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Living culture: Abu Dhabi’s cultural summit raises big questions about the future of our society

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A Living Culture is the theme of this year’s Abu Dhabi Culture Summit. Global policymakers and leaders in arts, heritage, museums and technology come together to examine how culture transforms societies and communities. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, more than 180 cultural leaders from around the world came to the UAE capital to speak on pressing global issues.

Three former Heads of State and President of Lithuania (2009-2019) Daria Grybausket discuss the role of culture in building resilient and shared societies; President of Croatia (2010-2015) and Malawi President Joyce Banda (2012-2014) speaks with Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Adviser to the UAE President.

Joyce Banda, the former first female president of Malawi from 2012 to 2014, asked: “What must we do to use culture to [how it can] Let’s be a global family? “

Some notable themes from the summit include looking back to the past to understand the present, empowering new voices, ideas of social responsibility and diversity.

Reem Ghaith Fadda, director of the Cultural Foundation and Abu Dhabi Cultural Heritage Sites at the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Culture and Tourism, told Euronews, “Culture is everywhere. We want the interconnectedness of cultures. We want to be able to ensure that disadvantaged groups have an equal voice in culture. rights. We want to make sure that the culture is also stable, especially during crises, whether it’s wars or epidemics and so on, it’s guaranteed. But we also want it to change society in a better and progressive way.”

Some of the well-known speakers at the three-day summit include comedian Trevor Noah, architects Frank Gehry and David Adjaye, and Emirati author Omar Saif Ghobash.

Attendees enjoyed a series of performances by local artists, including Lebanese singer Jahida Wehbe, Iraqi musician Naseer Shamm and Afghan spin dancer Fahima Mirzaie.

diversity

A variety of topics were discussed in interactive workshops and panel discussions, such as ‘Afghanistan through a cultural lens’, ‘The future of East African design’ and ‘Disability and difference as creative creators’. The creative philosophy of Ada, the world’s first humanoid artist, gives us insight into the intersection of art and technology.

Tim Marlowe, chief executive and director of the London Design Museum, interviewed Ai-Da during the summit and told Euronews: “She is a symbol of many aspects of different cultures. She is not just a pioneering technology in the West. In other parts of the world The knock-on effects of places, AI and that technology are going to be profound. It’s a wonderful epitome of what we all really should and need to have.”

Tim explained that AI is both an opportunity and a threat to all of us. “I think we have a moral responsibility to try and solve the problem collectively,” he added.

Climate Action and Culture

The importance of climate change action in protecting global cultural heritage assets was also highlighted.

Climate change is affecting everything we know and in 10 years you will have 20 countries that will be fully disappear from the map. He told Euronews, “Culture, arts and heritage conservation are powerful tools for peacebuilding. It should be important that all systems use culture, [the] Education system, health system as levers for better rebuilding. “

Film and Culture

In-depth film discussions range from film tourism and the effects of creative production, to taking Bollywood global, and making a blockbuster film franchise Dune.

Abu Dhabi Film Commission Film and Television Commissioner Hans Flekin told Euronews, “We don’t always include screen entertainment media such as film and television in the category of cultural and creative industries. It is important to explain that film and television are not only Importance as a form of cultural expression, but also as a communication platform.”

He explained: “Abu Dhabi Film Council plays an important role in the cultural expression of Abu Dhabi culture, especially when we attract a project, be it a feature film, a TV series or even a music video set in Abu Dhabi .”

Film tourism is an economic benefit, Hans added. He said: “If you have a movie like Mission: Impossible that is watched by a billion people around the world and it is set in Abu Dhabi, it has a spin-off effect that has a positive economic impact on the film tourism industry. influences.”

Now that the pressures of COVID have eased, at the three-day summit, conversations from leading international creatives will be critical to articulating future cultural intensification as well as future collective societal commitments.

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