Creative leadership program

Where
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
When
2020
2020
Who
Abu dhabi music and arts foundation
Abu dhabi music and arts foundation
Website of the policy/measure
Read the full report
Description of the policy/measure
Underpinned by its core belief that cultural and creative industries (ccis) play a key role in paving the way towards sustainable development, the abu dhabi music and arts foundation (admaf) has devised a series of initiatives under the creative leadership program. these initiatives are geared towards further strengthening the skills, expertise and networks of young creative emirati talents and cultural professionals to prepare them forge a successful career path across the ccis. over the past four years, initiatives under the creative leadership programs have taken the form of intensive capacity building and mentoring sessions (over 1 to 2 months) and workshops, run by leading creative professionals and subject matter experts in the fields of cinematography, media and journalism, theatre and arts management. the capacity building and mentoring sessions are crafted to give students/participants a 360-degree overview of the industry in question, to provide them with a considerable amount of theoretical training to conclude with a more practical chapter, through which participants develop hands-on experience by working on a final project or production. participants benefit from a considerable amount of exposure, as their final artworks are presented as part of abu dhabi festival and other admaf public initiatives. they also are also connected with relevant ccis for to gain employment opportunities. admaf’s creative leadership program: • young filmmakers’ circle: an intensive film making workshop taking participants throughout the different aspects/phases of film making, from theory, script development and the foundations of the different crafts within filmmaking, to hands-on production and post-production of actual films. the workshop culminates in a showcase of the participants’ short films as part of abu dhabi festival connecting young filmmakers with corporations, tv companies and production companies to gain employment opportunities in the uae and beyond. the films are the final result of the yfc process and remain the intellectual property of their creators. in that spirit, this program is not meant to produce commercial revenue, and is instead considered an investment in human resources and the individual talent of each participant. • young media leaders forum (yml): an experience-based capacity building and career development platform enabling young media professionals to grow their passion and conviction to become convincing storytellers and to build industry-focused portfolios. yml influences and contributes to a powerful community of emerging media leaders, building a positive and integrated media sector that is responsive to future challenges and opportunities. participants have the opportunity to engage with international media figures, and to acquire hands-on experience during the abu dhabi festival. • the artists’ studio: the artists’ studio is an online platform for emiratis who participate in young media leaders to gain knowledge and experience by interviewing world-famous artists who are part of abu dhabi festival. the experience aims to inspire and inform young people about the value of creative thinking and artistic expression, and the interviews they conduct become part of a collection that lives online at www.youtube.com/admaf96. • uae theatre circle: workshops and performance opportunities bring together the emirates’ emerging theatre makers with the masters shaping arab and emirati stagecraft. each year focuses on a different skill – from acting to directing and script writing – with a different theme, culminating in a public performance where the aspiring talents showcase all they have learnt. public performances are enjoyed by hundreds of audiences from all walks of life and presented as part of festival in the park. • tandem al emarat: a year-round capacity building and mentoring program for cultural professionals and managers to get real insights into the cultural scenes in all seven emirates, with the aim of building meaningful and sustainable creative collaborations that grow the artists’ vision, fostering enthusiasm and joy in creative discovery. tandem al emarat is an initiative launched in 2018 by admaf, mitost and the european cultural foundation running through 2020. • the nationals’ gallery: this online platform is the uae’s only resource and register dedicated to emirati visual artists. riwaq al fan al emirati in arabic, the nationals’ gallery is a network and a resource for artists, collectors and art lovers to connect them, inform them and bring them together to find new opportunities to work together. visitors to the site encounter the work of three generations of emerging and established emirati artists, find artist profiles and learn about admaf’s commitment to visual arts. artists, collectors and art lovers can register on the site to get connected to opportunities, find events and to tap into this comprehensive resource.
2005 Convention Monitoring Framework Goal(s)
Area(s) of Monitoring
Cultural Domain(s)
Transversal Priority(ies)
This measure was reported by civil societyResults achieved
The workshops and capacity building and mentoring sessions under the creative leadership program have brought 492 emerging creative talents of the uae together with well-established creative professionals, industry subject matter experts and international artists. the program succeeded in: 1. ensuring a safe space for dialogue, reflection, learning, creative expression and collaboration 2. providing the opportunity for students to have an overall understanding of the industry in question, from theory to hands-on experience, to broaden their career prospects 3. delivering the right learning tools and frameworks to help guide students and raise the standard of the industry in question 4. enhancing students’ research skills as well as their creative thinking 5. exposing established professionals to rising and promising talents, and maximizing potential for collaboration and/or future recruitment 6. encouraging knowledge exchange and discussion between past, present and future creative and cultural professionals 7. creating several platforms where local, regional and international artists engage with emirati youth, further nurturing cross-cultural understanding and dialogue 8. providing the right opportunities and platforms for the development of the uae’s cultural ecosystem by supporting the next generation of leaders moreover, and through its digital assets including a website and social media channels, along with other dedicated online platforms to artists (artists’ studio and nationals gallery), admaf creates awareness of and engagement with the arts and culture in the uae. by helping bring artists and their work online, admaf creates digital space for the community of people around the arts in the uae.