Winners of COVID-19 art competition announced

Muscat: The Ministry of Arts Affairs has announced the names of winners of the art competition for Omani and resident creators on COVID-19 pandemic.
The competition had earlier been announced to encourage people from different age groups and cultural levels to practice and discover their artistic hobbies while staying in their homes.
The competition included different categories for different age groups and artistic fields from plastic arts, photography, theatre and cinema, to oud playing, music and folklore.
The competition attracted a large number of talented artists and the works were distinguished in content and artistic skill.
Her Excellency Dr. Suad bint Mohammed bin Ali Al Lawatia, Minister of Arts Affairs, expressed her happiness at the participation in big numbers by artists and talented people in the competition and the works that were presented.
"Through these competitions, the Ministry of Arts Affairs seeks to enhance the position of the arts in the Sultanate to provide support and care to artists and talents and discover creators from all age groups. The competition was held with the aim of motivating all members of society to stay at home during that period and at the same time invest their time by developing their capabilities, talents and skills in the field of various arts."
The minister added that the competition coincided with lectures, workshops and training courses in the various fields of art on different social media, and added: "We are happy with the high-end works that participated in various fields of art, and this is evidence of a remarkable development in the artistic sector in Sultanate thanks to the great support that our government gives."
In the field of photography, which had two topics: 'Silent Life' and 'Home Moments', the number of participating photos stood at 327, of which 43 were accepted.
In the field of plastic arts, the competition had categories for Digital Art, Arabic Calligraphy, Drawing and Photography, Cartoon Art, Video Art, and a separate category for under 18 year olds. A total of 136 works were received.
In the popular music section, the ministry received 31 participants in five fields including musical composition, singing, solo playing, and Omani folk arts like Al Musaba and Al Azi.
In the field of theatre and cinema, the ministry received 25 strong theatrical texts, some of which are surreal and some that are realistic and social, in addition to 25 short films.