Category: Entertainment – Art, Culture, theatre, film

Patron of the Arts

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Performers at a recent exhibition from Uzbekistan supported by Dubai Culture - I loved it

Thanks to Yasser & his team, my daughter loved the performance by a Chechen Dance troupe recently organised by Dubai Culture

The last few weeks has been awesome for Dubai Culture – I’ve always known the team there to be super dynamic (I seriously want to know where people like Yasser and Bilal get their energy) but I reckon recently they have surpassed themselves after hosting one amazing cultural performance/exhibition/celebration after another.

So when the equally amazing team of Asda who know I lap up anything that’s remotely associated with Art & Culture and would support the boys there anytime contacted me about the The Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Awards,I jumped up and headed towards Jumeirah Zabeel – its not just the superb hammam there that pulls me towards this amazing hotel.

This key initiative was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and honoured 47 organisations and individuals for their contributions towards the city’s cultural scene …which I may add grows twofold every time I get my fabulous self to set some time aside after work to check my social calendar.

Organised by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, the awards were aimed at encouraging patrons of the arts to further strengthen the evolution of the city’s cultural landscape through patronage.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority was there and he looked so different than when I first worked with him during DSF 2000 – he has managed to get increased support from Government departments and organisations, in addition to a vast pool of new patrons for culture and the arts.

It was awesome to see some of my favourite organisations and the representatives from Emirates Airlines, Jumeirah Group, Dubai Duty Free and AGMC – BMW being honoured – these guys do great stuff for art & culture and the people behind these brands are the nicest you will find in Dubai.

I’m hoping more things like Art Week, Art Dubai, Design Days, Dubai International Film Festival, Gulf Film Festival, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre add to the culture and arts scene of the city….we definitely need to give more recognition as well to the performing arts which has struggled heaps over the last 10 years. The tides are changing thanks to the amazing work of Dubai Culture and this diva is pleased to be in a city that brings so much of the worlds static and performing arts to us on a silver platter. Smiling heaps!

Treasures of the World’s Cultures

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Diva just received an invite to Treasures of the World’s Cultures, second in a series of exhibitions that paves the way to realising Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision and the opening of the Zayed National Museum.

Bringing life to elements of human history dating back 2 million years, the exhibition highlights examples of ‘buried treasure’ and recent artworks from around the world. I’m told the exhibition connects historical and modern cultural perspectives through one visual experience.

As a self proclaimed culture vulture,(I’m not just a fluffy chick obsessed with Romantic comedies only afterall), it would be interesting to see historic objects from across the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, plus items from the Modern World.

Organised by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority in collaboration with the British Museum, Al Ain National Museum and Sharjah Archaeology Museum, I’m glad to hear it will be at Manarat Al Saadiyat until July 17th – all I have to do now is organise the latest car launched in the market to be at my disposal for a weekend so I can go test it by cruising around Abu Dhabi and get to see this exhibition.

A number of talks and panels will take place to complement Treasures of the World’s Cultures. First of the series, on 18 April, will feature Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, who will explore the highlights of the exhibition and reveal some of the extraordinary stories they evoke… Diva reckons you should put it in your diary if you are in Abu Dhabi that day.

Abu Dhabi Festival Plus Bringing Shakespeare to life

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While doing my Masters in Literary Studies, I always cringed when an assignment on popular classics came my way. But as I grew older and wiser, they grew on me… mostly due to the influence of living with Eric who as a stage actor loves performing classics and it looks like NJD is going that route too since her video of emulating Juliet has been a hit amongst friends.

So lo and behold, I am now a fan of Shakespeare (when I really should have been a fan while I was studying him). Naturally then it was delightful to hear of Midsummer Night’s Dream reinvigorating a Love of Shakespeare across UAE as the UK Theatre Company returned to the Abu Dhabi Festival 2012 with a specially commissioned production of the play.

The mesmerising performance at the packed Abu Dhabi Theatre held its audience in awe, as the actors played out one of Shakespeare’s most imaginative plays. As part of Abu Dhabi Festival’s education program, the interactive play breathes new life into this amazingly clever and classic Midsummer Night’s Dream and its cast of mortals, mechanicals and fairies is packed with dazzling poetry and sparkling comedy.

Her Excellency Mrs Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival thought the Director, Buckhurst and his talented cast did a superb job and delivered a powerful and passionate performance. A popular and enduring comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream features three interlocking plots set simultaneously in the woodland, and in the realm of fairyland under the light of the moon. The story, mixed with mortals, a feuding king and queen, magical practical jokes, love affairs and characters transformed in the most unlikely ways, danced across the delightfully constructed stage.

The Festival continues its commitment to showcasing the very best of the arts, with a schedule combining classical music, theatre and performing arts, jazz, ballet and fine arts until the 6th of April. The programme crosses cultures and explores the past, present and future of artistic expression.

Interesting acts to watch for would be Naseer Shamma and Global Ensemble. The ensemble will perform on the 24th of this month, and a unique fusion of music of the Spanish guitar, oud, percussion, upright bass, clarinet, harp and piano will transcend genres and blend influences. The act is an Abu Dhabi Festival Commission and World Premiere event.

There will also be an Emirati flavoured adaptation of the well-known Restoration comedy, The Rivals, by Richard Sheridan by Abu Dhabi based Resuscitation Theatre. Not to miss as well would be Arab musician Ibrahim Latoof and Riwaq Al Fikr, Royal Opera House’s production of Beloved Friend and SUTRA: a stunning blend of Kung Fu, Tai Chi and contemporary dance bough by the illustrious Sadler’s Well Theatre in London and feature 17 monks of the Shaolin temple in China. I cant wait to see this…i reckon its worth a journey into Abu Dhabi to get a glimpse of SUTRA.

The dynamic team at The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) have done an amazing job in their bid to nurture the arts, education, culture and creativity for the benefit of society and the advancement of Abu Dhabi’s cultural vision.

ADMAF’s broad programme of initiatives and events – including the Abu Dhabi Festival and the Young Media Leaders, The Nationals’ Gallery and The Artists’ Studio among many others – brings together audiences of all ages and nationalities. Through its educational and community programmes, it nurtures the creative talent of the UAE and beyond, in partnership with leading national and international institutions….how cool is that?

London’s Globe Theater Brings Love of Shakespeare to Abu Dhabi - IMAGE BY ADMAF

ART DUBAI + JOHN JONES ART ON PAPER AWARD + SIKKA AND MORE

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I loved 'Aquarium' by Beatriz Milhazes at the Cartier enclave in Art Dubai

The last two evenings have been awesome with me doing whistle stop tours of the galleries at Art Dubai after work.

Its awesome to see so many familiar faces and art enthusiasts lapping it up….my favourite area this year has to be the Cartier enclave. I didn’t want to leave as it was like a mini paradise set up to entice us and although I am not such a great fan of most Cartier jewellery, I have to say they really know how to pull the crowds with the ambience they have created at this years Art Dubai.

One hot news that has emerged is that the judges of the John Jones Art on Paper Award have selected artists Hassan Sharif (UAE) and Luis Camnitzer (Uraguay) as dual recipients of the inaugural award. The two artists are shown on the stand of New York gallery Alexander Gray Associates…. I went to see their gallery amongst others and they have some super talented people this year featured at the stands.

This Award was conceived by master framers John Jones Ltd. and Art Dubai to recognize the potential for excellence and innovation for works made on paper.  Sharif and Camnitzer will be given the opportunity to present a dedicated exhibition in Dubai between March 2012-2013, and in addition to the artists receiving a cash prize, the winning works will be acquired by the John Jones Contemporary Art Collection in London.

I also came across the information on SIKKA and the ArtBus concept which I think is a superb idea for people who really want to see all the art scene that Dubai has to offer without worrying about transport, parking etc….diva likes this idea heaps.

To make it more interesting,  the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture commissioned UAE-based artist UBIK, to design the SIKKA ArtBus. The ArtBus, organised by ArtintheCity and thejamjar, in partnership with the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, serves as a convenient guide for visitors to various art fairs, galleries, educational and interactive talks, and other art events taking place in Dubai. Another bus acts as a complimentary ArtBus shuttle, taking passengers to and from SIKKA 2012, until March 24.

SIKKA 2012 is held at the historic Al Bastakiya, the vibrant cultural nerve-centre of Dubai….there is so much more to enjoy in terms of Art in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi that I don’t know where to start and where to stop…..all I can say is that the UAE totally rocks when it comes to the Art scene this month. There is no place in the world I would like to be in right now, my home country Fiji Islands included (Fiji is a paradise and the way the world should be so me saying that in March I reckon UAE is more fun than Fiji means a lot).

 

The Cartier area at Art Dubai


Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies

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Although this week is all about Art Dubai, I also felt like talking about an incredibly interesting programme by The Sharjah Art Foundation called March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies. This takes place until March 19 in Dar Al Nadwa, Heritage Area, Sharjah.

I’m told the programme will be inaugurated with an Opening Address given by His Excellency the Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Abdul Rahman Mohammed bin Nasser Al Owais. Over 80 notable local and international art world figures will be speaking, including: HE Omar Saif Ghobash, HE Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Dr Salwa Mikdadi, Head of Arts and Culture Programme at Emirates Foundation and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation.

Distinguished art historian and curator Salah Hassan will give the Opening Keynote. James Lingwood, Co-Director of Artangel, London, will be introducing for the first time in the UAE the commissioning work of Artangel at the March Meeting, which coincides with the Middle East premiere of 1395 Days without Red.

Ziad Antar, whose documentary photography project of the UAE coastline, Portrait of a Territory, which opened in Sharjah on March 16 and the curator of the exhibition, Christine Macel, Chief Curator at Musée National D’Art Moderne Centre Pompidou, Paris, will both be participating in the March Meeting, along with Basma Alsharif, who has a solo exhibition, Farther Than the Eye Can See opening today March 18.

Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui’s Revisiting Tarab, an evening of performances inspired by classical Arab music will premiere in Sharjah on March 19, will also be presenting. Additional speakers include Yuko Hasegawa (Japan), the newly appointed Curator of the next Sharjah Biennial in 2013, Jude Kelly, OBE, Artistic Director of Southbank Centre (UK) and Beatrix Ruf, Director/Curator, Kunsthalle Zurich (Switzerland).

Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, will give the Closing Address at the March Meeting on March 19….the question is – will I make it to any? I sure want to!

Novaro -The King of Modern Glass and The Royal Treasures Gallery

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Novaro pieces

Art Dubai is next week – I just received the most beautiful access card I’ve seen for any event so I was hoping to make this week more about PR World Congress, fanciful yachts belonging to members of our Millionaire Group plus about script writing and film making.

But Joelle had other ideas…..she wanted me to get in gear a week ahead and get a sneak peak into what Royal Treasures Gallery was up to. And boy I got some awesome insights – The Royal Treasures Gallery, host to the world’s finest crystal antiques and rare artifacts is announcing their partnership with Jean Claude Novaro, a French glass blower whose works have been snapped up by art connoisseurs….Joelle, loads of people heard of this here first!

Royal Treasures Gallery will launch this partnership through a 5 day exhibition at their Gallery, starting April 3rd – April 7th 2012 so do watch out for this perfect collaboration.

To give you a low down, Novaro, born in 1943, has worked with glass for more than 50 years. The artist  works on shapes but also on transformations due to the reaction of materials, adding enamels, metal oxides, inclusion of gold and silver sheet, coloring the surface or between two layers of clear glass.

As a result of the overwhelming response by the UAE’s antique and glass aficionados as well as artifact enthusiasts and following the success of the Royal Treasures Gallery inauguration before, Dinsha and Munchi Shroff, along with Manav Suri, their local partner, are thrilled with this new-fangled partnership with Jean Claude Novaro.

Novaro is widely acclaimed as the ‘King of Glass’ – his customer portfolio includes the likes of Mike Tyson and Sheikh Tariq Al Qassimi and he has also earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hand blown coupe ever made.

Jean Claude Novaro’s unique and distinctive art-glass creations are highly valued and sought after by art connoisseurs all over the world. Several of the Frenchman’s creations are being displayed in museums, galleries and private collections around the world…..now Diva reckons that’s something to wait for patiently for the next couple of weeks…can you?

With Novaro

Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012

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Last night I went to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 to listen to an author (David Nichols) whose book “One Day’ I’m reading after my NJD and Eric persuaded me that it was totally up my street – and they were right as I am currently enjoying this book as my bedtime reading. 

I bumped into people I know at the festival who enthused about the breathtaking display of readings, poetry, song and dance at the spectacular theatre that  is part of Cultural & Scientific Association at Al Mamzar.  This is where I saw the Japanese Drum show last week and it was wow.

The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2012 is held in Dubai between 6-10 March 2012 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and is held in partnership with Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.

I am going to some of the sessions later today. As my first project in the UAE in 2000 (DSF 2000) was for Saeed Al Nabouda, who is now the Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, I look forward to catching up with him hopefully at the festival – always good to stay in contact with ex clients.

I am all set for the literary sessions today as well which look awesome. I wish local author Dedra Stevenson was part of the line-up too as my daughter loves her work too. Can’t wait to hear Rashad Bukhash speak on the architectural Heritage of Dubai. I love his groups talks on design and traditional architecture so it would be delightful to hear both Rashad and Peter Jackson share their knowledge in one session.

Taiko Legend – Heart beat from Japan

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Japanese drummers in action - absolutely loved the show

This week, the Japan Foundation and the diplomatic team for the Japan Embassy and Consulate celebrated the 40th anniversary of UAE-Japan Diplomatic relations under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. The main attraction was none other than Eitetsu Hayashi, Japan’s premier Taiko drummer and guest player Makoto Takei on a Japanese bamboo flute (Shakuhachi)

Playing a big part in this of course were our good friends from the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (It was a delight to catch up with Bilal and Yasser after a long break).

After much struggle looking for signs to the Mamzar theatre, diva breathed a sigh of relief in discovering that the said theatre where the performance was going to happen was part of the Dubai Culture and Scientific Association building (I can be so ‘duh’ sometimes).

But it was worth the drive for the captivating performance titled The Taiko Legend – Heart Beat from Japan. Hayashi led the Taiko Group to perform ‘The Taiko Legend’. An acclaimed musician, Hayashi is ranked as one of the world’s leading taiko players and a foremost cultural and artistic asset of Japan. His performances range from tranquil to inspirational offering an unparalleled experience for the audience.

People who have lived in Asia may have come across Kabuki before. Until the first part of the 20th century, people in Japan used to play Taiko early morning on the performance days of kabuki theatre.  If you have not seen this before, put in on your bucket list for traditional entertainment.

I was suitably impressed by ‘Mitsumai’ (Three Dances) composed by Eitetsu Hayashi. A motif, reminiscent of matsuri bayashi (Japanese folk-festive music) is the basic phrase of this piece. The piece also featured the characteristics of Shimedaiko (this has a high pitched tone compared to other drums) and had the vital structure of a Taiko ensemble piece. I was told by my Japanese friends that Shimedaiko is traditionally accompanied with other instruments such as the vertical flute and mini tampani to make festive tunes for Japanese street festivals.

Out of the 6 main pieces, the one above was my favourite although the solo performance on the Japanese bamboo flute (Shakuhachi) came close. Ranging from traditional, to the contemporary and experimental, this simple instrument makes audience feel the beauty of sound and depth of expression.

As the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, its awesome to see that Dubai Culture is just as dynamic & committed to strengthening cultural exchange as before, as well as facilitating exchange of ideas by providing Emirati and local artists the opportunity to work alongside international artists. All in all, a fantastic night out in terms of diva being being a culture vulture.

Diva ventures a distance for World-Class Polo

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It is difficult to get me out of the house on a Friday under normal circumstances so to entice me to drive to the Polo & Equestrian Club near Motor City all the way from Mirdif has to be for something special.

With Little diva at the Polo Club

But then, my host for the day was Mahmoud Nodjoumi who is one of the most humble and sweetest people I know and he sponsored the Polo Tournament in question – naturally that was reason enough to get my sexy butt out of bed and convince NJD that she could inherit my Sacoor polo shirt and be treated to a fun evening afterwards at DUCTAC if she would be my escort for the afternoon.

Naturally this kid…who already lays claim to anything nice I own for her inheritance jumped at the opportunity to try out the said shirt in her chic way combining it with white tights to match the collar (Clearly has more fashion sense than I do). It was a beautiful afternoon and over 200 UAE polo aficionados enjoyed a world-class display of horsemanship and sporting prowess at the final of the third annual Nexus Valentine’s Cup.

Sponsored by Nexus Insurance Brokers (Nadjoumi is the founder and CEO of Nexus), one of the region’s largest independent brokers, the event saw a crowd of glitterati, socialites with a cast of international and local polo stars at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, with Dr. A Polo beating The Vikings 7-5 to emerge as champions. Nadjoumi mentioned the two days of fantastic polo had players showing world-class skills in a tightly-contested match.

The winning team also received prizes from Glam Rock Watches, a celebrity favourite recently launched in Dubai and available at Damas Exclusives – Glam Rock Watches is a client of Image Nation (Dipesh Depala and Ayman’s PR agency). It was so wonderful to hang out with Dipesh and Ayman who are a delight to meet each time – Dipesh dished out some good advise to NJD about her school and planning her future education supporting me in coaxing her to move schools to Dubai.

My plan was to get NJD to DUCTAC in time for Rock and Rolla but Nadjoumi insisted we join the invited guests and the polo players for dinner so he could brief me on his current CSR work. We obliged because I already saw that the event generated awareness for Al Noor Training Centre, a non-profit organisation supported by Nexus Insurance Brokers that provides individuals with special needs, regardless of background, with professional training and care in order to realize their potential and better integrate into the wider community.

Nexus Insurance Brokers provided a space to display handcrafted items created by the students as part of their training programme…its because of Nexus CSR work and because of Nadjoumi’s good heart, I always make an effort to go to activities related to Nexus.

We did make it to Rock and Rolla with Dave Crane as the MC for the night.  Dave is one of my oldest acquaintances in Dubai from his radio DJ days and we share a passion for Rugby 7s . We compared notes on our kids etc briefly before witnessing some of the most talented kids on stage….more on this coming later.

Gong Xi Fa Cai & Splashes of Red

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ImageIts that wonderful time of the year when one treasures all things Chinese. Normally I would just be talking about food but for once, its about the celebrations all around for Chinese New Year. Its a bit special for me as it is the year of the dragon which has been lucky for me in the past and in 2000, which was the Year of the Double Dragon, my daughter Tash was born. (If you think I have a dynamite personality, you gotta meet this kid who on top of being a Double Dragon was born under the sign of Scorpio). All I can say is OUCH! But I love her and wouldn’t have it any other way as she keeps life exciting and I learn heaps of stuff from her almost every day.

In Malaysia and Singapore, it was so much fun to be around town during this period where for once, the city people actually take time to breath. As a student, I certainly received a lot of ‘Ang Paos’ from my older Chinese friends and absolutely loved the prosperity lunches and dinners. I still have not decided what to give my daughter tonight in her red ang pao packet when I explain the whole concept, cultural significance to her about CNY. I loved the red lanterns and dragon dances in particular during this period  in the KL, PJ and Subang Jaya areas of Malaysia. And Orchard Road in Singapore during this time is magic.

I am glad for once that close friends define me as the diva with splashes of red….during this time, red is meant to be a lucky colour so to add to my red carpets, candles, lamps & cushions and feathers, I am making extra effort to add more red elements into my house for the  next 15 days to celebrate. I wish the dragon on my desk was red and not green but that would totally destroy my feng shui side of things – oh well!

Because I lean more towards Mandarin when addressing all things Chinese, I say Gong Xi Fa Cai as greeting but a few friends of mine are from the Cantonese orientation and they greet friends saying Kung Hei Fat Choi (Philip, note I did remember the phrase this time). I wish my Chinese friends a prosperous new year and I could certainly do with a better year this time around for sure.

Talking about prosperity meals, today I prepared a special prosperity toss (yee sang) which is a combination of fish and vegetables of different colours. I hope this brings me good luck, prosperity, longevity, health and wealth. On Thursday, I will be having a special prosperity meal prepared by my favourite Chinese Chef at Shangri-la Dubai. Cant wait!

Speaking of cultural fusion, NJD and I just returned from the Dubai Berlin fashion show held from 8.30-9pm at the Pavilion. It was cool to see how 8 designers hailing from Germany and UAE used the abaya as their focal point to create designs fusing fabrics, cuts, styles from the 2 countries. Very nice indeed. We certainly love cultural influences on all fronts.

Hope the Water dragon brings happiness and harmony to all.