Letter from the
Executive Director
Welcome to the first SHF newsletter for 2017. As we enter the new year there are many memorable highlights for us to look back on from the last 12 months and exciting developments to look forward to in the year ahead.
2016 was a very active year for SHF’s Arts, Culture and Heritage programs.
In November of 2016, our unique arts space, Warehouse421 turned one year old! In its first year it quickly became a thriving hub for art, culture and creativity in the heart of Abu Dhabi. It welcomed more than 21,000 visitors, hosted 9 exhibitions, 11 workshops, 8 talks and 16 film screenings and featured the works of more than 150 artists and designers, mostly from the UAE and the Arab world. In 2017, it is our hope that the people of the UAE will continue to visit Warehouse421 and participate in the various creative activities offered there.
In 2016, the Foundation’s efforts to support emerging artists in the UAE through the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF) grew. 2016 saw the graduation of the Third SEAF cohort, the selection of another 16 fellows for the Fourth cohort and the granting of 10 scholarships to former SEAF fellows to pursue graduate studies at top arts schools in the US and Europe. In 2017, we look forward to the graduation of the first four recipients of the SEAF graduate school scholarships and to selecting a fifth cohort in late 2017.
In May 2017, the UAE will participate for the fifth time in the International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. In its capacity as Commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE, and in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, the SHF was pleased to introduce Hammad Nasar in October as the Curator of the UAE’s involvement in this prestigious event. Nasar, an accomplished curator and writer based in Hong Kong, will use the exhibition to explore the distinctive role of play in contemporary artistic practice in the UAE.
Outside of the Arts, SHF announced in late 2016 its support for investment in ethical leadership by permanently endowing the Rhodes Scholarship for the UAE. Under the Program, two eligible applicants from the UAE will be selected to pursue post-graduate studies at Oxford University in the UK.
And in the field of Early Childhood development, SHF has been working behind the scenes to prepare some of our existing programs for their next phases of growth. Most notably, the SHF is currently reviewing its Early Childhood Development (ECD) offerings and consulting with a range of local and international stakeholders to identify the ways in which we could add the most value to the UAE community in this area in the future. The Foundation expects to have an updated ECD strategy in place by mid-2017 while our popular Parenting Talks will continue in the meantime.
It has obviously been a big year for the Foundation with the announcement of a number of new projects and the continued growth and development of some of our more established initiatives. On behalf of everybody at the SHF, we would like to wish you and your families a happy and successful New Year and we look forward to welcoming you to one of our many upcoming events in 2017 (please register to our mailing list by emailing us on contact@shf.ae).
Angela Migally
Executive Director
Arts, Culture
& Heritage
Warehouse421 Turns One
Last November marked the first anniversary of the opening of Warehouse421 in Abu Dhabi’s historic Mina Zayed district. The former industrial warehouse has now become a thriving hub for art, culture and creativity in the City of Abu Dhabi, offering a year-round program of exhibitions, events and opportunities for members of the public to explore their creative interests.
Read More
Art and Play to Combine in Venice
In its capacity as Commissioner of the National Pavilion UAE, and in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, the Foundation was pleased to announce Hammad Nasar in October as Curator for the UAE’s upcoming participation in the 57th International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia in 2017. The event will mark the fifth time that the UAE has participated in this prestigious international arts event since 2009. Under Nasar’s curation, the exhibition will explore playfulness in artistic practices in the UAE, where it comes from and how it is nurtured.
Read More
A New SEAF Cohort Emerges
In November 2016, the SHF was proud to announce the fourth cohort of Fellows selected to participate in the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF). The purpose of the 10-month SEAF program is to boost the academic knowledge and professional skills of UAE-based emerging artists while cultivating their ability to analyze, evaluate and discuss their own work in order to prepare them for post-graduate studies and a professional career in the arts.
Read More
Lest We Forget Returns
Emirati Adornment: Tangible and Intangible will be the third annual exhibition to be curated by Lest We Forget with the support of the SHF. Opening at Warehouse421 on 4 February and running until 27 August 2017, the latest exhibition documents the many forms of adornment that have been embraced by people in the UAE throughout history and explores the diverse meanings that have been attached to these social, cultural and family traditions.
Read MoreEducation
New Approaches in Early Childhood Development (ECD)
The SHF is currently in the process of reviewing its Early Childhood Development (ECD) initiatives and is consulting with a range of local and international stakeholders – spanning disciplines such as early childhood care and education, child protection, health and nutrition, and family support – to identify the ways in which the Foundation could add the most value to the UAE community in this area in the future.
Read MoreHealth
Let’s Talk About MS
Following the positive response to the #strongerthanMS talk hosted as part of the SHF’s Muntada series in May 2016, the MS Program at the Neurological Institute of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi will be hosting a dedicated education and public awareness event entitled ‘MS Talks at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’ on 11 February.
Read MoreMuntada
Muntada during Abu Dhabi Art
In November 2016, as part of the Majlis Fann component of Abu Dhabi Art, the Foundation hosted a Muntada talk on Public Art and Social Change that was attended by over 93 people. Speakers included an American sculptor and public artist Ralph Helmick, El Seed a French-Tunisian artist whose work marries Arabic calligraphy with graffiti, and Emirati conceptual artist and designer Zeinab Al Hashemi.
Read MoreInternational Humanitarian Projects
Zuleya Arrives At D3
A rebranding of the retail arm of the innovative Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI) was completed in October 2016 with the unveiling of a new retail brand – Zuleya – and the soft opening of a new retail showroom in Dubai Design District (D3) to accompany the existing showroom at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi.
Read More
Warehouse421 Program
Place: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
Lest We Forget: Emirati Adornment exhibition
4 February – 27 August
Bayn: The In-Between
25 February – 25 June
FILM SCREENINGS: CENTRAL MARKET (2014) and EL CLÁSICO (2015)
22 February
TALK: Just Between Us
An Inside Look at ‘Bayn: the In-Between’
8 March
FILM SCREENINGS: We Are Just Fine Like This (2016) and A Present From The Past (2015)
22 March
WORKSHOP: Scents and Sensibility
The Fragrances and Memories of the UAE
5 April
FILM SCREENINGS: L’é Chappée (2016) and Lights of Rome (2016)
19 April
WORKSHOP: Skin Deep Designs
The Evolution and Practice of Henna Design
3 May
WORKSHOP: Everyday Patterns
Working with Textiles and Design
17 May