Erbil, Tuesday (June 9, 2026)
On Saturday, June 5, as part of the activities of the First Kurdish Book Fair, an open scientific panel titled “The Role of Art in Society” was held with the participation of several faculty members from the College of Fine Arts at Salahaddin University.
The panel was opened by Assistant Lecturer Dana Salahaddin, a faculty member at the College of Fine Arts, Salahaddin University, who served as the panel moderator. The introduction highlighted that art is a vital and fundamental pillar of all nations and societies, historically forming a core part of the identity and culture of nations.
Following the introduction, the panelists—comprising a group of distinguished university professors and art experts—presented their respective topics:
- Assistant Professor Dr. Chyai Kamal Saadi: Focused on the definition and scientific analysis of the reciprocal relationship between art and social awareness, alongside the role of music in supporting individual culture.
- Assistant Lecturer Dana Mohamed Abdullah: Discussed the strategic role of cinema and theater in preserving collective memory and critiquing undesirable social phenomena through the language of artistic forms.
- Visual Artist Shukr Bilbas: Discussed, from a visual arts perspective, the deep message conveyed by paintings and artistic creations in reflecting social reality.
About the Fair: The Kurdish Book Fair, which runs until June 10, 2026, at the Erbil International Fairgrounds (inside Sami Abdulrahman Park), represents the first major collaborative effort to gather more than 100 Kurdish publishing houses and printing centers under one roof. Its primary goal goes beyond displaying books; it aims to transform the fair into a hub for meetings, dialogues, promoting a culture of reading, and raising awareness within Kurdish society.
