ART EVENT (9-12 April, 2018) CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018

The annual international convening, CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018, kicked off its working agenda with welcome remarks by CultureSummit’s Steering Committee member HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi followed by a panel discussion titled 'Unexpected Collaborations: Globalizing Creativity'.

From the event / Courtesy of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi

HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi / Courtesy of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi

HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: "On behalf of Abu Dhabi and the CultureSummit, I thank all of you for being here, as each and every one of you plays an influential role in driving change towards a greater understanding of what we can all achieve through culture, and be advocates for the role of art, creativity, education, and technology in empowering cultural understanding.

We strongly believe that culture can bring people together through dialogue, exchange of ideas, and simply though tolerance and acceptance despite our differences. The key to the power of culture is education, and this is evident in every programme, event, concert, project that DCT Abu Dhabi organizes and supports. We have seen what cultural dialogue can accomplish through Louvre Abu Dhabi, and we will continue our dialogue and be leaders in utilizing this cultural agency and catalyze positive change in the world. Culture is the agent for change, empowerment, tolerance and acceptance, and Abu Dhabi has proven to be a global centre that brings together thought leaders from all over the world to continue an important dialogue about what we can collectively achieve through the power of culture."

From the event / Courtesy of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi

The second panel 'Creativity Premium: Policies that Promote Creativity and Knowledge' saw David Rothkopf, CEO of The Rothkopf Group and CultureSummit’s Steering Committee member, moderating a discussion about the role of governments in balanced policy building and creative capacity building in today’s interconnected worlds of arts, technology and culture. The discussion featured Michael Ellis, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Digital, Cultural, Media & Sport, United Kingdom; Gantuya Badamgarav, Founder and Director of the Mongolian Contemporary Art Support Association; Nora Halpern, Vice President for Leadership Alliances, Americans for the Arts; and Dr. Webber Ndoro, Director General of ICCROM, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.

The 'Emerging Trends in the Arts Worldwide: What’s Next' panel was moderated by Rebecca Proctor, Editor-in-Chief, Harper’s Bazaar Art, who discussed the ways emerging technologies are impacting art production with Touria El Glaoui, Founding Director, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair; Nancy Spector, Artistic Director & Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; and Karim Sultan, Director and Curator, Barjeel Art Foundation.

From the event / Courtesy of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi

Melissa Gronlund, Arts Correspondent, The National moderated the 'Case Studies in Unexpected Collaborations' panel which considered realised ideas and methods that inspire fresh takes on advancing creative partnerships across mediums, sectors, and nations. Participants on this panel were Hope Azeda, Founder, Mashirika Performing Arts; Drew Bennett, Founder and Director of Artist-in-Residence Program, Facebook; and Eduardo Braniff, Executive Director, Silkroad.

The Workshop meetings kicked off and were oriented toward exploring how policy, technology/new media, artists, arts institutions and philanthropy communities can create new and effective collaborations to address issues worldwide. Independently, the 50-60 artists of the Artists Incubator programme started their meetings which aim to identify new creative collaborations.

From the event / Courtesy of CultureSummit Abu Dhabi

Running through 12 April, CultureSummit Abu Dhabi 2018 convenes over 400 leaders from 80 countries to discuss the ways that culture can address the world’s most pressing challenges and be a force for positive change, under the theme of 'Unexpected Collaborations: Forging New Connections Between Heritage and Innovation, Near and Far, Creativity and Purpose'.