TODAY.AZ / Arts & Entertainment

English Shakespeare to be depicted in Azerbaijani carpets

19 May 2016 [13:28] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Amina Nazarli

A unique project has been announced in Azerbaijan to honor Shakespeare’s 450th anniversary.

The Azerbaijan Shakespeare Carpet Competition aims to bring together Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage, expressed in carpet weaving, and works of famous English poet and playwright Shakespeare.

The presentation of the competition, organized by the British Council in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts and the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, was held at the Carpet Museum on May 18.

Elizabeth White, Director of British Council Azerbaijan said that the competition is for design of a carpet in honor and inspired by the prominent poet.

“The oldest dated carpet and one of the largest, most historically important and most beautiful carpets in the world, what we call the Ardabil carpet was made in southern Azerbaijan some 15 years before Shakespeare was born. The copy of the carpet is kept at Azerbaijan’s Carpet Museum and the original carpet is now displayed in the V&A Museum in London,” she said.

For that reason, according to Elizabeth White, the organizers wanted to bring the two traditions together and celebrate Shakespeare’s anniversary through the competition.

Addressing the event, Rector of the Azerbaijan Academy of Arts Omar Eldarov noted that Shakespeare has always been important creative personality for the Azerbaijani society, and played a major role in the development of the Azerbaijani drama.

“I'm almost 90 years old,” said Omar Eldarov. “When I was a child, in Azerbaijan there was no more popular performances than the performances of plays by Shakespeare. The most popular actors were those who played a major role in these performances.”

British Council Regional Director Andy Williams also attended the presentation of the event, sharing his impressions about the positive development of the city over the past eight years since his last visit to Baku.

"The anniversary of Shakespeare is marked around the world. But only in Azerbaijan we will create a rug inspired by his work," he said.

The competition will run for three months till July 31 for every creative person. Everyone, including children, professionals and amateurs have a chance to participate in it.

The organizers say the Azerbaijan Shakespeare Carpet could be traditional, non-traditional, it also could be his portrait or show scenes from the English poet’s plays.

The design should be submitted online and it is enough to present a sketch, drawn by hand, or with a photo editor.

The winner will travel to London to visit the V&A Museum and Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.

To register and get more detailed information is possible on British Council’s web-site www.britishcouncil.az.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/entertainment/150869.html

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