Sharjah Art Foundation announces its autumn 2026 learning programme for the art centres in Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid, Al Madam, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Dibba Al Hisn. Participants of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can express their creativity through hands-on sessions in drawing, painting, ceramics, textiles, photography, sound art, storytelling and other forms of artistic practice.

Led by specialised artists and art practitioners, many sessions take inspiration from the Foundation’s exhibitions and events. Workshops drawn from the works on display at the recently concluded exhibition Laila Majid and Inaam Zafar: Body Quotidian invite younger participants to learn what different visual details can reveal, while sessions inspired by Vantage Point 13 introduce participants to photography, image-making and different ways of interpreting the visual world. 

Central to the Art Centres Learning Programme are activities that respond to the particular environments and histories surrounding each centre. Alongside artists and art practitioners, members of the local communities will share knowledge shaped by their own experiences of place.

In Al Dhaid, Seed Season encourages home growers and gardening enthusiasts to exchange seeds and practical knowledge. In this hands-on activity, participants will prepare and plant a selection of seeds or small seedlings, and learn about methods of germination and plant care.

Reflecting Al Hamriyah’s relationship with the coast, Stories and Tools from the Sea introduces children to traditional fishing practices through an encounter with a fisherman. Participants will create artworks that draw on the forms of traditional fishing equipment. 

In Textiles from Al Madam, participants will meet a resident to explore local textile and craft practices they can use to make their own contemporary works from materials in the surrounding environment. In Coastal Archives, a community member from Dibba Al Hisn will speak about stories, customs and practices passed down through generations, which participants will document through drawing and writing.

In addition to the workshops, the autumn programme offers longer courses where participants can develop their skills in art forms such as ceramics, textiles, screenprinting, drawing and mixed media. In Al Dhaid, a multi-session introduction to the pottery wheel takes participants through preparing and centring clay, forming basic shapes and preparing finished pieces for glazing and firing. 

Activities are designed for a broad range of age groups, from sessions for pre-school children accompanied by caregivers to programmes for older children, teenagers and adults. Most sessions are conducted in both Arabic and English. 

The majority of learning programme activities are free, with materials provided. The Foundation is committed to making its programmes inclusive and accessible, and participants can request any support they may need through the registration form. 

The autumn Art Centres Learning Programme runs from September through November 2026.

Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation's core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.

Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation's deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation's support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.

Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.

Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.

Joseph De la Cerna
joseph@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113