One million and 600 thousand views of the activities of the Arts Center

Reem Saleh: The UAE is a pioneer in facing Corona ... and art is not a luxury

Rim Saleh: Technology allowed the public to see and discover new styles of art.

From the source

Reem Saleh, Associate Director for External Relations and Partnerships at the Arts Center at New York University - Abu Dhabi, said that the UAE was proactive in terms of responding quickly to the changes imposed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the country and the world, as centers and bodies rushed to provide artistic and cultural activities, whether They were archived or via live broadcasts, to continue to provide high-end artistic content to the public during the # Stay Home campaign, and artistic and cultural centers and bodies were able to make a difference by living with the new reality, such as the Ministry of Culture and Youth initiatives to enhance the artistic, creative and cultural community, by supporting startups And business leaders in this field, stressing that art is not a luxury, but an essential element, or as you always describe it as "food for the soul", and it is essential to continue inspiring others and enhancing communication between people and artists.

The Corona surprise

In an interview with Emirates Today, Saleh expected that art will continue its role in the coming period, although it is not clear when the pandemic will recede, adding: “We will not be able to know the future, but we know that art will continue to advance and adapt to circumstances to reach its audience in innovative ways. This year was a surprise to everyone, and it was a period of experiments, learning and searching for new ways through which we can reach the public, and learn how art, especially performing arts, can adapt to the changes and continue to reach the audience far from the physical spaces.

Saleh also expected that the performances of the Arts Center, in its new season which it recently launched under the slogan "The Bridge", will play an exceptional role as a link between curiosity and inspiration on the one hand, and between the university community and the capital Abu Dhabi on the other hand, in addition to connecting the UAE with an audience from all over the world. , Indicating that the center is seeking, through the launch of the new season, at a time when the world is facing great changes, to make performances of performing arts available, especially after the great success of the archive series of performances "Let us reconnect", which came in response to the repercussions of the spread of the global epidemic. 27,000 people from around the world, for a number of archive presentations and discussion sessions with artists over the Internet.

Activities and Standards

The official at the Arts Center added: “All the fall events of the sixth season are designed to fit into the virtual space through electronic platforms, where the audience can view them online from anywhere in the world, and through the Internet and the vast virtual space, we can reach an audience outside the country, where We organized and presented various online events between April and June 2020, the number of which reached 16, which strengthened our reach to an audience from the region and all over the world, to follow and watch the artistic events offered by the UAE, as they discovered new and different types and styles of shows, in addition to This positively affected our cooperation with new bodies and institutions from different countries, such as Egypt, Singapore and the United States of America.

Regarding the criteria for choosing the activities included in the season, Saleh explained that the Arts Center at New York University Abu Dhabi seeks to find innovative solutions to present performing arts performances in a manner commensurate with its responsibility towards the arts in the UAE and the world, and also commensurate with the preventive measures taken to limit the spread of the new Corona virus. It is imperative to design artistic performances that present a type of dialogue and communication that transcends physical boundaries, adding: "Providing a space to participate in art, not just watch it, is one of our top priorities."

A bridge of art .. to the world

Reem Saleh indicated that the center was able to reach an audience outside the state and region, and the number of views of the activities organized by the center, between April and June 2020, reached more than one million and 600 thousand views, adding: “The virtual space provided an opportunity for the global audience to follow and watch artistic activities. Provided by the UAE, creating a communication bridge from the UAE to the world, and technology allowed the public to see and discover new styles of art and evaluate them objectively, and the arts were the lifeblood of all individuals, as it helped us to maintain communication between artists, the public and cultural institutions while adhering to physical distancing.

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