2009

on the edge of empty quarters

The first edition of Sandscapes was held amidst the dunes of the Bab-Al-Shams Desert, Sandscapes's only venue situated outside the city of Dubai. The arrangements for music were extremely innovative in their design and execution; professional speakers were connected to car batteries, and filtered flood lights provided an ambience unlike anything seen before. Over 10 families participated by assisting in the setup of the stage or providing food. The overwhelming feedback received after the first event convinced the Seth family to make Sandscapes an annual occurence, and to support a cause with the money raised. Mawaheb from Beautiful People, where Chan and Ash had been volunteering at for 2 years, was chosen because of its commitment to creating a community of creative individuals for adults with special needs.

2010

emeG conservation reserve

During the course of 2010, Chan and Ash became actively involved in the conservation of green gulf turtles through the World Wide Fund in Dubai. One of the main proponents of this conservation effort is the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), with a conversation reserve situated approximately one hour from Dubai. In order to support their efforts, Manu and Harpreet decided to hold the next edition of Sandscapes at this reserve, a beautiful venue where waters from the Arabian Gulf meet sandy shores. Guests of Sandscapes 2010 were given tours around the reserve, where they had the opportunity to interact with green gulf turtles in their natural habitat, while learning about their daily habits. The tours also enabled attendees to witness flora and fauna unique to the Emirati deserts. Sandscapes 2010 features over 30 performances, 8 of them performed by artists at Mawaheb from Beautiful People. Art supplies and gifts were presented to all participants at the end of the event, and over 2,000AED in gifts were raised for Mawaheb.

2012

dubai park

On 6th January 2012, the third edition of Sandscapes surpassed all earlier editions by not only by the sheer level of participation but also the quality of the painting workshops, art exhibitions and music concerts. Held to raise awareness and monetary support for the young adult artists with special needs at Mawaheb, the event brought art and music together in the setting of the beautiful Dubai Park right in the heart of the city. Understanding the true spirit of the event, Ismaili Centre spared no efforts by not only providing the venue, but also providing support through their dedicated team of volunteers. This confluence of art and music lasted more than 7 hours with people pouring in to participate from 2pm till after 9pm.

The main attractions of the event were the art exhibitions organized by artists from Mawaheb from beautiful people, Kalangan Fine Arts Society, Manzil Centre for Children with Special Needs, and Artists from the Ismaili Centre, along with a large collection of paintings from Chan and Ash Seth. Art activities at the event included an artist Camp and t-shirt painting workshop. The artist camp included several established artists that painted live at the venue and spoke to the public all their work. Inspired by the beautiful setting of the park, they created some stunning paintings. The t-shirt painting workshop was an instant hit among all the children. Volunteers from the Scouts and Guides from the Ismaili Centre took the centre stage in organizing this workshop with other young artist volunteers. Amateur photographers of all ages nurtured their photography skills through a workshop conducted by Anurag Tripathi, a professional photographer. Over 4000AED in gifts were collected for Mawaheb from Beautiful People.

2013

2013 saw the most extensive list of events organized by the Seth family, which lasted for over 10 hours. For the first time, paintings by students enrolled in art programs was exhibited alongside the work of established artists, in order to facilitate dialogue between artists possessing different levels of experience. The schools featured included Emirates International School, St. Mary's School, and Gems Academy. In addition to the work of artists from Mawaheb, painting by artists from Al Noor Center, the Dubai Autism Center, and Manzil all had the opportunity to share their work with an audience of over 3000 community members. The program of events also featured a big band performance by the Aga Khan Scouts and Guides Group, along with a tour of the Ismaili Center by the Ismaili Center Tour Ambassadors. The Ladies Dubai Book Club organized a sale of used books, and all proceeds, a total of 2000AED were donated to Mawaheb from Beautiful People. The day's festivities included over 30 music performances; Core 304, an established rock band in Dubai, performed a stellar set for an audience of over 500 fans, marking their third time performing at Sandscapes. Other notable mentions included the bands Roots and Salvation. 

2014

dubai park

 "Nothing is more important than raising our children with an awareness of the exceptional talents possessed by people with special needs and making a consistent effort to use art and music to bring them into mainstream society", Harpreet Seth emphasized when making the opening speech at Sandscapes 2014. As a senior lecturer for architecture at Heriot Watt University in Dubai, Mrs. Seth is one of the founders of Sandscapes, and has certainly made a constant effort to integrate various creative communities, including Mawaheb, Manzil and the Dubai Autism Center, with the activities of other established artists in Dubai.

Chan Seth, Mrs. Seth's son and a passionate pianist, heavily emphasized the importance of the confluence of art and music. "I think that the labels of artist and musician are starting to waver in today's society; increasingly, we find musicians creating their own album art and artists using music as an essential component of their artworks. I think that creativity, in general, is where we truly connect to our humanity, and it is the act of nurturing that creativity that enables us to connect to our community."

Sandscapes 2014 reflected these values through over 40 music performances lasting over 6 hours, alongside 20 art exhibitions showcasing the work of several art organizations, including the Emirates Photography Club, Mawaheb from Beautiful People, Kalangan Fine Arts Society, and the Dubai Watercolor Association. Guests also enjoyed and were enriched by the guided tour to Ismaili Centre, an architectural edifice of immense beauty and charm.

One of the best parts of the event were the art and food stalls set up by volunteer families, who raised funds for the cause through the sale of food and drinks. Jeweler’s creations by young students were an instant hit, set alongside a stall for henna. What underlined all the efforts was the spirit of service shown by over 80 families as groups that handled different aspects of the event, and eventually raised not only awareness but also over 10,000AED for Mawaheb.

2017

al fahidi historic district

The ninth edition of Sandscapes was an immense success; over 16,000AED was raised for Mawaheb from Beautiful People, with over 7000 people attending the day's festivities over the course of the day. Sandscapes 2017 saw a record number of music and dance performances; over 30 musicians, 20 bands, and 10 dance groups had the opportunity to express their passion on Sandscapes' centerstage. Artists from Mawaheb from Beautiful People stole the show with outstanding public art installations that inspired young and old artists alike. More sponsors offered to provide funds for Sandscapes than ever before, enabling Sandscapes to provide art supplies to over 100 aspiring artists and students. The Seth Family endeavors to take Sandscapes to national scale within the next 5 years by expanding the festival to the other parts of Dubai, while attracting residents from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Sandscapes was recently added to the prestigious Sikka art fair calendar. The festival was also brought under the patronage of the Dubai Culture Authority, reflecting the national scale at which Sandscapes is now operating.

2018

al fahidi historic district

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Sandscapes 2018 was our most successful year yet. Over 100 volunteers came out to participate and contribute to Dubai's art community through their skills and talents; live art demonstrations, music performances, speeches, dance, and home-cooked food were all part of the festivities that made this year such a resounding success. Over 7500 people attended Sandscapes this year, making it one of the most highly attended art festivals in the UAE. Sandscapes was also recently added to Al Sikka Art District's Must See list, thanks to the collaborative effort of all musicians, artists, and imaginative minds that came together to express their creativity. Once again, Al Mawaheb studio for artists with special needs set up an outstanding art exhibition featuring over 30 artists. 20,000AED was raised for the studio this year, but more importantly, 5 artists from Mawaheb received recognition from Gulf News and Khaleej Times through a feature article in the arts section.  Now under the patronage of Dubai Culture Authority, Sandscapes will be expanding to Mumbai and Hong Kong within the next 3 years.