Building a youth community: Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai gathers the next generation of creative leaders in a pioneering Youth Assembly

• A diverse group of nine young artists, writers, architects, creative designers, animators, social entrepreneurs and coders comprises the inaugural Jameel Arts Centre Youth Assembly
• The group has responsibility for developing their own programme at Jameel Arts Centre, with this inaugural session running from November 2018 through April 2019
• The innovative peer-to-peer programme will lead to the production of art, design, research, interventions and public events geared towards youth aged 18-25, positioning Jameel Arts Centre as a home for young professionals and creatives

Art Jameel, the independent organisation that supports arts, education and heritage in the Middle East, today announces details of its Youth Assembly, a programme designed to foster creative leaders aged 18 to 25. As well as acting as “ambassadors” for the Centre, the group has the opportunity to design programmes specifically for their generation. The initiative is the cornerstone for programming dedicated to this key age group at the new Jameel Arts Centre (opening November 11, 2018).

Spanning November 2018 to April 2019, the pilot Jameel Arts Centre Youth Assembly will develop dedicated initiatives related to the interests of its nine members, who were selected through a highly competitive process, following nominations from Art Jameel’s extensive network of local industry leaders. The Jameel Arts Centre Youth Assembly, all UAE Nationals and long-term residents (of seven different nationalities) spans a breadth of experience and interests and hails from across the UAE. The selected members are: Shaikha Al Ketbi (Visual Artist), Salwa Al Khudairi (Architect), Abdulghanni Al Nahawi (Designer/Sculptor), Hassan Adebayo Bello (Social Entrepreneur), Sara Bin Safwan (Assistant Curator/Social Entrepreneur), Jenan Ismail (Graphic Designer), Arpana Murugappan (Multimedia Designer/Coder), Dina Tawil (Digital Designer/Illustrator), and Ray Yafi (Graphic Designer).

Youth Assembly members will create and organise a series of public youth-related events at Jameel Arts Centre, and encourage youth participation and establish relationships with fellow organisations, institutions and businesses. A collaborative, peer-to-peer exchange of ideas, plus access to mentorship, support and resources, will lead to an evolving production of art projects, research, design concepts, interventions and public events; the experience is designed to offer unparalleled real-world learning experiences for the Assembly members.

The Youth Assembly’s open format avoids a pre-determined course of action, and encourages the members to think for themselves and develop programmes that respond to the needs of their peers. Potential outcomes could include a series of workshops or themed talks, an exhibition, a public intervention, a research project or publication, a framework for upcoming youth-focused programmes, young artists residencies and exchanges, research materials, an artist commission, educational programmes, or other such innovative projects.

Reflecting Art Jameel’s commitment to education, the programme offers young cultural leaders first-hand insight into the workings of an arts institution and exposure to local, regional and international opportunities in the arts and culture field. In addition to a meaningful engagement with Art Jameel’s wide-ranging network of artists, curatorial council and industry professionals, participants will have the chance to further develop their individual careers through roundtables and one-on-one sessions with artists and expert practitioners.

An innovative cultural destination opening in Dubai on November 11, 2018, Jameel Arts Centre is the first non-governmental contemporary arts institution of its kind in the Gulf.

Art Jameel, the independent organisation that supports arts, education and heritage in the Middle East, today announces details of its Youth Assembly, a programme designed to foster creative leaders aged 18 to 25.

Further details on Jameel Arts Centre can be found here.
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Further details on Jameel Arts Centre Youth Assembly can be found here.