Sharjah: The Sharjah Book Authority is making preparations for the 14th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2023). The festival will be held at Expo Centre Sharjah from May 3 to 14 and will offer 946 children’s activities, including workshops, sports, crafts, and music activities led by 25 guests from 10 different countries. The workshops are spread across seven stations, each offering unique activities in different fields, catering to children of all ages and skill levels.
The festival’s main objective is to provide young participants with an enjoyable experience that combines fun and practical knowledge while also enhancing their skills in various fields. The 2023 festival theme is ‘Train your Brain,’ which aims to inspire children to develop their intellectual capacity and to be more creative and innovative.
The workshops at the festival are diverse and aim to cater to different interests and skill levels. For instance, the OliOli Museum offers workshops that include adventure and competition, while the handicrafts station offers workshops on traditional arts, crafts, and design. The skills station will offer workshops to develop hobbies and professional skill sets, whereas the sports station includes workshops that focus on games and physical activities.
The music station will host workshops teaching children how to play different musical instruments. The robotics and science stations offer workshops that focus on teaching unique scientific concepts and technologies.
One of the most exciting workshops at SCRF 2023 will be Grand Prix Racing, where participants can create wooden cars and race them on a special track.
Another workshop is stop-motion animation, where participants learn the intermittent movement technique to create a story about their favourite book using the same characters and plot as in the movies that are often based on books. The festival will further workshops in DJing, filmmaking, and entrepreneurship, among others.
In addition to the workshops, the festival will feature a packed program of 1,732 activities led by 457 guests from 66 countries. There will also be 136 theater performances, roaming and acrobatic shows, and music concerts led by 16 guests from 16 countries. Overall, SCRF 2023 is an excellent opportunity for children to learn and have fun while exploring different fields and meeting people from various cultures.