Partners
Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts
Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts is a non-profit organisation that revives the techniques and traditions of indigenous Emirati crafts and craft making. Working with more than 200 craftswomen, Al Ghadeer facilitates the bringing of Emirati crafts and craft-makers into the contemporary design world, while ensuring the longevity of traditional and intricate Emirati crafts. In 2006, Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, the Emirates Red Crescent President’s Assistant for Women’s Affairs, set out to provide women with training, designs, raw materials and marketing services to create culturally inspired products to assist them in earning a dignified living and sustain traditional crafts.
Art Dubai & Residents
A leading international art fair, Art Dubai is the preeminent place to interact with art from the MENASA region. For its 12th edition the fair presents a unique line-up of 105 galleries from 48 countries, reaffirming its position as a place of discovery. Art Dubai 2018 inaugurates a new gallery section – Residents – that welcomes spaces whose artists will complete a residency in the UAE with work created during this period exhibited at the fair.
Art Dubai is held in partnership with The Abraaj Group. The fair is sponsored by Julius Baer and Piaget, with Madinat Jumeirah as the home of the event. The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is a strategic partner of Art Dubai and supports the fair’s year-round education programme. MiSK Art Institute is the exclusive partner of Art Dubai Modern.
British Council UAE
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It seeks to create knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. It does this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries it works with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
The organisation works with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year, the it reaches over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, the British Council is a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.
Cinema Akil
Launched in 2014, Cinema Akil is an independent cinema platform that brings quality films from across the world to audiences in the UAE. By showcasing directors and films from across the decades, Cinema Akil aims to create awareness and interest in film and the cinematic arts.
Gulf Photo Plus
Gulf Photo Plus is Dubai's center for photography, equipping and inspiring the local and international photography community through photography workshops, free artist talks, state-of-the-art printing services, and the region’s longest-running international photography event, GPP Photo Week.
Nagwa Design
Nagwa is an original design studio based in Abu Dhabi. Their contemporary designs are inspired by the people, places and stories of the United Arab Emirates. They seek to transform those tangible and intangible aspects of history, culture and identity into original and modern designs. Their constructive attitude pushes them towards building unique objects and creating bespoke products. In short: they are designers with makers’ spirits.
National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia
Through participation at La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale), the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates - La Biennale di Venezia (NPUAE) supports the arts and architectural practices of the UAE on an international platform, and promotes a cultural dialogue between the UAE and the international community.
The UAE’s participation at La Biennale di Venezia commenced in 2009 with a national pavilion at the 53rd International Art Exhibition, and has continued in subsequent editions of the art exhibition. 2018 will mark its third participation in the International Architecture Exhibition, which will run from May 26 to November 25, 2018.
The National Pavilion UAE – La Biennale di Venezia is commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development.
The Poetryhood
The Poetryhood is a movement aiming to energize modern grassroots poetry in the Middle East. It started as an online journal accepting poetry and visual art submissions, published on a monthly basis on their websites and social media pages (2 years and counting). Their platform grew and is now hosting writing, spoken-word workshops and Poetry Night events at various locations in the UAE. Currently, they are looking to grow further by creating a poetry podcast and an anthology poetry book compiling the works of their strongest contributors.
Yadawei
Founded in 2016, Yadawei is an open access studio dedicated to pottery and ceramic art. As part of developing and supporting a community of artists, they offer regular classes, one-off workshops, talks by various artists, events and exhibitions. Their memberships are designed for all pottery artists. From enthusiasts with a basic knowledge of working with clay to expert craftsmen, everyone is welcome. Yadawei members become part of a creative community, and at the studio they get the chance to work independently in their own space, and at their own pace. From abstract to sculptural design, Yadawei is a fun, inspiring space where the only limit is your imagination.
Zayed University Middle East Film Festival
The Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF) is a Middle East wide film festival for students. Now in its 9th year, it showcases the best films from universities across the region. Top prizes are determined by industry judges in the following categories: Best of the Best, Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Animation, twofour54 Emerging Filmmaker Award, Happiness, Positivity & Tolerance Award, Bin Hamoodah Year of Zayed Award and Best Audio Documentary/Feature. ZUMEFF was established in 2010 as a Zayed University College of Communication and Media Sciences graduation project by AlYazyah Al Falasi, Reema Majed and Faculty Director Alia Yunis, with the aim to showcase students’ films and encourage young filmmakers in the region. It is now under the direction of Sascha Ritter.
zumeff.com