For its 10th season, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi has prepared a programme that takes several cues from its decade-long experimentation at the space.
The calendar is as cutting-edge as it is eclectic, with 55 performances including a satirical Emirati play, debut appearances by artists from around the world and a number of returning favourites. It has been curated under the theme Looking Back and Looking Forward.
“We always start with how we feel about the work and how we think it will connect with audiences here,” says Bill Bragin, executive artistic director of The Arts Centre.
“There are certain topics which often filter through the programmes, such as heritage and identity and cultural hybridity. We also consider how the artists will connect with the university classes, since in addition to performances for the public, they also visit university classes and give workshops and talks. Overall, we're looking to always include a broad geographical and stylistic mix; a range of artistic disciplines; a range of venues and scales; and balance the returning artists with new visitors or new projects.”
Highlights include Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle, a play directed by NYU Abu Dhabi alumnus Reem Almenhali and written by Ahmed Almadloum. The play touches upon the absurdities of a workplace and resonates on a universal level, even though it is grounded in Emirati culture. It will take place at The Black Box on October 18 and 19.
The programme will also feature artists who, Bragin says, have “made big waves around the world” and will be making their UAE debut at NYU Abu Dhabi. These include Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol, who is on a bill with Syrian rock band TootArd for a performance at The Black Box on September 19 and 20.
On February 13, The Arts Centre will be holding its first-ever Tamaas Festival. Cuban musician Cimafunk and Congolese electronic act Kokoko! are set to play outdoors at the East Plaza. Egyptian musician and DJ Abosahar, and Moroccan duo Aita Mon Amour, meanwhile, will be playing at The Black Box. “I can't wait to see the dance parties which will explode when they hit The Arts Centre stages,” Bragin says.
Known for his unique take on AfroCuban funk, Cimafunk says he is looking forward to devising a playlist based on the audience interaction at The Arts Centre.
“I sing mainly in Spanish but perform for many people that don’t speak Spanish,” he says. “We actually don’t have a firm set list before shows. We try to read the crowd and the energy and choose songs at that moment and in an order that can move people musically. Music goes beyond words – it’s about the rhythms, the tones and the movements. So I’ll be enjoying my time in the UAE and adapting my performance to what I feel can connect with the people.”
The Catalina singer notes that the performance will be his first in this part of the world and that he is looking forward to making his Middle Eastern debut. “I’m fascinated by the history and culture of UAE and I look forward to sharing my history and culture with the people,” he says. “Music brings us together and I’m sure we’ll all connect through the funk.”
Abosahar, too, says he is looking forward to performing his music for the first time in the UAE. Often referred to as the King of Trobby, he is known for his genre-defying soundscape that blends Egyptian shaabi timbres with electronic music.
My music is more than just sound; it’s my life story translated into melodies and rhythms
Abosahar
“I’m excited to debut in the UAE and bring the sound of Trobby to a new audience,” he says. “My music is more than just sound; it’s my life story translated into melodies and rhythms. Performing live is where I feel most at home, and I’m eager to see how the energy of the UAE will blend with the spirit of Trobby. I can’t wait to create a connection that transcends borders and makes people feel good.”
Other first time performers include Japanese installation artist and choreographer Kiori Kawai, as well as US composer Aaron Sherwood, who is also a faculty member at NYU Abu Dhabi. The two founded the performance project Purring Tiger in 2011. Although the group has performed around the world, Purring Tiger has yet to feature in the UAE.
“After calling Abu Dhabi home for a number of years now, yet always showing our work internationally, we are very excited to premiere a piece in our adopted country,” Kawai tells The National.
Purring Tiger will be performing their latest work, Mujo, which is Japanese for impermanence. Mujo comprises a multichannel film installation, and a live performance. It will take place amid sand dunes more than an hour away from NYU Abu Dhabi, with transportation available from the university’s welcome centre. The performance will be held on November 1 and 2.
“This piece could only happen here and is deeply inspired by the desert and our time in the UAE,” says Sherwood. “Doing a performance out in the sand dunes is something we've never done before. We're looking forward to seeing how the audience responds to the embodiment of the dance and the music which are reflecting the nature of the desert.”
Ahead of Mujo, Egyptian singer Zigzag Ghanim will lead an ensemble in a performance that will put a contemporary twist to classical Arabic poems from the Abbasid era.
While The Arts Centre’s 10th season will mark several exciting debuts, there will be a number of performances by returning artists.
“Sometimes, an artist visit is so successful that you know you want to invite them back even while they are here,” Bragin says. “This was the case when we brought Cie Herve Koubi for the first time to perform What the Day Owes to the Night in 2022. The response was so strong that we added a second show which sold out in about a week. Immediately, fans were clamouring for us to bring them back, so it felt perfect that we should open our anniversary season with them.”
The dance troupe will be presenting Sol Invictus. Latin for 'The Unconquered Sun', the performance takes its name from the Syrian and Roman god of the sun as well as a Roman festival that marked the end of the winter solstice and looked towards warmer and sunnier days.
“Their work is such a beautiful combination of virtuoso athleticism and lyrical grace,” Bragin says. “But it's not just a spectacle – Sol Invictus also subtly and thoughtfully speaks to the centrality of the arts and community as something to hold on to during turbulent times.”
The Trisha Brown Dance Company is also returning to The Arts Centre. The postmodern dance troupe will be performing two pieces at the Red Theatre on November 15. As its title suggestions, In the Fall looks into the physicality of the act of falling down. It is choreographed by Noe Soulier, marking the second ever commission by a choreographer other than the legendary US dancer Trisha Brown. The second piece, Working Title, is one of Brown’s classic choreographies.
“Last time we were at The Arts Centre we danced on the rooftops around campus, in the lobby of the Art Center, in The Black Box … placing dance everywhere but the actual stage,” says Carolyne Lucas, a member of The Trisha Brown Dance Company. “It was so special to be able to infuse the campus and the community with dance in the less obvious spaces.
“This time around, we are excited to bring a more traditional repertory programme to the stage and build on the foundations laid on our last visit.”
Another returning favourite is Maysoon Zaid. The American-Palestinian comedian performed at NYU Abu Dhabi in 2017 and then took part in the university’s online Reconnect series in 2020, during the pandemic.
“We have been talking to Maysoon Zayid about coming back since she was here in 2017,” Bragin says. “Between the business of her touring and acting schedule, and then the pandemic, it's taken longer than we expected, though we did broadcast her performance on April 1, 2020 to launch our Reconnect series.
“She connects with so many audiences through her comedy, in both Arabic and English, as she talks about her many identities: as an Arab woman; a Muslim woman; a Palestinian woman; a daughter; and a person of determination with cerebral palsy. She was incredible with our students in the classroom and, more than anything, she's hilarious.”
A full list of the performances is available on NYU Abu Dhabi's website
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Why are you, you?
Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
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For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
