This episode was produced by The National in partnership with LIVEX.
This week on Culture Bites, host Enas Refaei sits down with speakers at LIVEX in Abu Dhabi to discuss how arts and culture can shape the cities in which people live.
She speaks to Adrian Lahoud, professor of architecture and urban design, about why successful cities need more than buildings. He explains why communities should have a role in shaping projects from the beginning, and how culture needs the freedom and resources to grow organically. They also discuss what the Middle East can teach other parts of the world about designing cities for rising temperatures and the role architecture can play in social change.
Enas also sits down with Bill Bragin, founding executive artistic director of The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi.
He explains why he considers culture a form of infrastructure that can bring different communities together and make a city a place where people want to build their lives. They also look at how The Arts Centre has helped artists in the UAE connect, collaborate and develop professionally, and why introducing audiences to unfamiliar work is an important part of building a thriving cultural scene.
