‘Art at the Park’ returns upon locals’ demand

AMMAN — Following the wave of enthusiasm generated by its first July edition, the founders of Art at the Park have launched a new round of events, to take place on September 22 and 29. 

The three friends (Hind​ ​Joucka,​ ​Faisal​ ​Tutunji and​ ​Hanna​ ​Matalka) did not expect such a turn-out when they set up their first edition in July. 

“The number of people who showed up exceeded by far what we had in mind,” Joucka told The Jordan Times on Wednesday, adding “because kids under 12 got in for free, the word spread out and families turned out in mass”.

“After the event, we got a tremendous amount of positive feedback through social media, with people even calling every Friday asking us for directions to the park,” she recalled.

Building upon that popular request, the trio decided to launch a September edition, with some new twists to the initial formula. “This time, we are incorporating the dance element, to make the event even more comprehensive of all cultural components,” the 24-year old said.

A holistic approach to art is the idea that initially pushed those three young Jordanians to create Art at the Park: ““It offers a different concept, because it is merging all different components of culture in a spontaneous, collaborative way,” Joucka explained.

“We offer people the chance to come together and enjoy themselves in an open-air, creative environment,” she added.

Spontaneous jump sessions, live clay sculpting, open air library are among the many activities proposed by local artists.

“Our main aim is to promote all forms of local talents,especially those who need a platform to start,” Tutunji said, adding “we had some artists who were scared to sing in public but they dared to do it with us.”

Galyna Pryklonska, a student at the National Music Conservatory, did not hesitate when the trio asked her to come back for the second edition. “I love the idea of bringing music into a public space and to get to know different musicians while seeing how the public reacts to what we are playing,” the vocalist said.

“Everything about this event is really ‘outside the box’: the location, the collaborative and spontaneous mindset, the positive energy; it brings a ray of sunshine into our daily lives,” she added.

This probably comes from the friendly, open-minded atmosphere that floats around the park, where the public is encouraged to meet the artists, exchange ideas with them and even, end up being artists themselves by picking an instrument and tagging along, the trio said. 

With “Amman on Canvas”, attendees are encouraged to reach out on a large canvas with an art medium of their choice -chalk, watercolours, acrylic, among others — creating a collaborative piece reflecting the “spirit of Amman”, the trio said in a statement. 

Ghaith Bahdousheh and his famous 1970s Mercedes car, which goes around the neighbourhood displaying custom made books and offering storytelling sessions, will also be part of the showcase. 

“We want to encourage people to read, speak with the ​librarian to learn more about the local literary scene,” she said, adding “we have so many talents that are too often overlooked. This is a platform for them to spark their creativity and make themselves known to the public.”

Organised at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts’ park in collaboration with Kawon, Waragami World and Yamaha Music Square, the event will display a selection of homemade handcrafts, food outlets offering organic and heritage ingredients and young business owners who started their own family business.  

“We want to encourage people to go out, to step away from the mentality of sitting in a coffee shop to instead go enjoy an outdoor setting within their community,” Matalka explained. 

“There is a brighter side to everything that happens around us, we want people to forget the grimness of everyday life and, maybe, we can help in raising awareness on the importance of outdoor settings for the community,” she concluded, citing the trio’s fledging idea of using proceeds towards the rehabilitation of local parks.

The event will be​ ​open to the public​ ​from​​ ​​10am​ ​to​ ​7pm​ ​in​ ​the​ ​garden​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Jordan​ ​National​ ​Gallery​ ​of​ ​Fine​ ​Arts.