilie Faure, Collection and Exhibitions Manager at The Farjam Collection.  “Art Camp gives children the chance to be an artist for the summer, and at the same time allows them to discover art in all its varieties.  We are delighted to be working alongside esteemed local and international institutions to create a unique summer programme that offers something completely new to children in Dubai this summer”.   

The Farjam Collection’s summer Art Camp marks a further step by collector and patron Dr Farhad Farjam to bring world-class art and high quality educational programming to the region. Recipient of the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award, Dr Farjam is passionate about the importance of education in the arts at all levels, reaching out to a wide audience on a national and international level through The Farjam Collection space at DIFC.  The Farjam Collection @ DIFC offers a range of educational programmes, free and open to the public, from its popular First Wednesdays series and School and University Programmes to Art Nights @ Gate Village in collaboration with the DIFC and the latest addition to its programming, Art Camp. 

Art Camp Details

What?  Worksheets, games and hands-on craft activities around the fascinating world of art

Who?  Children ages 6 – 12, organized into two age groups: 6 – 9 years and 9 – 12 years When? Art Camp runs for four weeks, from 18 July to 12 August.  Children can participate in any one, two, three or four weeks.  Sessions run from Sunday – Thursday from 8am – 2pm. 

Where? The Farjam Collection @ DIFC 

Fee  500 AED per child per week, including all craft materials and activities 

For further information and booking please visit our website or contact rebecca@farjamcollection.com 
 

Notes to editors

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC
      
The Farjam Collection @ DIFC showcases a rotating series of exhibitions drawn from The Farjam Collection. The foremost ambition of The Farjam Collection @ DIFC is art education.  A programme of educational events, free and open to the public, offers audiences the opportunity to learn more about the works on view and the context in which these were produced.  

The Farjam Collection is open: Sunday to Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm; Saturday 12 pm to 8 pm. Please visit www.farjamcollection.com for updates on events at The Farjam Collection @ DIFC. 

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC is generously supported by the Hafiz Foundation.

The Hafiz Foundation
The Hafiz Foundation was founded in 2008 to support outstanding initiatives within the visual arts, with a special emphasis on the greater Middle East. With the city of Dubai as its base, the Foundation aims to become a centre for production, preservation, and promotion of the arts at large. At the heart of the Foundation’s goals is the development of educational opportunities for young Middle Eastern artists, students, scholars, curators, and art enthusiasts.
As a partner to both local and international cultural initiatives, the Foundation’s recent activities include having supported the founding of the award-winning Middle Eastern arts magazine Bidoun,  support for local arts education programs, as well as the organization of a series of exhibitions displaying selected works from the Farjam Collection.

Distinguished Patron of the Arts 

Owner of The Farjam Collection and founder of The Farjam Collection @ DIFC Dr Farhad Farjam received the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award in March 2010 for his outstanding contribution to patronage in the region.