The UAE's cultural institutions may be closed as part of a range of measures designed to contain the spread of coronavirus, but many of the capital's most noted landmarks are taking their offerings online.
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi has launched a new initiative, under which several institutions, including Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Cultural Foundation, Manarat Al Saadiyat and Qasr Al Hosn, will create video clips, virtual sessions and more.
Titled CulturAll, the concept will use DCT's Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels to make sure followers can keep up-to-date with the city's museums and galleries from home.
"We have created CulturAll as a way for those in Abu Dhabi, the wider UAE and, indeed, across the globe to continue to learn, engage and expand horizons when it is not physically possible to visit sites," said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.
“We strongly believe that culture is a fundamental and invaluable building block of society. Active cultural engagement not only stimulates creativity but brings us together, reinforces our collective identity and becomes a support that we can draw upon."
Berklee Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Art will also take part in the initiative, with experts producing content that takes in everything from traditional arts and crafts and history to videos of previous exhibitions and concerts.
"It is our hope that CulturAll can aid in strengthening our sense of unity and keeping our hearts and minds open to inspiration, no matter where we are in the world," said Al Mubarak.
CulturAll will be developed under three themes: #CultureAllCreate will encourage followers to create and share their own content, while #CultureAllExplore will allow viewers to discover video footage and recordings from DCT Abu Dhabi's past events, such as festivals, concerts and exhibitions.
#CultureAllMeet, meanwhile, promises followers will be able to "learn about various ideas and concepts from the experts that DCT Abu Dhabi works with from around the world", such as artists, historians, gallerists and architects.
As part of nationwide measures introduced since the start of the global coronavirus crisis, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the rest of the capital’s cultural sites last week extended their closures "until further notice".
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
WORLD CUP SQUAD
Dimuth Karunaratne (Captain), Angelo Mathews, Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%2C%20Manal%20Khader%2C%20Amer%20Daher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Elia%20Suleiman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
