Making art at The park: event brings locals and artists together

AMMAN — Launched a year ago by three friends willing to provide a solution to the lack of available spaces showcasing the creative side of the region, the “Art at The Park” initiative has grown to become an annual landmark looked forward by the local community.

“I came last year and I loved the amazing atmosphere that was perfect for both adults and children. It was a true breath of fresh air inside the capital which does not witness that many outdoor activities usually,” said Mariam Alawani, a mother of three living in Amman.

“After last year’s success, when we organised four separate events that brought in a total of 7,081 people, we received a lot of positive feedback and people have been underlining how much this type of event is needed in the country,” said Hind Joucka, one of the co-founders of Art at The Park which is running its second edition this year.

An initiative that aims to promote and encourage the local art scene in Amman by providing artists, musicians, and writers a space to unleash their creativity in an  interactive and collaborative setting, Art at The Park aims to “link the creative community with the public”, Joucka told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

“The event has a wide array of activities, ranging from an interactive creative space with live music and live arts, an outdoor library with storytelling performances, handcraft booths and local start-up vendors,” said co-founder Faisal Tutunji, who highlighted the initiative’s inclusive aspect, stressing “while entrance fee is JD2, kids under 12 years old come in for free and most activities are free of charge, because we want to make sure this is accessible to as many people as possible”.

“I had never seen something like that before in Amman: There were people creating art pieces in front of us, others drawing with chalk on the floor or sculpting clay while people were playing oud and qanun in the background. This was such a unique setting with every activity you can think of gathered in one place,” recalled British Emily Michael, who came to last week’s Art at The Park.

In addition to providing an entertaining platform for locals and artists alike, Art at The Park also has a deeply rooted civic mission, co-founder Hanna Matalka underlined. “We seek to increase awareness of local talents in the city by providing them with a platform to showcase their work and creations, while establishing an interactive setting for civic engagement, but we also want people to make use of public spaces such as parks, gardens, camps and fields,” he told The Jordan Times, adding that Art at The Park also supports young local startups with which they work hand in hand towards sustainable growth.

With over 2,000 people who attended last weekend’s edition of Art at The Park, the organisers said they are hoping for an even more fruitful year, which will help “inspire generations through originality and innovation”.

Organised at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Park in Jabal 
Luweibdeh, Art at The Park will be taking place on Friday and Saturday from 10am till 9pm.