With the support of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Scintilla Monaco, an exclusive European diamond brand, has embarked on a campaign to engage female students of Zayed University and the Dubai Women's College in a novel poetry competition.
The month-long contest, titled “A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever”, after poet John Keat’s famous line, was launched this week and encourages students to express beauty in poetry, inspired by Scintilla Monaco’s creations. To fully support the local cultural expression, the competition will have two separate prizes for classical Arabic and Nabati poems.
“Poetry is a thriving art form in the Middle East and Scintilla Monaco is pleased to be associated with this fantastic medium of expression,” explained Nicoletta Danieli, Marketing Manager of Scintilla Monaco. “By launching this imaginative competition, we would like to encourage UAE students to keep this tradition alive.”
The competition ends on December 15th and the winner will be crowned at a glittering ceremony on January 16, 2007. The competition was presented to the students by well-known BBC presenter Nima Abu Wardeh.
Winners of the competition will be awarded a precious jewel created by Scintilla Monaco and will also have the possibility to see their poems published in some of the renowned fashion magazines in the Arab world and in Scintilla Monaco’s Middle East catalogue.
Danieli thanked the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and local institutes such as the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for supporting the initiative. She added that the competition was in line with Scintilla Monaco’s efforts to build strong relationships with artistic communities the world over.
“Each of our creations is characterised by a passion of artistic beauty and we have always been an enthusiastic patron of art and culture,” she added. “In the past, Scintilla Monaco has encouraged talented poets to create poetry inspired by beauty and love, which we have later used in our communication material.”
In 2004, Marcel Fiegel, a talented British poet, inspired by the spirit of each collection, created a special introduction of Scintilla Monaco designs for the brand’s catalogue, communicating their authentic meaning through a series of short dialogues and poems.
Danieli pointed out that the competition will first be held in the UAE and later expanded to Saudi Arabia in March 2007. “Our search for the right talent now extends to the Middle East, which, since time immemorial, has been a cradle of art and literature,” she said.
The jury of the first competition will comprise of, among other dignitaries, two of well-known Middle Eastern poets Ali Al Khawar and Al Hanouf, as well as Isabella Camera D'Afflitto, one of the most renowned professors of Arabic in Italy. Prof. D’Afflitto has translated the works of several Arabic authors in Italian and is also actively involved in promoting Arabic culture in Europe.
The presence of Camera D'Afflitto provides Scintilla Monaco an opportunity to give an international dimension to the competition, in the full respect of the Arabic culture and towards the promotion of inter-cultural dialogue, Danieli said.
Dr. Hanan Hairab, Communication Technology Chair at DWC, said that the contest would go a long way towards encouraging the poetry form among the younger generation. “The Dubai Womens' College has a thriving poet community and we are keen that initiatives such as this will develop greater interest in our cultural traditions,” Hairab said.
“I believe that it is a unique opportunity for the students to participate in this competition, to practice the Arabic Language and to express their feelings. This opportunity will inspire them to use their imagination and to get closer to the Arabic culture,” she added.
“We welcome Scintilla Monaco’s effort and are keen to make this a successful event,” added Patricia Robinson, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs of Zayed University.
