Events in Amman, May 1 – 7 - 7iber

Happy Labor Day! May is here, and Amman’s arts and culture calendar is getting packed. This week two festival kick off; the Holland Festival, which features a concert by RUM – Tareq Al-Nasser group with the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble at the Palace of Culture, and the Zakharef in Motion Dance Festival, which features world renowned choreographers like Victor Ullate, STORM as well as pioneering companies like Danish Dance Theatre, Eva Duda Dance, Sonia Sabri, Abraham in Motion and many others.

To mark World Press Freedom Day, a panel discussion tackling freedom of access to information in Jordan will be held at the United Nations building (University of Jordan street) on Tuesday. Tomorrow (Monday) the Jordan Media Institute is hosting a panel discussion titled Arab Media and the Winds of Change in the Region.

On Friday a very interesting art exhibition titled “We Have Woven the Motherlands with Nets of Iron” opens at the Jiza Railway Station. It examines the possibilities of – and barriers to – recreating regional ties by bringing together artists from the countries involved in the Hejaz railway and attempts to investigate what remains of such projects, such lines, in this changing age. You can enjoy a two-hour train ride from Amman to Jiza, where you will find different art works, installations, and performances.

Amman Tech Tuesdays marks its anniversary edition this week, with a special open tech expo and talks by HE Karim Kawar (Kawar Group), Dr. Abdel Malik Jaber (COO, Zain Group), Husni Khuffash (Country Manager, Microsoft Jordan) and Jawad Abbassi (CEO, Arab Advisors Group).

Read on for details on these events as well as film screenings, artist talks, exhibitions, and live music.

Sunday May 1, 2011

Exhibition Opening: Houses From Memory, by Dhuha Alkhudairy at Dar Al Anda, 6:30pm. Until May 12. Tel: 462 9599

Monday May 2, 2011

Amman Contemporary Dance Festival, performance from Norway, at the Hussein Cultural Center, 8:00 pm.

Concert with French/Algerian classical musician Chems, at the French Institute (French Cultural Center/Jabal Luweibdeh), 7:30 PM.

Panel Discussion on Arab Media and Winds of Change in the Region, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, at the Jordan Media Institute (behind Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Airport Road), 4:00 pm.

Exhibition Opening: Bulb, by Bader Mahasneh at Foresight32 Art Gallery, at 6:00pm. Until May 22. Tel: 556 0080

Tuesday May 3, 2011

Artist Talk: Rijin Sahakian, founder of the Echo (Sadda) foundation, will give a presentation on the newly established initiative and its efforts to document and strengthen Iraqi art practices in both Iraq and the diaspora at Darat Al Funun on May 3 at 6:30pm. Tel: 464 3251.

Debating Freedom of Access to Information in Jordan: Barriers and Prospects, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2011, at the United Nations Building/Univeristy of Jordan Street. 11:00 am

Amman Tech Tuesdays: the Anniversary Edition, at Zara Expo, 3:00 pm – 9:30 pm. (Talks start at 7:00 pm)

Netherlands Blazers Ensemble and Rum Tareq Al Nasser Group, Palace of Culture, 7:00 pm. Tickets JD 5,

Film Screening: “Requiem from Java”/Indonesia, 7:00pm, Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation,Amman, btw 1st Circle and 2nd Circle.

Wednesday May 4, 2011

Meeting Points 6: Infinite Times Zero, Sound performance and installation by Tarek Atoui at Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts sculpture garden, at 6:30 pm

Music: Bayt al-Ruwwad group led by Sakher Hattar, Al-Hussein Cultural Center, 7:30 pm.

Zakharef in Motion Dance Festival
Spain, Víctor Ullate Ballet – Comunidad de Madrid, Wonderland, at the Hussein Cultural Center/Ras al-Ain, 7:30 pm.

Thursday May 5, 2011

Zakharef in Motion Dance Festival
Hungary, Éva Duda Dance Company: Overdose, at the Hussein Cultural Center/Ras al-Ain, 7:30 pm.

Friday May 6, 2011

Exhibition Opening of ‘We Have Woven the Motherlands with Nets of Iron’, 5:00 PM, event includes a live poetry performance by Ayham Agha at 6 PM. A train is available to take you from the Amman train station to the exhibition at the Giza train station and back! The train leaves at 3 PM and takes 2 hours to get to Giza. The train will come back from the exhibition at around 7 PM. To reserve your seat on the train call 0779335778 or 0797734498 or email [email protected]