Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, is engaging the public to involve them in strengthening its innovative ‘Dubai ArtBank’ initiative during the 12th edition of Art Dubai, which runs from 21st to 24th March 2018.

The ‘Dubai ArtBank’ will introduce an innovative new model for managing art collections and transacting in creativity and art as bankable assets through a new Dubai Art crypto-currency. It is Dubai Culture’s response to the ‘Dubai 10X’ initiative, which seeks to place Dubai Government entities 10 years ahead of the rest of the world in all sectors, propelling Dubai into the future by implementing today what other cities around the world will be implementing 10 years from now.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, commented: “We have launched the ‘Dubai ArtBank’ to support the ‘Dubai 10X’ initiative announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the World Government Summit 2017, and implemented under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Dubai Future Foundation. Art Dubai provides us with an ideal platform for reaching out to the public and gathering feedback because it is attended by an international audience of arts sector experts. This will provide us with a wealth of global feedback while also allowing us to tap into the views of the local creative community. We are confident that this will strengthen the ‘Dubai ArtBank’ and our efforts to actively embrace disruptive innovation in the sector.”

Dubai Culture’s engaging Art Dubai stand features an ‘Ideas Bank’ where visitors can share their ideas about Dubai Culture’s ‘Dubai 10X’ initiative, as well as feedback to a variety of questions related to the arts and culture sectors. The questions have been designed to encourage the public to share their opinions about the ‘Dubai ArtBank’ so that Dubai Culture can develop the initiative in line with the creative community’s needs, and take their opinions on topics including ‘How can we sustain and grow the creative community in the UAE?’, ‘What do artists need to develop their careers?’, ‘How can we develop critical discourse around art and culture?’, ‘How can collections be shared and viewed by more people?’ and ‘What role do you think technology should play in the arts?’ In line with Dubai Culture’s mandate to drive the creative economy, the feedback will be used to support the sustainable development of the local arts sector in the digital era.

Art Dubai is an integral part of Dubai Art Season, a citywide showcase of artistic and cultural events which runs throughout March and April under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors. 

For more information on Dubai Culture, kindly visit:

Web: www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DubaiCultureArtsAuthority

Twitter: @DubaiCulture, @dubaiartseason

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/DubaiCulture

Instagram: @dubaiculture

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/6043316/

#DxbArtSeason18

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About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:

The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.

As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season - the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair- an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre - an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10thanniversary in 2016, and Dubai Next - a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.

The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae) - the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.

Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Libraries branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.

The Authority also manages more than 16 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture officially launched Etihad Museum in December 2016. The museum provides platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage.

For more information on Dubai Culture, visit www.dubaiculture.gov.ae

© Press Release 2018