How does curriculum building take shape when designing residencies and capacity-building initiatives such as art residencies, writing retreats, or teaching fellowships?

This panel discussion brings together artistic practitioners and program leads who have shaped these programs to reflect on the considerations that go into sculpting such opportunities, what they look for in each cycle, why they believe these initiatives are essential to the UAE’s cultural and artistic landscape, and how their pedagogies have shifted over time.

The conversation aims to offer transparency and insight for artists, creative practitioners, and others who may be curious about these spaces but feel hesitant to apply. By opening up dialogue around process and practice, the session encourages more equitable, horizontal knowledge-sharing and highlights how residencies and programs can serve as vital platforms for growth and exchange.

This session features contributions from Sara Bin Safwan (Lead Facilitator for 421’s Homebound Residency Cohort 1 and curator of international residencies), Diego Mendoza (Co-founder and Creative Lead of Full Special Studio), Abhirami Suresh (Curatorial Projects Coordinator and Program lead for the Youth Assembly at Jameel Arts Center), and Dr. Dana Al Mazrouei (Manager of Learning Initiatives at 421 inclusive of leading the Creative Facilitator and Internship Programs).

About your Moderator:

Mays Albaik is the Programs and Community Initiatives Manager at 421 Arts Campus. She leads on conceptualizing and structuring the space’s programs for its various audiences. Her focus at 421 is on the broader vision as she develops the strategy, drawing plans for exhibitions, general public offerings, and capacity-building programs that target the local and regional creative community. Mays has presented talks and participated in panels at institutions including the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, NYU Abu Dhabi, and the College Art Association Annual Conference. She was recently featured in the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennale x Dirwaza Curatorial Lab Talks (2025). Her writing has appeared in Future Perfect (Kaph Books), Mizna, The Outpost Magazine, A Dance Mag, and Postscript Magazine. She holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Sharjah.

About your Panelists:

Dr. Dana Al Mazrouei oversees and manages the educational initiatives at 421 Arts Campus. She also manages content training for 421 employees, which includes guided tours, gallery etiquette, and general presentation techniques for young audiences.  Dana has nine years of experience in developing educational interpretation content in museums. She is the founder of Yellow Space Consultancy in UAE, where she organizes community-based projects for children.  The projects are developed and conceived in collaboration with young audiences with specific strategic objectives; adding lifelong value to learning, unlocking creative talents, and most importantly, empowering young audiences. Dana holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art and Design and a Masters Degree in Art History and Museum Studies. She has completed her Doctoral dissertation for Museum Studies at the University of Leicester. Her dissertation focuses on the importance of empowering Al Dhafra women and their role in preserving intangible cultural heritage practices for future generations.

Sara bin Safwan is a curator working in both institutional and independent spheres. She is a Curator at Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and co-founded Salasil, an experimental curatorial studio. Bin Safwan received a Master of Arts in Postcolonial Culture and Global Policy at Goldsmiths University, London (2023). Her research and practice explores politics of memory, speculation, futurisms and built environments with a focus on modern and contemporary art from West Asia and North Africa, specialising in the Gulf. Bin Safwan has curated in spaces such as Reference Point, London; Bayt Al Mamzar Dubai; Carbon12 Gallery, Dubai; Beirut Art Centre, Lebanon; 421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi; and Culture Foundation, Abu Dhabi.

Diego Mendoza (b. 1988, Mexico City) is an artist and an educator with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University, Qatar & and an MA in Educational Leadership from Framingham State University, USA. He has also been working in education for youth since 2015, teaching art history, visual arts, literature and philosophy in Mexico, Indonesia, Tanzania and the UAE. His expertise and interest in knowledge-exchange has led to several printmaking workshops and courses covering a wide range of techniques, from relief printing to RISO printing. Diego’s practice explores human iconography that transcends cultural and historical boundaries, focusing on how masculinity is constructed, performed, and visualized. His ongoing research traces representations of male power and violence as a mode to unpack the impact of socio-cultural baggage on himself. He was part of the 11th cohort of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Emerging Artist Fellowship and his work has been exhibited in the UAE and the US. He is the creative lead of Full Special Studio, the first risograph commercial studio in the UAE that champions and supports locally and regionally based creatives.

Abhirami is the Curatorial Projects Coordinator at Art Jameel. She is the curator of the Youth Assembly programme and works with the Learning, Exhibitions and Programming teams to shape special learning projects at Art Jameel, prioritising youth communities, engagement and research-collaborations. Her work focuses on creating space for emerging voices and experimental forms of knowledge. Abhirami's research and curatorial practice has been presented at international avenues including the Karama Arts Club (2025), Curatorial Fellowship with Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2022), the Young Curator Residency for Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (2022), the London Design Biennale (2021) and the Ford Foundation Grant (2020).