Students from John Moffet Elementary School prepare for a percussion performance at the Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration last year.
A View of the Arab World Through Art
by Erin Maguire, The Bulletin
published May 19, 2009
More than 200 students from seven city schools will showcase Arab culture in the form of dance, poetry, music and art Thursday, at the School District of Philadelphia’s atrium on 440 N. Broad St. from 11:15 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. The program is the second annual Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration, presented by Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and the School District of Philadelphia. It is free and open to the public, and attendees will have the chance to drink Arab coffee and meet with students in sessions following the event.
Dennis Creedon, the administrator of the School District’s Office of Comprehensive Arts Education, and Hazami Sayed, Al-Bustan’s executive director, will open the event, which will begin with a 4-minute video highlighting Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s February visit to Philadelphia schools. Students were encouraged through reading Ms. Nye’s poetry to explore their own heritages and express themselves through art. Ms. Nye’s work — which served as the catalyst for this year’s Arab Arts and Heritage Celebration — has a diverse intended audience, from children to adults, and centers on the universal themes of heritage and peace.
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