8th International Summer Festival – EAST & WEST Music Dance Theater Cinema Plastic Arts

The BA Arts Center is holding an annual international summer festival during July and August. The festival was initiated in 2002, even before the official inauguration of the library. In 2005, the title of the festival was “Light and Shadow”, in 2006 it was “First Time” featuring young artists with first appearance on stage, in 2007 it was “A Medium for Dance…A Medium for Expression” featuring folkloric and modern dance performances, and in 2008 it was “Day and Night”. This year, the festival is congregating a unique mixture of established classical musicians and emerging young professionals under the title of “East and West”. The festival features a special program counting dance, music, theater, Cinema and Plastic Arts. The Canadian dancing duo, Victor and Katia, who won the International Salsa Competition in Las Vegas in 2005, are participating for the third time this year in the festival. The Plastic Arts section this year is featuring three exhibitions. Alexandria
International Symposium -Sculpture in Natural Material (Mosaic), First-Time, and the Resident Artist. The International Symposium will host 23 artists from eight different countries; Austria, Egypt, England, Germany, Italy, Iran, Scotland and Sweden. Through the resident artist exhibition 17 artists were invited for a month to experience the city of Alexandria and follow the artistic activities of the Library to gain a renewed vision. In the Music section, the BA Orchestra, conducted by Sherif Mohie Eldin, will present five concerts accompanied by eminent artists such as Omar Khairat, Mounir Nasr El Din, Manal Mohie El Din and Nesma Abdelaziz. The second “SOS Music Festival – Friday Through Friday” is presenting 14 independent Bands performing their original compositions, in addition to a special night in which SAHRA, NAGHAM MASRY and MASSAR EGBARI will perform their songs in a an orchestral arrangement and accompanied by the BA Orchestra. Last, but not least, are two very special nights “From East and West” performed by Fernando Perez and Mohamed Antar (Spain / Egypt) and Cafe Antarsia Ensemble (USA). One of the highlights this year is the “BA 4th Music and Songs Competition”, where 20 highly competitive groups will share the stage for five days. Parallel to the competition the BA Arts Center is organizing the first “Cultural Forum” in Alexandria to provide a platform for cultural institutions and centers renowned for their artistic and cultural achievements to network, exchange information and present their projects.