Pencil In
6 November 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Pencil In is a writers’ group created to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone, together! We at 421 love the idea of body-doubling (working near or around someone to help stay focused and engaged) when we are working, writing, and creating.
In these communal writing sessions, we invite you to polish your writing skills while receiving valuable feedback from experienced peer reviewers in English and/or Arabic, having active conversations with other like-minded writers, and enjoying a safe space to share personal texts and works.
Open to ages 18 and above.
No prior experience is required, just a love for the written word!
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Stitch In
8 November 2025
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join us for ‘Stitch-In for Palestine’, a workshop series where you’ll learn to embroider meaningful motifs.
Tatreez, the centuries-old craft of Palestinian embroidery, is a testament to the richness of Palestinian identity and culture. It began with intricate cross-stitch motifs adorning the linen dresses of Palestinian women and has since expanded to embellish garments, household items, and wall pieces.
This is a beginner friendly workshop; no prior embroidery experience is required!
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An Afternoon of Stitching and Reading Our Narrative Threads
8 November 2025
11:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join us for a special afternoon celebrating the release of Narrative Threads. The event will include a Stitch In led by Joanna Barakat, followed by a book reading and signing.
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Panel Talk: Demystifying Open Call Opportunities
9 November 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
This panel discussion brings together artistic practitioners and program leads who have shaped these programs to reflect on the considerations that go into sculpting such opportunities, what they look for in each cycle, why they believe these initiatives are essential to the UAE’s cultural and artistic landscape, and how their pedagogies have shifted over time.
This session features contributions from Sara Bin Safwan (Lead Facilitator for 421’s Homebound Residency Cohort 1 and other international residencies), Diego Del Pozo Barriuso (Co-founder of Full Special Studio and Program Lead), Abhirami Suresh (Program lead for the Youth Assembly at Jameel Arts Center), and Dana Al Mazrouei (Manager of Learning Intiatives at 421 inclusive of leading the Creative Facilitator and Internship Programs).
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Stitch In
23 November 2025
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Join us for ‘Stitch-In for Palestine’, a workshop series where you’ll learn to embroider meaningful motifs.
Tatreez, the centuries-old craft of Palestinian embroidery, is a testament to the richness of Palestinian identity and culture. It began with intricate cross-stitch motifs adorning the linen dresses of Palestinian women and has since expanded to embellish garments, household items, and wall pieces.
This is a beginner friendly workshop; no prior embroidery experience is required!
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Lights, Camera, Table Read!
9 December 2025
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Step into the world of storytelling with this special table read activation, where scripts leap off the page and come alive through collective reading.
An open call will invite playwrights and screenwriters across the UAE to submit their speculative manuscripts, think speculative, future-focused, experimental, Sci-Fi, non-linear, or even absurdist works. From the submissions, one English-language manuscript will be selected to take center stage.
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Stitch In
14 December 2025
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Join us for ‘Stitch-In for Palestine’, a workshop series where you’ll learn to embroider meaningful motifs.
Tatreez, the centuries-old craft of Palestinian embroidery, is a testament to the richness of Palestinian identity and culture. It began with intricate cross-stitch motifs adorning the linen dresses of Palestinian women and has since expanded to embellish garments, household items, and wall pieces.
This is a beginner friendly workshop; no prior embroidery experience is required!
See more