Recapping Season Two of the NYUAD Arts Center Podcast

afikra and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi collaborated to produce a podcast series featuring interviews with a range of performers and artists from around the Arab world. This podcast explores the contemporary culture, music, theatre, drama and poetry from some of the top creatives from the Arab World or working within it.

The two seasons of the NYUAD Arts Center Podcast feature a rich tapestry of episodes that showcase a vibrant cultural scene, offering insights into the stories and inspiration behind the creative process of each performer.

The NYUad arts center

The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi is a cultural hub located inn Saadiyat Island. Intended as a performance space and creative incubator, the Arts Center 'fosters a dynamic relationship between the arts, scholarship and the community.” It is also home to NYU Abu Dhabi’s Theater, Music, Film & New Media, Visual Arts, and Interactive Media departments. The center doesn’t just serve the university community: with a range of public programs, it aims to animate and enrich the cultural life of the city of Abu Dhabi too.

Season 2 of the NYUAD Arts Center Podcast

Season 2 of the NYUAD Arts Center x afikra podcast featured guests such as Bill Bragin, Asian Dub Foundation, Emel Mathlouthi, and Dina El Wedidi.

 

Asian Dub Foundation: breaking down stereotypes since 1993

ADF’s longest-standing member, Steve Chandra Savale talks to afikra about making music in the post-punk and acid-house era, developing a unique soundscape and rescoring the movie La Haine.

 
 

Dina el wedidi: Unified Through Music from the nile to rio

Egyptian musician, composer and producer, Dina El Wedidi takes us on a journey through the different eras of her musical career, reflects on her mentorship with Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, her experience with the Nile Project, and "Slumber/Manam" — what she calls her most meaningful project to date.

 

Bill bragin: Abu Dhabi’s performing arts: Present & Future

The executive artistic director of the NYUAD Arts Center, Bill Bragin, tells us about curating the cultural programme at the Arts Center, working within the city of Abu Dhabi and building long-lasting institutions.

 
 

Frontera: dance theatre that crosses borders

Choreographer and founder of multimedia dance company Animals of Distinction, Dana Gringas, invites us inside her creative process and tells us what it actually takes to put a dance show together.

 
 

Emel mathlouthi: finding my sound in my tunisian identity

“This generation’s Fairuz”, Emel Mathlouthi shares her experience of rising to fame during the Tunisian revolution, performing at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and her songwriting secrets.