Old wedding traditions, childhood games, forgotten shops and familiar household treasures came alive in a colourful journey through Bahrain’s past as young volunteers brought generations together at a special ‘Retro Bahrain’ event.
Held at the Safeya Ali Kanoo Hub for Arts in Abu Ghazal, the one-day event invited visitors to step back into the Bahrain of previous decades, with exhibitions and displays recreating memories from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Behind the initiative was the voluntary group Bahraini 28, led by Sayed Abbas Al Bahrani, which is working to use cultural and awareness events to reconnect young people with Bahrain’s history while encouraging greater community participation.
Mr Al Bahrani said the idea was driven by a concern that important memories of earlier generations were gradually disappearing.
“The main idea is to encourage young people to learn about their history and the things that were important during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,” he said.
“Unfortunately, some of these memories are gradually disappearing, so we want to bring them back in a way that is enjoyable and meaningful.”
The Retro Bahrain exhibition offered visitors a nostalgic glimpse of everyday life, featuring displays inspired by traditional Bahraini weddings, childhood games, old shops and items from the past.
For older visitors, the displays provided an opportunity to revisit their childhood and share memories with younger family members, while children and teenagers discovered a Bahrain very different from the one they know today.
But Retro Bahrain is only one chapter in the group’s wider programme.
Mr Al Bahrani said the group plans to maintain a programme of four events a month throughout the year, with each event carrying a different theme.
“These are not going to be the same events every time,” he said. “Each week we want to address a different group, a different idea or sometimes a particular period or occasion.”
The group’s summer programme, he explained, includes 12 events, each built around a completely different concept.
“We might focus on a particular period of Bahrain’s history, or choose an idea connected to a specific occasion. The important thing is that every event offers something different,” he said.
One upcoming initiative, for example, is centred on spreading happiness during the summer by distributing cold drinks to people at the beach.
“It is called ‘Cold Wave’. The idea is simply to distribute cold drinks to people at the beach and spread happiness,” Mr Al Bahrani said.
The group also hopes to develop future initiatives connected to community awareness and social causes, including the possibility of working with the Bahrain Cancer Society.
The approach reflects a broader belief among Bahrain’s volunteer community that social engagement does not always have to take the form of traditional charity work.
Mr Al Bahrani said the ultimate goal was to create activities that make people curious about their country while giving young volunteers an active role in preserving its identity.
“We want young people to discover their history, but we also want them to enjoy themselves while doing it,” he said.
“Every event is an opportunity to learn something, meet people and create a new memory.
“And at Retro Bahrain, the past proved that it still has plenty to say to the present – one old game, wedding tradition, shop and treasured object at a time.
“For Bahraini 28, culture, memory, education and entertainment can all become tools for bringing people together.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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