Culture & Education | Thursday 14 March, 2019 3:29 pm |

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts, heritage, and literature, has announced the launch of the fourth edition of itsReading Boxinitiative, which will take place at Mirdif City Centre from7thto 20thMarch 2019. This initiative is part of a series of events aimed at promoting reading habits among the community members and create a society of empowered, aware, and conscious individuals, who are proud of their cultural identities.

Underlining Dubai Culture’s commitment to support the UAE National Reading Strategy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and in line with the national Month of Reading being observed in March 2019, this edition of Reading Boxinitiative will be held under the theme ‘A generation reads…A civilization rises’.

Offering many rich programmes, this year's agenda includes the ‘Creativity Labs’, which focus on challenges pertaining to reading and spreading knowledge, as well as a series of sessions to discuss issues related to youth and the future. In this edition,Reading Boxwill host book discussions and signings, of newly launched books. It will also feature story reading sessions, wherein authors of various children books will read out stories and sign the books for them, in addition to a variety of training and educational courses, workshops, literary and cultural panel discussions, along with lectures targeting different segments of society. 

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General at Dubai Culture, said: “We are pleased to announce the launch of our Reading Boxinitiative which is in its fourth edition this year, following the successes it secured in previous editions. For this year’s edition, we will be presenting a range of events to engage youth, and encourage them to develop a passion for reading and writing, as we collaborate with government entities for exclusive programmes to deliver appealing content that benefits people of all ages. The initiative aligns with the UAE National Reading Strategy, which constitutes a national framework for establishing the UAE as a knowledge-based economy.”

Al Nabouda added: “As the initiative continues to draw large number of visitors from all segments of society, we will focus on activities that highlight social cohesion among the multi-cultural community of Dubai and the UAE, aiming to spread the noble value of tolerance. This edition will also see activities that seek to promote a sense of belongingness and pride, in line with the Dubai Plan 2021. It also focuses on promoting Arabic language as an integral part of our cultural heritage.”

Organised by Dubai Culture’s Public Libraries Department, Reading Boxinitiative promotes reading in new and innovative settings, across major shopping centres of Dubai and intends to integrate reading into the lifestyle of people living in the country.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the UAE’s rich heritage. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures to enhance Dubai's position as a creative and sustainable global city for culture, heritage, arts, and literature, with the aim to empower these sectors by developing creative and innovative projects and initiatives locally, regionally, and globally.