Fifth edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi to be held in October

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that the fifth edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi will be hosted at Manarat Al Saadiyat under the theme ‘A Living Culture’.

The global forum will run from October 23-25. It will examine contemporary issues driving change in the culture and creative industries (CCI) and the wider cultural sector in current times.

The programme will explore what it means to embrace the culture as a lived experience in a world that has been transformed by Covid-19, and better understand the pervasive influence culture has had on our individual and collective lives.

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi will see cultural leaders, artists, practitioners, scholars, educators and creative professionals discuss these urgent contemporary issues.

Organised by DCT Abu Dhabi, the 5th edition of @CultureSummitAD returns to @ManaratSaadiyat from 23 – 25 October 2022. pic.twitter.com/uxdnJ8sVHC

— Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (@dctabudhabi) September 16, 2022

The programme is curated so that each day of the summit examines a sub-theme in more detail. Topics that will be discussed during the summit include the impact of digital media and artificial intelligence, a geographical focus on East Africa and the arts and culture scene, and culture and climate emergency, among others.

Additionally, this year’s programme will host high-level speakers including Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, UNESCO assistant director-general for Culture; Fiammetta Rocco, culture editor at the Economist; Dr Helena Nassif director of Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy); Harvey Mason Jr, CEO of the Recording Academy; producer Jennifer Stockman; award-winning architect Frank Gehry, and collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens among others.

The summit programme features a series of keynotes, panel discussions, artist talks, workshops, film screenings, creative conversations and cultural performances.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “We are excited once again to organise, alongside some incredible global partners, Culture Summit Abu Dhabi in the UAE’s capital. Abu Dhabi is committed to being a meeting place for cultural experts and professionals from various fields of expertise to come together and discuss the future of our sector and how we can build a diverse and more sustainable cultural ecosystem.

“As we get ready to welcome these global leaders, we are reminded of the shared responsibility we have to find solutions and shape policies that can address the pressing issues of our time and find ways to drive change in our global industry.”

“The 5th Culture Summit Abu Dhabi presents a timely opportunity for cultural stakeholders worldwide to share a common vision to revise current models and imagine more sustainable and resilient pathways for the future,” said Ramirez.

Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, said, “The summit provides an opportunity to hold conversations around important cultural questions while incorporating worldwide audiences. It offers an all-too-rare opportunity for artists and thinkers to envision the future.”

Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2022 is organised in collaboration with global partner organisations such as UNESCO, Economist Impact, Google, the Design Museum, Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Foundation and the Recording Academy.

Other participating partners include Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Film Commission, Sandstorm Comics, Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Culture Resource, Arab Fund for Arts & Culture, and the Institut Français.