Emirates News Agency – Emirati musicians highlight their challenges to succeed in engaging Riwaq Al Fikr – ADMAF talk

ABU DHABI, 15th March, 2023 (WAM) — The Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, ADMAF, has brought together a group of emerging Emirati artists as part of its Riwaq Al Fikr – ADMAF presentation entitled, “Emirati Musicians : Challenges and Opportunities”. Since its launch in 2010, the Riwaq Al Fikr initiative has provided the public with opportunities for insightful dialogue with thinkers, diplomats and leading cultural figures.

Moderated by The National feature writer Saeed Saeed, the panel included composer and global music artist Ihab Darwish, Emirati/Honduras artist Fatima Bin Safwan (also known as “FAFA”) and Emirati musician Ayda (also called “MINOVA”). As part of the Abu Dhabi Music Festival’s 20th anniversary theme, ‘The Will to Evolve’, the panelists discussed the challenges they faced in pursuing a career in music and the unexpected opportunities they encountered along their personal journeys.

The panel highlighted the importance of Abu Dhabi’s designation as a “City of Music” by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2021 and its impact on Abu Dhabi’s musicians, as well as the development of an international platform for emerging artists from the UAE and the Middle East important areas. Finally, the panel discussed programs such as Berkeley Abu Dhabi’s Performing Arts and Leadership (PEARL) certificate program, which allows young artists to further hone their skills while gaining access to international music industry leaders.

As part of its efforts to nurture emerging artists in the UAE through strategic local and international collaborations, Riwaq Al Fikr has held 26 sessions, 109 panelists, over 2,850 audience and over 44 hours of discussions since its inception, exploring a variety of contemporary Question Global Cultural Leaders. In 2018, the series expanded its engagement with government youth circles and through filmed online conversations with key international cultural leaders and ambassadors – gaining insight into their perspectives on cultural diplomacy.