Sunday 2 November
Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy’s Ashara Balady at Ard El-Lewa, 3pm
A celebration of art in public space, brought to Ard El-Lewa by Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy and Art El-Lewa. To mark their 10-year anniversary, Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy launched Ashara Balady, a project that aims at training 10-15 art animators in 10 governorates across Egypt. Trainees then go on to plan events in public spaces in their respective governorates. This is their fourth event. The project will run through January 2015.
13 Mohamed Aly El-Eseary, Ard El-Lewa, Giza
Screening of 2 Autumns, 3 Winters at Zawya
2 Autumns, 3 Winters is written and directed by French filmmaker Sebastien Betbeder. The film follows the life of three characters, 33-year-old Arman (Vincent Macaigne), Amélie (Maud Wyler) and Benjamin (Bastien Bouillon) who intermittently turn to the camera to narrate the story.
Cinema Odeon, Downtown Cairo
Qarm Qart in conversation with Margot Badran at Mashrabia Gallery, 7pm
Historian Margot Badran will lead a conversation with artist Qarm Qart about his latest work Restart, which is currently on display at Mashrabia. According to the gallery’s website, “Restart is a pause into our hectic daily life. A time off to think about the world and ourselves.”
8 Champollion St., Downtown Cairo
Also on this day:
-Screening of Divorzio all'italiana (Divorce Italian Style) at the Italian Cultural Institute, 7pm
-Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
Monday 3 November
Concert for children at the Cairo Opera House, 11am
The programme will include wellknown works commonly featured in children's concerts: Camille Saint-Saëns' suite Carnival of the Animals and Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, a story told by a narrator and accompanied by the orchestra. The soloists are Elena Dzamashvili and Haitham Ibrahim. The narrator, speaking in Arabic, is Raouf Zaidan.
Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo
Solo exhibition by Gamal Meleka at Misr Gallery
Born in Cairo but trained in Milan, Gamal Meleka is one of Egypt’s foremost visual artists. He has produced work using a range of mediums that include painting, sculpture and photography, some of which is exhibited as permanent collections in several cities, museums and art galleries including: Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, Modern Art Exhibition in Rome, Italian-Egyptian Relations Development Centre in Italy, Keller Gallery in Zurich (Switzerland) and Hay Hill Gallery in London.
4A Ibn Zinki St., Zamalek, Cairo
El-Raseef Book Fair at El-Raseef
Beit El-Raseef inviteS bookworms for its second annual book fair, running from 1-10 November and displaying thousands of books for sale. Prices range between 1LE and 20LE.
Villa 9, Street 151, Maadi, Cairo
Also on this day:
-Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
-Screening of 2 Autumns, 3 Winters at Zawya
Tuesday 4 November
Screening of Searching for Sugarman at Arab Digital Expression Foundation, 7pm
As part of their biographical musical film program, ADEF will host a screening of Searching for Sugarman, an Oscar-winning 2013 documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of folk singer Sixto Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was the greatest 1970s rock icon who never was. His albums were well-received, but sales bombed, and he faded away into obscurity among rumours of a gruesome death. However, as fate would have it, a bootleg copy of his record made its way to South Africa, where his music became a phenomenal success. When his second album finally gets released on CD in South Africa, two fans take it as a sign, deciding to look into the mystery of how Rodriguez died and what happened to all of the profits from his album sales.
43, Street 8 off Nafoura Square, Moqattam, Cairo
Mohamed Mohsen at the Cairo Opera House, 8pm
Mohamed Mohsen is a young Egyptian singer and a rising star. He'll perform as part of the Arab Music Festival which takes place at the Cairo Opera House. Earlier this year authorities stopped him from performing at Egypt's Arts Celebrations, allegedly due to his revolutionary music, citing “security concerns.”
Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo
Mohaned Nur solo exhibition at Nile Sunset Annex
Mohaned Nur’s first solo exhibition is composed of flat photographic images, featuring artificial space and containing bodies and faces. Glistening graphics are then contrasted with exposed surfaces.
Flat 17, 4th Floor, 1071 Corniche El-Nil, Garden City, Cairo
Also on this day:
-Screening of 2 Autumns, 3 Winters at Zawya
-Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
Wednesday 5 November
The Mincer at Jesuites Culture Centre in Alexandria, 8pm
The performance is part of a larger project to research theatrical capacities in unconventional spaces. The performance is directed by Nadet Adel and Hakeem Abdel-Naeem and features a number of artists and disciplines within the theatrical piece. The performance will be repeated at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on 12 November and in Cairo's Rawabet theatre on 8 and 9 December.
298 Portsaid Street, Cleopatra, Alexandria
Helmi El-Touni retrospective at the American University in Cairo
In the first exhibition devoted exclusively to Helmi El-Touni’s graphic design career, the Sharjah Art Gallery is displaying a selection of his works, honouring 50 years of designs and illustrations. Curated by Nagla Samir and Bahia Shehab, head of the AUC’s graphic design department, the exhibition shares the El-Touni’s legacy.
Being displayed at a university, the exhibition also addresses students allowing them to explore and be nurtured by El-Touni's art process. As such, for the first time, the artist reveals the backstage of his craft, showcasing his pencil sketches, mockups, and the side notes he wrote when working on designs.
Sharjah Gallery, AUC, New Cairo
Also on this day:
-Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
Thursday 6 November
FUSED concert at Darb 1718, 7pm
Cairo Jazz Club Agency and Darb 1718 bring together artists from Europe and Egypt presenting a variety of electronic and world music acts. The participating musicians include: Aabzu (Poland), Solhorn (Denmark), Mongol (Denmark), Machine Eat Man (Egypt) and IRISHsteirish (Austria).
Qasr Al-Shamee Street, Al-Fakhareen, Old Cairo (behind the Hanging Church and Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque)
Also on this day:
- Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
- The Mincer performance at Jesuites Culture Center Alexandria at 8pm (see Wednesday 5 November for more details)
Friday 7 November
Taxi festival in Alexandria stadium, all day
The festival will present a variety of art forms and sports activities. The music section will include performances of independent artists such as Paranoia, Sorour Project, El Sheikh Zein and Maryam Saleh. The event will begin at 10am and continue until 9pm.
Alexandria stadium, entry from gate 16, Alexandria
Launch of Helm Elnoor at Ewart Memorial Hall, 8pm
Helm Elnoor Initiative aims at empowering talented youth, between 18 and 25-years-old, by providing them with professional training, a tool kit of critical thinking and the necessary personal skills to enhance their ability of self-expression. This will be done through a training camp and professional workshops. The event will include performances by the Cairo Celebration Choir and NUT Dance Company along with the poetry reading by Amin and Ahmed Haddad.
American University in Cairo main campus, Downtown, Cairo
Also on this day:
- Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
Saturday 8 November
The Sounds of Garbage at Darb1718, 4pm
As part of the ongoing activities hosted alongside the Out To Sea? - Cairo exhibition, Darb1718 is hosting to a jamming session followed by a drum circle. Audiences are invited to invent their own recycled instruments to produce a myriad of sounds. Bring along the plastic bottles and other recycled material.
Qasr Al-Shamee Street, Al-Fakhareen, Old Cairo (behind the Hanging Church and Amr Ibn Al-Aas Mosque)
Flamenco evening at the Arab Music Institute, 8pm
Singer and pianist Maria Toledo will lead an evening filled with Flamenco. She will be accompanied by Julio Cesar Alcocer on percussion, David Moreira on violin, Jesus del Rosario on guitar and dancer Monica Fernandez.
22, Ramsis Street, Downtown Cairo
Also on this day:
- Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
Sunday 9 November
Pianist from China at the Arabic Music Institute, 8pm
Pianist Xiaoxi Wu from China will perform works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Prokofiev and Scriabin. The concert is part of the International Music Centre’s activities, organised in cooperation with the Embassy of China.
22 Ramsis Street, Downtown Cairo
Opening Ceremony of Cairo International Film Festival at the Cairo Opera House
The 36th annual Cairo International Film Festival opens at the Cairo Opera House with The Cut by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin.
Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo
Also on this day:
- Arabic Music Festival at the Cairo Opera House
