The Essential Work of Creativity
Supporting the artists, storytellers, performers and other creatives who are placing this turbulent period in context will be essential to building new narratives.
By Xische Editorial, April 28, 2020
Source: Byoko Pictures/Envato
The basic bond of humanity rests on our ability to be together. It’s that simple. Community makes us human. With unprecedented social distancing measures in place across the globe to stop the spread of Covid-19, our communal bonds have had to bend and transform. With lockdowns spreading from South Africa to Japan, most of humanity can’t be in the same physical space. Technology has replaced our physical closeness and creatives have helped us understand this moment.
We have turned to technology to facilitate communication and connection. Through platforms like Zoom, we’ve found creative ways of ensuring our communal bonds remain strong (and we can still get some work done) during this crisis. How many of you have reached out to an old friend or had more frequent calls with family members?
This connection is critical but it won’t replace the bonds that nurture our humanity. For those, we will have to wait until the pandemic subsides and life warily returns to some form of normal. Yet, the role of culture in our lives has only accelerated during lockdown. We’ve turned to the arts to help us understand this moment and find our place in it. From reading books that have long been ignored to creating art projects, culture is a vital resource we’ve all come to lean on during this pandemic. Can you imagine all this time away from our larger communities without Netflix or a great read? Neither can we.
The simple power of the story shines brightly now because it speaks to something visceral inside each and every one of us. Just imagine if our ability to communicate was gone. How would we cope with the weight of being indoors and cut off? While we are grateful for the stories that give us hope during this crisis, culture is not produced out of thin air. The artists that create the content we depend on have also been suffering through this pandemic and its economic effects.
Just as we’re looking out for all sectors of society and the economy, we must pay special attention to helping our creatives. They are a vital part of the global economy and our local economy in the UAE. Over the past two decades, local culture has taken its seat on the global stage. We are now producing some of the world’s finest artists, filmmakers, writers, and cultural visionaries.
At the same time, the UAE has invested substantial resources into making the country into one of the cultural hubs of the region. From Abu Dhabi’s Louvre museum to the various cultural initiatives that define Dubai’s vibrant arts scene, the UAE is an international hub for culture. And it’s not just a hub for Middle East culture but a place for Africa, Central Asian, and South Asian arts. We are a hub for emerging markets.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has paid special attention towards helping creatives. The UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development under the leadership of Minister Noura Al Kaabi recently announced a survey for creatives to find out what they need to get through this crisis. The message the Government is sending is a profound one: creatives are vital to our society and we will ensure their needs are met.
As we confront the Covid-19 crisis together, it’s vital to consider the valuable contribution creatives have given our society. As the country continues to build its knowledge economy, culture will serve a critical role in the development of society. This is an undeniably difficult time but it is also one of hope. Creatives in the UAE have a vital role to play in contextualizing the present and reimagining how society functions in the future.
