The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi has announced a wide-ranging programme of events for September 2015 onwards.
An impressive collection of music, theatre, dance, poetry, and film is on offer, and it’s all free and open to the public.
The executive artistic director of NYUAD Arts Center, Bill Bragin, describes Abu Dhabi as “an incredible nexus of north and south, east and west; a really cosmopolitan city that is investing in arts and culture as part of its identity”. He is determined that NYU Abu Dhabi will be part of this “by building an arts destination and a cultural sector for Abu Dhabi and the region, by shaping and redefining the arts and by making them accessible”.
The 2015-16 programme includes some top names in contemporary culture and many specially commissioned pieces. They range from the manic family fun of Polyglot Theatre and the innovative South Indian dance company Ragamala Dance to the musical explorations of Kronos Quartet and the reunion of fabled Malian band Les Ambassadeurs.
Bragin sees the Arts Center as both a cultural laboratory and a unique opportunity. “In Abu Dhabi we have a fertile field for developing the arts,” he tells us. “It’s exciting to be here at this time. We don’t have the weight of expectation, and we can try programming that seems more left field.
“Our aim is to present a broad cultural programme, to introduce new ideas and new types of performance to Abu Dhabi and to see what works and what doesn’t.”
Bragin is keen to encourage active involvement between artists and audiences, and most of the visiting groups will be leading masterclasses and workshops, giving talks and demonstrations, or guest-teaching at NYUAD.
The Arts Center is located within NYUAD’s Saadiyat campus. Reservations for free tickets will open around one month before the event. Visit www.nyuad-artscenter.org for more information and bookings.
