The Gulf region's arts and culture landscape is booming. In Abu Dhabi, museums are being built and the UAE's own national orchestra is being established. In Saudi Arabia, construction of a 46,000-square-metre opera house is under way in Riyadh, while Oman's Royal Opera House Muscat recently completed its 15th annual performance season.
While the ambition can be seen and heard, the bigger question is whether these institutions are being built to last. According to Clive Gillinson, artistic director of New York’s 134-year-old Carnegie Hall, the difference between legacy and spectacle lies in the clarity of intention. It is not about what you are building – or how much – but why.
During a recent visit to the UAE, where he took part in Abu Dhabi Festival’s Riwak Al Fikr lecture series, the British-American told The National that enduring cultural institutions are defined by their vision.
It is a lesson learnt during Gillinson’s 20 years at the helm of Carnegie Hall. Its global outlook, he says, has been baked into its mission since its founding in 1891.
“One has to remember Carnegie Hall is in what is the cultural capital of America, so it carries a responsibility to look outward and engage with the world,” he says. “To do that comes down to leadership.
“Do the institution’s leaders want to embrace diversity and global perspectives? That’s not every organisation’s mission, and that’s OK, but for something to be truly global, that commitment has to be embedded in its purpose.”
Abu Dhabi’s creative and cultural sector, Gillinson adds, is already capitalising on its strategic position as a crossroads between East and West, as seen in the successful launch and programming of initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Festival, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Abrahamic Family House. These institutions and festivals do more than inspire or entertain – they form part of a broader cultural infrastructure.
As cities such as New York and London have shown, a thriving cultural scene can drive economic power, with each reinforcing the other.
“New York is New York not just because of money or location,” he says. “It’s because of its cultural life. Now, if the Gulf wants to be a global economic hub – where everything passes through this part of the world – it needs the cultural dimension too. And what’s wonderful is that they’ve understood that from the start. That’s huge credit to the region.”
But building institutions partly inspired by those abroad can only go so far. More than bringing in the best performances and orchestras, regional cultural centres need to lean into their own arts and traditions.
“What’s really important is that people first know, understand and take pride in their own cultures,” he says. “Everything must be rooted in valuing that heritage. At the same time, it’s just as vital to be open to other cultures – to be curious and willing to listen to what the rest of the world has to offer.”
Gillinson says the establishment of the UAE’s National Orchestra and the upcoming June 20 performance by the National Youth Orchestra of Dubai at Carnegie Hall are significant examples of this approach. “It’s initiatives like these that show there is serious belief in what they are building here,” he says. “It’s about nurturing talent, creating opportunities, and showing young people that they belong on the world’s biggest stages.”
An expansive programme, featuring home-grown artists and international acts can also help regional cultural centres to withstand the transient nature of their audiences and communities. While the progress of heritage institutions like Carnegie Hall is measured in generations, their regional counterparts are often measured in years.
“In capital cities like Washington DC – where political life means people are constantly coming and going – the challenge is similar in that you have to actively build traditions and continually engage each new wave of people. That makes it harder, but it’s part of the responsibility,” he says.
“If you also look at places like China, Japan and Korea, classical music wasn’t originally part of the culture. Yet over the past century, it’s become deeply embedded in everyday life. Today, many of the world’s leading classical musicians come from those countries. They’ve embraced the art form and nurtured home-grown talent that now thrives internationally.”
With that said, the path ahead for the region’s cultural hubs is clearer. Having announced themselves on the global stage, Gillinson hopes the UAE’s venues and curators – along with their Gulf counterparts – will now turn their focus to depth, developing rich, purposeful programming that reflects the region’s identity both at home and abroad.
“It’s a long journey, and one you have to believe in,” he says. “But what I love about being here, and what I love about the people here, is that it’s a journey they genuinely want to take and they understand it’s a long-term commitment.”
