The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has opened the box office for all shows spring season shows as it enters five more months of performances, community dinners, talks, workshops, classes, and discussions by visiting artists.
Now in its fourth season, The Arts Center has become a hub of culture in the UAE as it draws on the themes of Connection, Community, and Excellence.
With the recent announcement by the UAE government that 2019 is the Year of Tolerance, The Arts Center’s relevance in the capital is more prevalent than ever as it strives to foster creativity in the UAE by bringing diverse artists and audiences together to create a deeper sense of community and personal connections through shared experiences.
We were excited when we heard that 2019 was named the Year of Tolerance since these values are so fundamental to the work that we do, including several prior initiatives with the Ministry of Tolerance. The performing arts have a unique ability to bring a broad cross-section of people together to experience work that comes from individual experiences, shaped by the rich diversity of cultures. Through our work at The Arts Center, and cross-cultural programs like the Cuban-Khaleeji Project (a world premiere that we commissioned) and the Barzakh Festival, we learn to appreciate our differences as something that brings us closer together, rather than divides us. We hear new and different points of view and experience the richness of the world, and our multicultural UAE community.
This season, notable performances include the UAE Debut of Autobiography by Company Wayne McGregor on February 7-8: A cycle of choreographic portraits based on McGregor’s genetic sequence, illuminated through dance and live electronic music by JLin.
February also welcomes esteemed pianist, composer, and educator Arturo O’Farrill with two, equally different shows. The first show, Mambo, showcases the era of classic mambo with a Valentine’s Day dance, starring the four-time Grammy-award winner O’Farrill, and his 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO). The following week, O’Farrill leads the world premiere of a newly commissioned concert developed in residency at NYUAD, the Cuban-Khaleeji Project. In this concert, the ALJO will collaborate with Emirati oudist Ali Obaid, Kuwaiti pearl diving music ensemble Boom.Diwan, British / Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed, and French / Moroccan vocalist Malkia Zarra in a musical exploration of the Arab, Moorish, and North African roots of Afro Latin and Afro Cuban music and the seafaring music of the Arabian Gulf
The much-anticipated Barzakh Festival also returns for its third annual edition, with Nigerian afrobeat powerhouse Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Sudanese retro-pop star Alsarah & the Nubatones, Egyptian / Palestinian indie supergroup Lekhfa (Maurice Louca, Maryam Saleh, and Tamer Abu Ghazaleh), and Dutch/Turkish psych rockers Altin Gun, as well as Dubai-based Austrian Dj, James Locksmith. This dynamic annual music festival brings together genre-shattering artists from diverse cultures, whose global-minded music reflects multiple influences and recombinant identities.
Residents can benefit from The Arts Center Membership packages. The packages provide access to all productions, as well as equip members with added perks such as discounted guest tickets, invitations to exclusive behind the scenes events, artist meet and greets, community dinners, and other benefits. The membership packages are as follows:
Single Membership – AED 425 (excl. VAT)
● Includes a ticket to each production presented by The Arts Center throughout the 2019 spring season, along with three discounted guest tickets for friends and family.
Dual Membership – AED 800 (excl. VAT)
● Includes a pair of tickets to each production presented by The Arts Center throughout the 2019 spring season, along with three discounted guest tickets for friends and family.
Family Membership – AED 1050 (excl. VAT)
● Includes up to four tickets (two adults, two children/youth) to each production presented by The Arts Center throughout the 2019 spring season, along with three discounted guest tickets for friends and family.
Student Membership - AED 220 (excl. VAT)
● Includes a ticket to each production presented by The Arts Center throughout the 2019 Spring season, along with three discounted guest tickets for friends and family.
For all the upcoming events, follow the website link here.
You can purchase your half season membership by following the website link here.
