Manal AlDowayan's 'Thikra' Premieres at AlUla Arts Festival 2025 with Akram Khan Choreography
In January 2025, the AlUla Arts Festival unveiled Thikra: A Night of Remembrance, showcasing choreography by Akram Khan and a soundscape crafted by Aditya Prakash. Visual director Manal AlDowayan created the sets and costumes in partnership with local artisans and Madrasat Addeera, utilizing traditional crafting methods. Natural pigments were employed for dyeing textiles, and jewelry reflected Nabataean influences. The audience was seated on sadu carpets, while the circular stage design echoed local storytelling customs. Performances took place against the backdrop of AlUla's sandstone cliffs, merging kathak dance with modern movement. Commissioned by Wadi al Fann, the production is set to launch in late 2027. The festival also featured a variety of exhibitions and performances, highlighting AlUla's rich cultural heritage.
Key facts
- Thikra: A Night of Remembrance premiered in January 2025 at AlUla Arts Festival
- Choreography by Akram Khan with music by Aditya Prakash
- Visual direction and design by Manal AlDowayan
- Commissioned by Wadi al Fann as part of pre-opening program
- Collaboration with local artisans and Madrasat Addeera created banners carried by 35 community members
- Textiles used natural pigments from landscape; jewelry drew from Nabataean heritage
- Circular set design referenced samra and traditional storytelling gatherings
- Inscription in Lahyanite script read: 'Without a past, there is no future'
Entities
Artists
- Manal AlDowayan
- Akram Khan
- Aditya Prakash
- James Turrell
- Maha Malluh
- Danieh Al Saleh
- Susanne Kriemann
- Tarek Atoui
- Sandy Chamoun
- Sarah Brahim
- Ugo Schiavi
- Abdulmohsen Binali
- Hafsa Al Khudairi
- Hayfa Algwaiz
- Bilal Allaf
Institutions
- AlUla Arts Festival
- Wadi al Fann
- Madrasat Addeera
- Athr
- N.E.S.T
- Centre Pompidou
- Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla
- Museum of the Incense Road
- Desert X AlUla
- Art d'Égypte
Locations
- AlUla
- Saudi Arabia