9.2 Traditional Jewellery of the Arabian Peninsula
Tue, Jan 25, 2022 7:55 PM - 9:00 PM Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4)
Register here.
Dr Reem El Mutwalli & Brid Beeler, Founder of Beeler Travel discuss Traditional Jewellery of the Arabian Peninsula
About this event
ABOUT THE WEBINAR:
REGISTERING WILL NOT ONLY GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THE LIVE SESSION, BUT ALSO A RECORDED VERSION TO CATCH UP ON IN YOUR OWN TIME
Welcome to our 2nd webinar of 2022 in our ninth series of Dialogues on the Art of Arab Fashion. We are delighted to introduce our guest speaker.
OUR GUEST SPEAKER: BRID BEELER
Brid Beeler has traveled extensively and has 33 years’ experience in the international tourism industry. Director of Brid Beeler Travel, she is a pioneer of inbound adventure tourism in Saudi Arabia. She first went to live in Riyadh in 1989, intending to stay for 18 months. Those 18 months turned into a decade as she immersed herself in the culture, heritage, and stark natural beauty of the country.
Attracted to the traditional jewellery of the region, Brid began acquiring pieces sold by the Bedouin women in the local suqs throughout the Kingdom. On a trip to Yemen in 1991, she bought her first piece of Yemeni silver and amber from a little girl in Shihara, high up in the mountains. Since leaving Saudi Arabia, she has lived in both Yemen and Oman; all the while continuing to add to her collection of silver jewellery, beadwork, and textiles from the Arabian Peninsula.
She has worked with many leading organizations including Discovery Channel Adventures, National Geographic Traveler, Abercrombie & Kent and the alumni travel programs for Stanford, Harvard, Yale and UCLA along with the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, managing their programs on the ground in the Middle East and further afield. Additionally, she has worked with Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegations, diplomats, royal families, celebrities, and government officials.
Brid managed the Smithsonian Institution’s Sackler Gallery tour in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, which followed Saudi Arabia’s internationally acclaimed Roads of Arabia exhibit. She facilitated the History Channel’s Yemen documentary Digging for the Truth – The Real Queen of Sheba. She also participated in the multi-level cultural project involving the Smithsonian and the Yemen and US governments that resulted in the publication of Caravan Kingdoms Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade. With Crossing the Line Films, she facilitated logistics and key components for their award-winning documentary on the annual Qashqai migration in Iran, which was aired by National Geographic under the title Last Chance Journeys Iran. Brid also consulted on a UNICEF, World Food Program project advocating for girls’ education in Yemen.
She has presented papers on eco-tourism in the region and was one of only a handful of women selected to speak at the first International Conference on Eco-Tourism in Saudi Arabia in 2002. She has addressed embassy functions in Washington DC and spoken on Middle Eastern jewellery at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, home to one of the world’s premier collections of Islamic art and manuscripts.
OUR FOUNDER: DR. REEM EL MUTWALLI
Dr. Reem Tariq El Mutwalli, is a published author, lead curator and public speaker. With over 30 years of experience, she is an expert consultant in Islamic art and architecture, interior design, historic dress and UAE heritage.
She is also the founder of the Zay Initiative. A non-profit UK registered initiative advancing the preservation of cultural heritage, through the collection, documentation and digital archiving of Arab historical attire and their stories. Our goal is to empower and sustain global cross-cultural dialogue to inspire creative minds.
OUR HOST: EMMA FARMER
Raised in the Middle East, educated in the UK, Emma has a profound understanding and passion for bridging gaps regarding culture and business, whilst navigating geo-political environments.
Emma is a highly motivated, award-winning, experienced project leader, communications and business development professional with over 15 years’ experience.
As the Festival Director of Dubai Lynx from 2011 to 2016, she strategically grew the event and left a legacy, building the foundations that sees the festival thrive across multiple markets today. Now an entrepreneur and mother, Emma set up ‘Chameleon’, helping businesses reach their potential whilst ensuring they do better for good.
