A press conference was held on 10 January at 1:00 pm under the patronage of H.E. Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, president of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, and Thinkers & Doers to announce the international conference « Investing in Culture: Social & Business Impacts » to be held on January 19th in Manama.
Details of the upcoming event were unveiled in a press conference which was attended by BACA President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, ARCWH director Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki, Amandine Lepoutre, founder and Chief Executive Officer of THINKERS and DOERS, cultural officials and the media.
H.E Shaikha Mai said, “We invest in culture in our country through a project we launched years ago to create a partnership between the private and public sector. We aim to realize our goals and fulfill our dreams that culture will be a leading force in the present and future in Bahrain. Investing in culture is the winning card that will hopefully anchor a pioneering cultural tourism initiative in the region and the world as a whole.” H.E added that, “The real assets of our countries are the monuments and attractions that we boast to revive and animate through the campaign we launched under the slogan ‘Bahrain, Your Destination’.”
Dr. Bouchenaki, for his part, stressed the importance of investing in culture given that it is UNESCO’s main principle and given its crucial role in the sustainable development of local communalities. Dr. Bouchenaki also pointed out the importance of such a conference, a first time event to be held in the Arab world, which demonstrates the cultural leading role in the economic and tourism developments projects.
Mrs. Amandine Lepoutre lauded the strenuous efforts deployed by Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities to preserve and protect national heritage and build communication bridges and contacts between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the rest of the world. Mrs. Lepoutre voiced her proudness and satisfaction with working hand -in- hand with BACA to unite ideas, cultures and civilizations throughout the globe. Lepoutre added that the Thinkers & Doers foundation mission is to build cultural bridges and strengthen links between Europe and the Arab world; it is an organization aiming at bringing together those who inspire innovative thinking and emerging projects on the most pressing and challenging fields.
The conferences will be held on 19 January 2016 at the Bahrain National Theatre, the Bahrain National Museum and Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. The event is expected to attract more than three-hundred investors, officials representing the public and private sectors, decision-makers, bank officials and owners of cultural and creative projects.
For registration, bookings and further queries surf Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities (BACA) website: culture.gov.bh.
Through a one-day invitation-only conference gathering more than 300 of the most important investors, cultural leaders, artists, cultural industries & medias, Thinkers & Doers seeks to reflect around how to improve, promote and materialize investments in the cultural sector. Talks, pitches and workshops will have one single target: to create and share the most concrete, relevant and sustainable ideas as well as solutions to stimulate investments and project developments. In this context, investors keen on making a positive difference face questions: Which projects to invest in? On which criteria can one assess cultural investment opportunity? How to add value to the intangible? How to create a positive impact for economy & society?
After the conference, lovers of magic music will have a rendez-vous with an unforgettable night is in store as renowned Japanese New Age artist Missa Johnouchi performs live on stage accompanied by the Bahrain Music Band. Missa Johnouchi and the Bahrain Music Band performance takes place on January 19 at the Bahrain National Theatre at 7pm. Tickets for balconies 1& 2 only are available from Virgin Megastore outlets and online at www.virginmegastore.me
http://culture.gov.bh/en/mediacenter/news/2016/January2016/Name,12821,en.html