Letter from Bahrain: Promote home-grown artistic talents

Art is the most preserved and promoted fixation internationally. Some countries promote their ballet dancers while others promote their operas.

In Bahrain, there are numerous potential artists in every field of the world of art, however support for rising stars is lacking.

Take the world of conventional art that covers painting to abstract. Bahrain produces more than 50 artists every year. However these artists have no mentor or supporter.

There is only one annual art exhibition held at the Bahrain National Museum which is organised by the information ministry. This is the only event that brings together amateur and professional Bahraini artists under one roof.

More exhibitions should be organised to promote Bahraini artists locally as well as internationally, said an artist.

The two art societies located in the tiny kingdom play their part and organise workshops, annual exhibitions besides staging solo exhibitions. However, more exposure is needed for the fellow artists.

Bahraini artists should also participate in international events to highlight Bahraini art and grab the attention of world critics, said another artist who said that she has been painting for the past five years but was unable to hold a solo exhibition because of her anonymity in the art world.

How am I supposed to hold a solo exhibition if there aren't any general exhibitions that promote amateurs or beginners? she asked.

Schools should also nurture potential art skills of students and direct them towards the right path. Parents however applauded the steps taken by the education ministry to hold an annual exhibitions that showcases art works by private and public school students.

A fine art department has also been set up at the university of Bahrain to educate and develop future talents. The department also holds an annual event.

In the world of music, many artists say that Bahrain should have its own recording studio that can promote singers as well as writers and composers.

Why should Bahraini signers go to other gulf countries to record an album, why doesn't Bahrain have a professional recording studio that will handle the album as well as direct and issue video clips for the upcoming songs? asked a singer.

The fine talents of Bahraini singers were recently seen in the Arabic version of pop idol under the name of "superstar" that is currently been seen on the Lebanese channel, Future. Two Bahrainis even reached the semifinals, adding another feather in Bahrain's cap.

Bahrain has a great line of singers, composers and writers; an annual or bi-annual concert under the motto of Bahraini songs should also be organised.

However, singers applauded the steps taken recently by the information ministry when it organised a concert reviving one of Bahrain's oldest composers, Salman Zayman.

Singers also applauded the actions taken to make the Bahrain music festival an event that promotes international and local music in the kingdom.

Theatre is another sector that needs promotion. There are over five theatre clubs in Bahrain catering for conventional and contemporary acting; however, only a handful of plays are staged annually.

There is an obvious scarcity of local plays, said a director, and the reason is due to the lack of theatre halls.

Another director hoped that plays would become a monthly event and not an occasional event. He explained that plays are only staged during national day or Eid celebrations. More kids' and adult plays need to be organized and staged, he added.

The plays need to be taped and promoted locally and internationally. Bahrain's name should be marketed internationally as a theatre provider, said another director.

There are many ways to preserve and promote authentic local art. This art is the stack of memories to be preserved for the next generations. When they get to see a painting of the old Souk or listen to a national song, they will understand the meaning and identity of Bahrain.

Art should always be sought after and safeguarded, its one of the means that will transfer our past and present to the future. Art is what will be left of Bahrain's humanity.