Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is calling for applications for a new youth development programme as the long-awaited museum expands its public activities ahead of an expected opening later this year.
The free programme, Contemporary Makers, is open to UAE citizens and residents aged 18 to 25 and will run across three cohorts – spring, summer and autumn – with each focused on a different theme.
The spring cohort, centred on ceramics, will run from April 13 to June 4 at Make Abu Dhabi. Sessions will be held every Thursday from 5pm to 7pm.
Developed by Guggenheim Abu Dhabi in collaboration with Make and Swalif Collective, the initiative offers artist-led collaboration, mentorship and hands-on learning. No previous arts background is required.
According to the programme page, each cohort will explore how museums, art and society connect today, while supporting young people interested in developing creative skills and engaging with the cultural sector.
Contemporary Makers comes as Guggenheim Abu Dhabi moves closer to opening on Saadiyat Island.
In February, Stephanie Rosenthal, director of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project, suggested the museum would open towards the end of 2026. Speaking at the Dubai Collection Nights event in February, she told audiences they would be able to see inside the Frank Gehry-designed institution “very soon … end of the year”.
In December, Abu Dhabi also began setting out what visitors can expect from the museum itself. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said the institution would look beyond the familiar western canon and position itself as a broader public space.
“Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is going to be a lot more than a museum,” he said. “It’s really a civic space. It’s a place that brings people together with music, food, dance and, of course, contemporary art.”
Once open, the museum is set to become the largest institution in the Guggenheim network and a major part of Saadiyat Cultural District, alongside Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.
Applications for the spring Contemporary Makers cohort are now open.
