Do you have the desire and curiosity to find, write and edit stories that have the potential to inform and transform the minds of readers? Are you a UAE national between the ages of 20 and 35 interested in developing your talents in media content creation, editing, and reporting? If so, then apply to be a Young Media Leader. The young media leaders’ program is an experience-based career development platform for Emirati university students and graduates to enable them to gain the passion, conviction, skills and networks to become powerful and convincing storytellers, in order to build industry focused portfolios to take their media career to the next level.

Welcome to the 16th Abu Dhabi Festival, the leading celebration of arts and culture in the Arabian Gulf. This year the Festival’s central theme is the ‘Culture of Determination’, as it joins forces with the Special Olympics World Games that are also taking place in the UAE capital during the month of March, in celebration of everyone who battles against the odds to make a positive impact on society.

This theme is one each of us can relate to, and the brave Olympians who will be competing here are inspirational human beings whose drive and determination, in the face of often great adversity, should bring joy and hope to everyone.

This week 16 cultural managers/artists based in the UAE will form 8 collaborations/tandems based at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. The candidates will find their Tandem partner with whom they will work on a collaboration project.

The ADMAF Pavilion at Abu Dhabi Art exhibited artworks that highlighted the Founding Father’s core values (Wisdom and Peace, Tolerance and Respect, Sustainability and Environment, Human Development and Knowledge, and Unity) in line with the ‘Year of Zayed’ under the theme ‘Zayed: The Soft’ showcasing a selection of artworks by Emirati and UAE-based artists.

Nationals’ Gallery member Eman Al Hashemi artwork displayed at Warehouse421 as part of the Community and Critique: Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship 2017/2018 Cohort 5 show. 

-Image courtesy of Warehouse421

The public joined members of the Young Filmmakers Circle for an evening of short films from the Arab world, with a panel discussion on the art form, moderated by artist and writer Hind Mezaina, with filmmaker Amena Al Nowais, educator Greg Unaru, and partner of MAD Solutions Abdallah Al Shami. Screeners included: ‘Omnia’, Amna Al Nowais’ powerful short film that explores the psychological and physical effects of female circumcision; ‘Ave Maria’, a comedy that tells the story of the Nuns of the Sisters of Mercy – located in the in the West Bank wilderness, their daily routine of silence and prayer is disrupted when a family of religious settlers crash their car into the convent’s wall; and concluded with ‘Ayny’, an animated short film about two young boys who have run away from their mother’s protection into war, following their dream of playing an Oud.

In partnership with the Film and New Media NYU Abu Dhabi

Marking International Women’s Day, Celeste Schenck – President of the American University of Paris (AUP) – discussed ‘Women’s Leadership in the 21st Century’ with students of Zayed University, providing insight from her wealth of experience, accumulated over 25 years as a leader in the European education industry. The event also encouraged discussion and input from students, in a debate highlighting the importance of women’s participation and leadership across various sectors.

Celebrating Arabic literature, the annual programme culminated this year with the launch of 16 new works by Emirati authors, including works for children and fiction for adults. During the signing event, fans met the authors, discussed their works and received copies of the new works.