The first workshop, “Reading Sharjah: Tracing Urban Memory,” will be led by Sultan Al Hussein Al Hammadi from 26 to 28 June 2026. The second, “Small Sources, Vast Waters: Writing Stories from the Gulf,” will be presented by Ahmed Yaqoub Al Mazmi from 10 to 12 July 2026.

“Reading Sharjah” invites participants to explore Sharjah’s historic urban landscape through architecture, archival records, photographs, maps and oral histories. The workshop introduces five interconnected research methodologies and promotes collaborative analysis of historical sources to deepen understanding of the city’s development.

“Small Sources, Vast Waters” examines the Gulf as a gateway to a wider maritime world, exploring how everyday objects and archival fragments can reveal broader stories of trade, migration, labour and cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean. Participants will engage with historical sources, mapping exercises and guided writing to develop source-based historical narratives.

The workshops are part of Sharjah Art Foundation’s “Semi-Systematic: An Alternative School” programme, which offers intensive two- and three-day courses focused on visual literacy, artistic research methodologies, and the relationship between theory and practice.