SIKKA Art Fair, an artist-led fair of fully commissioned works, by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) will organise a series of workshops on arts, painting, poetry, music and dance that are open to the public, taking arts closer to the community at the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood from March 14 to 24, 2015.

This year, SIKKA is hosting an impressive line-up of 50 Emirati and UAE-based artists, in addition to three collectives and two arts initiatives. An array of visual arts projects, music, live performances, video art and workshops, among others, will be held at SIKKA, which also marks the formal start of the second Dubai Art Season, the umbrella arts initiative by Dubai Culture.

On March 21, artist Ghada Il-Dehny will lead a workshop on basic techniques at the Al Serkal Cultural Foundation Heritage House from 4 to 5pm. Guests will be invited to paint on a large canvas that will be displayed during SIKKA.

Dubai Moving Image Museum, which showcases the progress achieved by mankinds quest to capture movement through light and shadow, initially, to modern digital technologies, will be held at Heritage House from 4 to 5pm on March 19.

From 8 to 9pm on March 22, The Gaia Art Centre will organise an art workshop at Heritage House, where Ashwin (aka Imagyine) will share the intricacies of interpreting music with art.

Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah will organise a portrait workshop on March 23, from 4 to 5pm, encouraging participants to experience the application of two art techniques photography and painting & collage of different materials to reflect their personalities and moods.

On March 20 & 23, from 8 to 9pm, Dubai International Art Centre will organise a mixed media art workshop at Heritage House. The focus is on creating artwork for collage, textures, surfaces and making 3D objects with various materials to explore ideas about form, colour, space and light.

On March 19, from 8 to 9pm, pop culture enthusiast Omar Sharif will talk about how animation influences the UAE generation.

Architectural Heritage Society will organise a workshop on gypsum carving on March 18 & 24 from 4 to 5pm, on traditional gypsum ornaments and how to create gypsum moulds and decorate them. On March 18, Amoz Katz, Lecturer & Technical Manager of the Arts & Media at NYU Abu Dhabi, will conduct a workshop on filmmaking from 8 to 9pm.

Design House will host crafting leather workshops on March 20 from 2.30 to 5pm, where participants can learnt the traditional craft of shaping locally sourced camel leather. Traditional techniques such as moulding, stamping and stitching allow craftsmen to transform and shape flat sheets of camel leather to a myriad of complex 3D forms.

Monica Antezena will host a contemporary dance workshop on March 20 from 4 to 5pm for children at Heritage House, highlighting the benefits and opportunities available through education in dance. Also on March 20, Design House will conduct a workshop on pattern drawing that allow for the creation of highly articulate and ornamental symmetrical patterns.

Design House will also organise a creative doll making workshop on March 21 from 3 to 7pm, where the participants will have the chance to turn a simple drawing of a character they love into a doll which they can keep.

On March 22, visitors can take part in gelatine print making and bookbinding at Design House from 7 to 9pm. Each participant will make their own prints, making a mini accordion book of unique patterns and ornaments. On March 23, participants can learn about making their own low-brow zine using limited resources at Design House. This is based on this years Design House theme, re-ornamentation.

All the workshops except the Animation Chamber and the Design House will be held at the Al Serkal Cultural Foundation Heritage House.

SIKKA draws its name from the alleyways between the historic houses of Dubai, and serves as a metaphor that befits the young and upcoming artists who seek to establish their creative and professional paths through their participation in the fair. All sessions are open for the public.