Saudi Gazette ‘HAKAYA MiSK' festival, the first celebration in the Kingdom that focuses on giving talented young Saudis the chance to develop their creative skills, proved to be a big draw in Riyadh by attracting the attention of many youth and children. The six days festival, which hopes to have more than 100,000 visitors, is organized by MiSK Charity Foundation at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC). ‘Hakaya MiSK' started on Aug. 22 and will end on Aug. 27. It has four main sections, which are writing, drawing, animation and visual production. There are also sections to sell artistic products including drawings, toys, and books. There is also a section for children where adults are not allowed entry. Families can enjoy their wait period by drinking coffee and eating snacks from the small food booths. Several workshops focusing on writing, drawing as well as video editing are being held during the festival to motivate youth to be part of this innovative culture. Many youth were showcasing their work during the festival. Several plays and short films have been presented in the festival such as, ‘Basta', a short film that is directed by Hind Al-Fahhad. The event turned out to be an exciting experience to both participants and visitors. Naif Alshayiqi, a project manager in one of the creative companies ‘RGB' and a participant in the festival, explained that he did not expect this response since the visitors' interactions were very positive in everything they saw and we presented from paper craft, presenting videos about Japan, and even the origami, which is focus on the art of paper folding. He said, "This festival for sure would have an effect since more youth would be encouraged to participate and show their works and people will see that there are many talented youth in the field of writing, drawing, animation, or production. It is very beautiful and inspiring to see these groups in ‘Hakaya MiSK' and I hope we see more and fresh talent again in a new edition next year." Heba Mustafa, a Saudi visitor to the festival, said, "I did not expect that the event would be so stirring and beautiful. It is very inspiring. I am planning to come again tomorrow with my kids so they can enjoy the children section and will buy some stuff from the sections that have products on sale."
