< PreviousHAT WAS THE GENESIS OF A THRIVING CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM SUCH AS THE COMMUNITY HUB? We have seen Abu Dhabi’s creative scene going from strength to strength over the past decade, attracting exceptional talent and renowned businesses from around the globe. This has created an increasing demand for an inclusive ecosystem that brings together the full spectrum of the creative industries. This is how twofour54 envisioned Yas Creative Hub. We want it to be an enabling beacon for creatives and a destination where creative visions are really enabled and accelerated. The nucleus of Yas Creative Hub is the Community Hub, which is a collaborative, THE HUB OF INNOVATION Investing in infrastructure to power up creativity and innovation, Abu Dhabi-based media and entertainment production company, twofour54 has developed an all-new Community Hub, a collaborative, co-creational space where great ideas can be born, nurtured, and have been designed with a new approach to co- working, to encourage chance encounters between potential collaborators and partners. Misbaah Mansuri, in conversation with Yara Awad, Head of Commercial Projects and Strategic Partnerships at twofour54, explores how the concept will infuse the creative and media landscape with a new dynamic W www.digitalstudiome.com10 / DECEMBER 20223. The Majlis off ers a unique space for high-profi le meetings. 4. The townhall is an energetic 120 pax space that encourages fl owing conversations. The room can move from conference-style to workshop thanks to a retractable sound wall. 5. There is also a dedicated screening room, a 39-seater space used to showcase content. 6. A media break room off ers a dedicated fi lming space. 7. And the demo hall for creatives can be used to showcase their latest projects. In addition to the shared spaces, there are two types of co-working spaces: Co-Create, overall, off ers 70 incredible co-working spaces for SMEs, and Co- Lab, which off ers 10 workstations for freelancers, entrepreneurs as well as independent content creators. co-creating space that brings together game developers, youth, aspiring fi lmmakers, freelancers, start-ups, and SME content creators from across the UAE to work on some of the Middle East’s most exciting projects. Globally, there is a growing demand for creative hubs with more than 1,000 spaces launched since 2014 and around 1.2 million individuals working from creative hubs before the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, our homegrown creative community requires well-equipped facilities, which do not only provide access to resources, but also to a broad community of professional networks. This is precisely how the Community Hub really spurs the growth of local talent. In the frame: Yara Awad, Head of Commercial Projects and Strategic Partnerships at twofour54. In the frame: The townhall at twofour54’s all-new Community Hub. WE WANT IT TO BE AN ENABLING BEACON FOR CREATIVES AND A DESTINATION WHERE CREATIVE VISIONS ARE ENABLED AND ACCELERATED. TAKE US THROUGH THE KEY SHARED SPACES HERE. HOW IS COLLABORATION AT THE HEART OF THESE SPACES? The essence of the Community Hub is embodied in its array of shared spaces that create a true sense of community for creatives, spark meaningful conversations and enable relationship building. There are seven shared spaces at the Community Hub: 1. The Breakout Lounge provides a relaxed environment to mingle and network. 2. The NVIDIA Studio comprises 10 stations with industry-leading GPUs, paired with an exclusive driver technology. www.digitalstudiome.comDECEMBER 2022 / 11 IN FOCUS HOW WILL THE HUB HELP CONNECT CREATIVE TALENT WITH OPPORTUNITIES? ARE THERE ANY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND THIRD- PARTY COLLABORATIONS IN THE PIPELINE TO FACILITATE THE ABOVE? Overall, the Community Hub allows seamless interaction between its members and the wider community of Yas Creative Hub, which includes more than 5,000 professionals working in 600+ global, regional, and local media, entertainment, and gaming companies. Furthermore, it is this interconnectivity which creates a pool of opportunities for our aspiring community at the Hub. HOW ARE GROUND-BREAKING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS AI AND THE OMNIVERSE LEVERAGED FOR THE NVIDIA STUDIO SPACE TO CATER TO ITS SAID TARGET GROUP? The NVIDIA Studio within the Community Hub has been designed to equip the full spectrum of content creators, including fi lmmakers, freelancers, gamers, start-ups, and SMEs, with advanced tools that enable them to produce their creative projects with utmost effi ciency. In fact, NVIDIA Studio’s laptops and PCs have proven to be over fi ve times faster than standard desktops and laptops when working on 3D, motion graphics, photo, and video editing workfl ow. This makes them the best possible choice for content creators. WHAT ABOUT THE AD GAMING HUB? HOW DOES ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH UNITY TECHNOLOGIES MAKE IT STAND-OUT? The AD Gaming Hub is an example of how the Community Hub not only brings like-minded talent together but also off ers them the chance to work alongside the best in the business. Furthermore, the Centre of Excellence established by software developer Unity Technologies provides unparalleled industry support for students, professionals as well as the small businesses to learn and acquire the skills needed to succeed in the ever- growing regional gaming industry. HOW IS THE ARAB FILM STUDIO GOING TO BE OF ESSENCE IN THIS SPACE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD? The Arab Film Studio is a key subcommunity within the broader universe of the Community Hub. It actually enriches the inclusivity of the Hub’s creative community and accelerates the individual as well as the collective growth of everyone who calls the Community Hub home. At the same time, bringing fi lm talent to the Hub’s ecosystem goes on to enable us to really leverage the power of connectivity across the increasingly overlapping creative industries. BRINGING FILM TALENT TO THE HUB’S ECOSYSTEM ENABLES US TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF CONNEC- TIVITY ACROSS THE INCREASINGLY OVERLAPPING CREATIVE INDUSTRIES. In the frame: The green room and screening room areas at the Community Hub. www.digitalstudiome.com12 / DECEMBER 2022IN FOCUS THE NVIDIA STUDIO WITHIN THE COMMU- NITY HUB HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO EQUIP THE FULL SPECTRUM OF CONTENT CREATORS, INCLUDING FILMMAKERS, FREELANCERS, GAMERS, START-UPS, AND SMES, WITH ADVANCED TOOLS THAT ENABLE THEM TO PRODUCE THEIR CREATIVE PROJECTS WITH UTMOST EFFICIENCY. In the frame: The shared space at twofour54’s Community Hub. More than anything else, we are excited about increasingly working on furthering this interconnectivity through rolling out a year-round calendar of events and activations that bring together our partners to collaborate and network with the rising talent of the Hub. WHAT ARE THE MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES LIKE? The Community Hub off ers several competitive membership packages for the Co-Create space, which includes co- working spaces for SMEs, at AED 20,000 annually, including a business licence for newly incorporated businesses with fees that is actually waived for the fi rst 2 years. For the Co-Lab space, which is a dedicated space for entrepreneurs, independent content creators, and freelancers, we off er a number of fl exible membership packages ranging from AED 500 monthly to AED 6,000 annually. Further details on the packages and the benefi ts that come with it can be found at: https://communityhub. twofour54.com/memberships/. www.digitalstudiome.comDECEMBER 2022 / 13 HAT WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND DUBAI CULTURE AND ARTS AUTHORITY’S RECENTLY SIGNED CULTURAL MOU WITH THE JUMA AL MAJID CENTER FOR CULTURE AND HERITAGE? Dubai Culture is constantly keen on developing collaborations with local and international partnerships towards ensuring innovative synergies, knowledge advancement, and opportunities to support the creative industry and talented individuals. Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage is one of the most prominent cultural landmarks in Dubai and a resource for academic relics and scientifi c literature. Our partnership with the centre, comes as part of our eff orts to support the government’s mandate to develop a knowledge-based society and promote a cultural and creative environment. THE POPULARITY OF CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS IN DUBAI SHOWED A REMARKABLE RECOVERY FOLLOWING A DIFFICULT YEAR DOMINATED BY THE REPERCUSSIONS OF COVID-19 ON THE WORLD AND EVEN POST THAT. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS GROWTH TO? Consistency and commitment; we never let the pandemic stop our progress. We digitalised live and in-person events, such as the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, and proceeded with our schedule of events despite the global situation. We collaborated with Dubai360 to present the world with virtual tours of our heritage sites and museums, trained tour guides and initiated a progressive initiative with LinkedIn to off er people in the creative fi eld free access to educational courses. As such, we never had to recover — we just continued doing what we always had, with the added implementation of precautionary measures per national guidelines to ensure the safety and well- being of all. A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY A custodian of the region’s culture and heritage, Dubai Culture is showcasing the Emirates’ culture to the world, one initiative at a time. Misbaah Mansuri sits down with Dr Saeed Mubarak Bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture to fi nd-out more about the government body’s work in the creative and cultural renaissance of the region and how it continues to stay on the top of the game in deploying technology and innovations that contribute to the advancement of the creative and heritage industry businesses In the frame: Events like the Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival (top) and the Dubai Design Week (bottom) organised by Dubai Culture to nurture creative energy in the region. W www.digitalstudiome.com14 / DECEMBER 2022EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW entities, experts and consultants, and representatives of the creative sector. WHAT WOULD BE DUBAI CULTURE’S FOCUS AREAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD? Ultimately, Dubai Culture seeks to position Dubai as a coveted destination of choice by all arts and culture enthusiasts, a beacon of cultural diversity for international talent, as well as the epicentre for creativity and cultural dialogue. As such, establishing integrated creative zones to attract creative talents and entrepreneurs wishing to invest in various areas of the creative economy, will consistently remain a key pillar of our strategy. Dubai Culture is a leading stakeholder in the UAE Soft Power Strategy and is proactively working to showcase Dubai’s culture to the world and harness a unifi ed identity that further strengthens the emirates’ global reputation. Pursuant to our belief in the notion that culture should be accessible to everyone, given the wide-ranging events, museums, and heritage sites that promote a sense of strong traditions and pride, our master plan provides a comprehensive blueprint for the creation of a supportive ecosystem for creatives and entrepreneurs. We see Al Quoz Creative Zone as a representation of Dubai that holds fi rm as the cultural capital of the region. We are creating a vibrant cultural and creative destination that brings together diverse stakeholders; encourages the public to engage with art, culture, and creativity; and creates opportunities for creatives to network, share knowledge, and access learning resources. The volume and breadth of our work in supporting these destinations have shown the public that Dubai Culture is committed to empowering the appeal of the emirate’s culture and heritage to the public in all its manifestations. WHAT ARE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CREATIVE AND HERITAGE INDUSTRIES? Dubai Culture is committed to driving internal excellence using digital tools to improve processes, eliminate ineffi ciencies, and implement best practices that streamline operations, elevate the customer experience and optimise revenue generation and growth. Our participation in GITEX Global 2022 was an enlightening experience, highlighted by our ‘Creative Innovation Challenge,’ which succeeded in attracting 50 projects from entrepreneurs in the creative sector at local, regional, and international levels. Moreover, the aim was to present innovative solutions for the preservation, dissemination, and celebration of the UAE’s cultural heritage using the latest technological means towards consolidating Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity as well as a thriving hub for talent. HOW DOES DUBAI CULTURE RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE LITERARY FILM AND SCREEN SECTOR AS ONE OF DUBAI’S MOST PROMISING CREATIVE FIELDS? Dubai Culture aims to support and retain local and UAE-based talent and attract creative individuals from around the world across the arts and culture sector. Towards that end, the Authority continually organises and facilitates events, as well as introducing measures and incentives to advance the creative sector and its respective creatives. Aside from activating the cultural visa, Dubai Culture established the Al Quoz Creative Zone, a project designed to facilitate accessibility for talents and I n the frame: Dr Saeed Mubarak Bin Kharbash, CEO, Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture. ESTABLISHING INTEGRATED CREATIVE ZONES TO ATTRACT CREATIVE TALENTS AND ENTREPRE- NEURS WISHING TO INVEST IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY, WILL ALWAYS REMAIN A KEY PILLAR OF OUR STRATEGY. the creation of an economic system that would stimulate creative individuals and industries to contribute to the emirate’s domestic product apart from constantly driving engagement. Additionally, the Al Marmoom: Film in the Desert festival provides a valuable platform to support this sector by presenting unique prospects for its patrons to showcase their creativity, refi ne and develop their talents, and reach professionalism. In addition to fi lm screenings, the festival included a series of interactive and educational workshops, and discussion sessions with experts and directors from around the world targeting all age groups of amateurs and beginners to develop their knowledge of fi lmmaking. Mechanisms, strategies, legislative frameworks, regulations, and policies to ensure the ease of doing business in the creative fi eld are constantly being developed through Dubai Culture’s partnerships with governmental, semi-governmental, and private www.digitalstudiome.comDECEMBER 2022 / 15 OW DID THE IDEA FOR EXIT 11 PERFORMING ARTS ACTUALLY CLICK? NYUAD is already a robust, cross-border environment. It felt natural to take our collaborations one step further. We offi cially founded the company in November, 2019, around the time of our graduations, after leading the development of several productions together including Red is the Blood of the People, On Our Borders, and Vitae. Having worked together so closely for many years, we chose to make the commitment to each other to continue our collaboration post-graduation. Forming Exit 11 allowed us to continue our mission to interrogate political and economic asymmetries through our art. HOW DOES THE CROSS-BORDER, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY CONCEPT WORK IN PRACTICE? AN EMPOWERING EXIT Named after Exit 11, the highway exit to New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Exit 11 Performing Arts Company was founded by three NYUAD alumni who fi rst worked together in a mainstage student production, soon becoming good friends, and eventually discovering a shared interest in cross-disciplinary work. Forming Exit 11 allowed them to continue their mission to interrogate political and economic asymmetries through their art. Digital Studio speaks to Kevin Ke, one of the minds behind Exit 11 on the second edition of its cross-border, cross- disciplinary residency program for emerging artists and how it will elevate diverse voices and emerging artists through collaborative, interdisciplinary art across national borders H www.digitalstudiome.com16 / DECEMBER 2022SPECIAL FEATURE Lyla J. Kim – South Korean fi lm, theater, and performance artist based in Maastricht, Netherlands Nada Almosa – Palestinian artist and writer based in Abu Dhabi, UAE Ralph Fonte – Filipino poet based in Palawan, Philippines Serena Arnita – Lebanese writer and fi lmmaker based in Abu Dhabi, UAE WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH EXIT 11 AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BASE IT IN THE UAE? Exit 11 wants to break down borders as a barrier to collaboration and form a space where creatives can collaborate and share ideas for the betterment of their practice and wider society, to build a robust community of up-and-coming artists with a shared vision. We want to support emerging artists in Abu Dhabi and beyond, becoming a key stakeholder in the UAE’s burgeoning performing arts sector and helping theater, dance, and the performing arts in general become a bonafi de sector within the creative economy. We hope to continue nurturing our own artistic practice and bring the fruits of our labors to the forefront of arts in the UAE and beyond. The pandemic shattered our expectations for the company, placing another challenge ahead of us. How can a budding arts company continue to create engaging work when we cannot be in the same country, let alone the same room? In the months following, me and my co-founders found ourselves split across the world, with Ethan David Lee in Ras Al Khaimah, Tan Tzy Jiun in Vienna, and myself in Taiwan. We’ve always worked in-person with each other, but that was no longer possible. Here, we shifted our focus towards virtual work, and looked for ways to develop a production that was intended to be experienced online. This led to the creation of The Bacchae, an immersive audio adaptation of Euripedes’ The Bacchae, featuring original music, an immersive soundscape, and dynamic dialogue brought to life through a unique sonic journey. The piece was developed remotely amidst a global pandemic with artists in eleven diff erent time zones across nine countries. The success of the production opened the door to more cross-border collaborations. Since then, we’ve embraced the cross-border nature of this work, with 2084 and the fi rst iteration of the Virtual Collaborative Program for Emerging Artists (VICE). In practice, cross-border work embraces the remote environment that many of us were introduced to during the pandemic – this means an ongoing team WhatsApp group, heavy reliance on Google Drive, Zoom rehearsals and meetings, asynchronous writing and other development work – like sending recordings to each either for feedback, and deep trust in each other. It also means that our development work is planned around the moments we know we can be in the same space, strategically conducting our development, programming, and prep work that can be done remotely online in order to get the most out of our moments in the same room – which until recently was still not possible. TELL US ABOUT THE LATEST EDITION OF THE PROGRAM? This October, we launched the second iteration of VICE as a three-month virtual residency designed to elevate Ethan David Lee Co-creative Director of Exit 11. Tan Tzy Jiun one of the co-founders of Exit 11. Kevin Ke Co-creative Director of Exit 11. OUR SHARED VISION IS TO SUPPORT THE UAE’S BURGEONING PERFORMING ARTS SECTOR, HELPING SUCH PRODUC- TIONS BECOME A BONAFIDE SECTOR WITHIN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY. diverse voices and emerging artists through collaborative, interdisciplinary art across national borders. The 2022 cohort includes poets, writers, dancers, theater-makers, fi lmmakers, photographers, and visual artists representing seven nationalities and based across fi ve countries, including the UAE, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Netherlands, and the Philippines. The program will end with an exhibition showcasing the new works developed during this period in the Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, and potentially more places as well. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS SELECTED FOR THE COHORT? The artists selected for the 2022 cohort include: Alexis Javero – Filipino visual artist based in Sharjah, UAE Cindy Chehab – Lebanese fi lmmaker and writer based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Grace Shieh – Taiwanese-American inter- disciplinary poet based in Abu Dhabi, UAE Kat Todorova – Bulgarian dancer and theater-maker based in Ruse, Bulgaria Leandro Reyes – Filipino poet and screenwriter based in Metro Manila, Philippines www.digitalstudiome.comDECEMBER 2022 / 17 COVER STORY COVER FEATURE Digitalising Dreams www.digitalstudiome.com18 /DECEMBER 2022COVER STORY A DIGITAL PATH TOWARDS A SMART FUTURE In its bid to take charge of the region’s digital transformation goals, Digital Dubai’s journey began by digitalising government administrative operations such as fi nance, procurement, human resources, and more, which then in 2018 with the launch of the Dubai Paperless Strategy focused on advancing Dubai Government customer facing services. “The UAE since its very inception has been forward thinking, and proactive towards potential change in order to provide the most advanced products, services, and solutions for the country and its people. With that mindset, since His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai launched the e-Government in 1999. Our vision has been to embrace technology to its maximum potential to provide the highest standards of living and quality of life for the city’s citizens and residents,” says Dr.Moza Suwaidan, Director of Strategy & Innovation, Digital Dubai. It is interesting to note that due to the success of implementing the Dubai Paperless Strategy across the entire Dubai Government, Digital Dubai is now annually eliminating the use of over 336 Million sheets of paper equating to over AED 1.3 Billion in cost savings, 14.6 Million hours in time savings and 40,000 trees in environmental savings every year. “After achieving so much in the past two decades, it was time to evaluate how do we take the city’s digitalisation to the next step, which is why in June 2021, His Highness launched Digital Dubai. With our latest evolution to Digital Dubai, we do not just want to digitalise government services, but digitalise life in Dubai.” To lead the said mandate, Digital Dubai brings together four entities under one umbrella – Dubai Electronic Security Center, Dubai Statistics Center, Dubai Data Establishment, and Smart Dubai Government Establishment. Making the cut as one of the world’s top fi ve digital governments in the recent United Nations E-Government Survey 2022, Digital Dubai has put the UAE on the world map, surpassing the highest global benchmarks. Misbaah Mansuri meets the leaders of the Dubai Digital Authority, the government entity that has worked tirelessly to transform the emirate into the digital capital of the world, pushing boundaries at every turn WITH OUR LATEST EVOLUTION TO DIGITAL DUBAI, WE DO NOT JUST WANT TO DIGITALISE GOVERNMENT SERVICES, BUT DIGITALISE LIFE IN DUBAI. www.digitalstudiome.comDECEMBER 2022 / 19 Next >