Loading...
Loading...
For this open call, participants should submit cassette tapes that document personal messages, exchanges and stories shared between family members, friends and loved ones—across borders, across generations or in casual gatherings. These tapes serve as cultural artefacts and historical records of migration, identity and the changing dynamics of communication.
The Foundation plans to build an archive of sound that not only reflects personal narratives but also speaks to larger social and cultural shifts, from the transformation of long-distance communication, to changes in attitudes, economic activity and population size and distribution.
Personal cassette tapes should date to the period between 1970 and 2000 and should be related to the UAE, but the project is open to contributions from surrounding regions with similar practices of cassette tape communication. Tapes can be in the following languages: Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Tamil, Sinhala, Bengali, Nepali, Swahili, Tagalog, Farsi and English.
The tapes should contain voice messages, songs or recordings from family and friends, including but not limited to the following:
The submitted tapes will be digitised and archived along with a transcript of the content on each tape. Participants may request the return of their tapes at no cost.
The deadline for the entries is 8 May 2025.
To contribute to the open call or learn more information about project, please visit sharjahart.org.
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 Muhammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. In 1998, it was named UNESCO's 'Arab Capital of Culture' and has been designated the UNESCO ‘World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.
For an optimal experience, please
rotate your device to portrait mode.
