Saudi Arabia: International Video Art Forum Receives 67 Artistic Works from 27 Countries

Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: International Video Art Forum Receives 67 Artistic Works from 27 Countries

Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA
Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December. SPA

The Organizing Committee of the International Video Art Forum announced on Wednesday that it has received 67 artworks from 27 countries for its sixth edition. Registration will remain open until November 5, with the forum scheduled for December.

The forum, organized by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam in partnership with the Cinema Association, has received submissions from countries including Ethiopia, Australia, Argentina, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, the United States, Japan, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Peru, Slovenia, France, Palestine, Croatia, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Netherlands.

The forum's General Supervisor and Director of the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Dammam, Yousif Al-Harbi, elaborated that this year's slogan, "Imagination Embodied, Reality Transformed," reflects the transformation of imaginative ideas into tangible works of art. He emphasized that these works can impact our reality and demonstrate the power of art in bridging the gap between imagination and reality.

Al-Harbi noted that the forum has successfully showcased contemporary visual art experiences using advanced technologies in its previous five sessions, attracting over 823 artworks from more than 70 countries and offering 31 specialized seminars and workshops. It is recognized as the first international gathering for artists in the Gulf region. Each edition features an artistic theme and showcases a wide range of artistic talent, as video art is a technology-based medium that looks toward the future.

The forum and the Cinema Association plan to provide more details about this session and its activities, including a workshop at Khobar's Cinema Association headquarters. The workshop aims to create a visual cultural movement that supports and develops creative human capital by encouraging talents and artists, a commitment the forum is dedicated to maintaining.



Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
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Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)

Prince William and wife Catherine will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on the Scottish island of Mull on Tuesday, the latest step on the princess's road to recovery from cancer.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was "in remission", having announced last March she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.

She has since returned to frontline public duties, but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.

The couple will spend two days touring the western Scottish islands of Mull and Iona, where they will "celebrate and connect with rural island communities", according to their Kensington Palace office.

They will celebrate their anniversary on Mull, the fourth-largest island in Scotland, which has a population of around 3,000 people and is known for its fishing and farming communities.

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.

Since then, the royal family has undergone a tumultuous decade in which Queen Elizabeth II died after a record-breaking 70-year reign and William's father, King Charles III, ascended to the throne.

Charles revealed last year he had been diagnosed with cancer, and is still receiving weekly treatment.

William's brother Harry also dropped a bombshell when he announced in 2020 that he was quitting the family. He now lives in the United States with wife Meghan.

All of which drama should be a long way from the tranquility of rural Scotland, where the royal couple will arrive on Tuesday for a two-day trip.

William and Catherine will spend time with members of the local communities "reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment" -- two subjects close to both their hearts, said Kensington Palace.

On arrival, they will visit an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory, meeting some of the island's makers and creators before heading to a local croft to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality.

On the second day, the couple will visit an ancient woodland and join a local school group for an outdoor lesson.

They will round the trip off by taking a public ferry to Mull's tiny neighbor Iona, which has a population of around 170 people but receives around 130,000 visitors a year.