Secretary general André back from official visit to the UAE |23 March 2022

SG Andre and Ms Alnuaimi exchanging gifts

The secretary general of the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, David André, recently got back from a three-day overseas mission in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Apart from attending the last performance from Seychelles at the Dubai EXPO 2020 on Wednesday March 20, Mr André also visited a few sites and festival venues relative to heritage, culture and the arts, namely the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.
The initial visit to the institute in Sharjah was done in February this year by the permanent secretary for the Seychelles Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, Cecile Kalebi and technical advisor Gabriel Essack. The follow-up visit by secretary general André was to discuss further tangible cultural and heritage exchange between the two institutes in which a strong and dynamic relationship could be established.

Mr André and delegates were met and hosted by Moza Alnuaimi, in charge of international relation for the Sharjah Institute, and her team.

Among the different topics discussed were the possibilities for the Sharjah Institute to cater for the recording and publication for Seychellois artists who specialise in the folklore/traditional music genre, since they have that service already available for their local folklore and traditional musicians.

It was agreed that the Sharjah Institute can offer small courses in the different ways of conserving and restoring of documents, as well as management of fungus, to Seychellois working in the heritage conservation field.
Each year, the Sharjah Institute for Heritage organises the 'Sharjah Heritage Days', whereby a different country is hosted among all the other invited countries, around 50 countries altogether.

The institute also organises exhibitions on Arabic heritage in other countries, and a proposal was made for one to be held in Seychelles in the future.
There was further discussion on Seychellois artists getting invited to the 'Sharjah Heritage Weeks', another exhibition by the Sharjah Institute, in the near future. This activity includes musical bands, handicraft, music, exhibitions, cultural lectures and demonstrations.
Secretary general André also visited the Alsekal Art Space, Dubai Culture sites and The House of Wisdom in Sharjah.
He was accompanied on his visits by the deputy commissioner of the Seychelles pavilion at the Dubai EXPO 2020, Galen Bresson, and the director for public relations, communications and marketing for the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts, Barbara Eugénie.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of secretary general Andre’s visit to the UAE.

Press release from the Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts