Hayy Learning is a community educational platform for artists and creatives based in Saudi Arabia.
Through bespoke courses, workshops and public talks, Hayy Learning nurtures talent, skills and knowledge development, across art, film, theatre, music and beyond. The programme is delivered at Hayy Jameel, Jeddah and online.
Hayy Learning Curatorial Fellows present Tashkeeli Washkeelik
Join us for a two-part seminar featuring this year’s Hayy Learning curatorial fellows.
With particular emphasis on creative knowledge preservation, research into undocumented histories, and the ways in which we can think about archival material, join our fellows in live conversations where they will discuss aspects of their individual research along with expert guest speakers.
Featuring conversations in Arabic taking place on Saturday, February 27, 2021 and in English on Saturday, March 6, 2021 the series will culminate in a moderated group discussion touching on this revived interest in our region’s creative history.
The sessions will take place online from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (KSA time)
For more information and to signup for either or both sessions, please visit the event page here.
In May 2020, Hayy Learning launched a new initiative dedicated to curatorial studies. The first edition of the Hayy Learning Curatorial Fellowship supports the development of rigorous research and practice-based modes of exhibition-making and creates opportunities for multidisciplinary research. The year-long course also covers essential, everyday aspects of institutional exhibition-making and project management.
The fellows participating in the 2020-21 edition — Abdullah Al-Mutairi, Tara Emad Al-Dughaither and Wejdan Reda — were selected through a rigorous nomination, adjudication and interview process.
The Fellowship includes a year-long series of online sessions plus on-site training at Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai and Hayy Arts, Jeddah, led by Art Jameel’s curatorial team with international core and visiting guest tutors. The Fellowship involves mentorship, theory, apprenticeship, practical experience and knowledge exchange, and the development of individual research and exhibition proposals. In the first six months, the participating fellows have had the opportunity to engage with and learn from critical curatorial practitioners and educators including Maryam Al Dabbagh, Danielle Burrows, Sam Bardaouil and Till Fellrath, Nabila Abdel Nabi, Nathalie Peutz, Nada Raza, Deepak Unnikrishnan, Murtaza Vali, Tirdad Zolghadr along with Art Jameel’s curatorial team.
Between them, the fellows represent a wide breadth of research interests that will evolve throughout the programme.
Abdullah Al-Mutairi is researching visual cultures and the notion of the marginal image in relation to modernity circulating online and in formal informal collecting practices in the past while also reflecting upon the tension between the subjectivity of the persons authoring these images and their interpretation. Abdullah is an artist, member of GCC collective and currently the Assistant Gallery Director at Sultan Gallery, Kuwait.
Tara Emad Al-Dughaiter – drawing from her own practice as a vocalist – is researching the experiences of women’s singing practices and rituals in Al Hejaz, Saudi Arabia; thinking of modes that would allow for these diminishing immaterial forms to be self-represented and retrieved into contemporary culture. More about her project can be found at www.sawtasura.org. Tara is an artist and independent curator based in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Wejdan Reda is researching contemporary art canon and critical art discourse in Arabic through the case study of the use of Arabic terminology in interpretation and mediation with sculptural public art projects. Wejdan is a curator, art consultant and the founder of Sahaba.club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Past Hayy Learning Editions
Hayy Learning – Navigating the Contemporary Art Scene
In advance of the launch of Hayy Jameel in 2021, Navigating the Contemporary Art Scene was designed to respond to the needs of the Saudi arts scene and support emerging and upcoming Saudi-based artists in developing their skills and career-development, and tracing local and regional arts histories. It took place over the course of four months from September to December, 2019.
Through an open call, the 15 following participants were invited to join the programme by sharing their insights and practices. The participants included: Ahmed Sofi, Ammar Jimman, Ayman Daydban, Aziz Jamal, Balqis Al Rashed, Bashaer Hawsawi, Daniah Alsaleh, Fai Ahmad, Joud Fahmi, Khaled Al Tubaishi, Majed Angawi, Maisa Shaldan, Meshaal Alzeer, Moath Alofi and Zainab Mumtaz.
Sessions were delivered by local, regional and international guest tutors including artists, curators, gallerists and other practitioners, supported by locally-based bilingual Art Jameel tutors. Visiting tutors and speakers included: Abdulnasser Gharem, Abdulrahman Gazzaz, Antonia Carver, Claire Davies, Dawn Ross, Dr. Lina Kattan, Dr. Zahra Al Ghamdi, Kevin Jones, Lana Shamma, Manal Al Dowayan, Maryam Al Dabbagh, Maya El Khalil, Monira Al Qadiri, Nahla Al-Tabbaa, Pablo Del Val, Salma Tuqan, Sara Al Omran, Soundouss Abousekhra, Turki Gazzaz and Uns Kattan.
All queries should be directed to [email protected]
