‘Dubai Next' to Take Centre-Stage in REMIX Sydney 2016 – Showcasing Dubai as a Thriving Capital for Creative Industries

• Dubai Culture to host a panel during REMIX Summit in Sydney, Australia featuring representatives from Dubai’s creative industry 
• Participation in REMIX Sydney 2016 to highlight Creatopia, the government-empowered digital portal dedicated to creative and cultural industry professionals

Dubai, UAE, May 28, 2016:   The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for arts, culture and heritage, has announced its participation in the upcoming ‘REMIX Sydney 2016’ summit, to be held in Sydney, Australia 2 - 3 June 2016. 

REMIX Sydney 2016 – one of a number of global summits aiming to tackle the big ideas shaping the future of cultural and creative industries - features world-class speakers, master-classes and debates that bring together industry leaders to facilitate a global exchange of insights and foster dialogue and collaboration. The summit will be held under the umbrella of ‘Vivid Sydney’, a 25-day festival of light, music and ideas - where art, technology and business intersect.

The participation of Dubai Culture in REMIX Sydney 2016 will mark the fifth edition of ‘Dubai Next’, the authority’s dynamic platform of interactive discussions and cultural talks about Dubai. The Authority’s participation will be led by prominent Dubai-based cultural personalities who will speak about Dubai  and it’s position as a thriving capital for creative industries, and who will further imbed Dubai’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people. The theme of this edition of ‘Dubai Next’ will be ‘Dubai – The City of the Future for Creative Industries’.

‘Dubai Next’ in REMIX Sydney 2016 will feature a presentation by Dubai Culture on Creatopia (www.creatopia.ae) – the Dubai Government-empowered digital portal dedicated to creative and cultural industry professionals, as part of the ‘Trend Scouting - Global Innovation’ series held on the 2nd of June. Creatopia allows the exchange of ideas and the refinement of skills, while ensuring ease of doing business within the creative industry.

A special panel discussion will also be hosted by Dubai Culture titled ‘Dubai: A Journey Towards Creating a Regional Creative Hub’ during REMIX Sydney 2016. The panel will focus on three key themes including ‘Dubai: City of the Future’ for creative industries’, ‘The Power of Innovation’ to strengthen creative industries, and ‘Home-grown Cultural Industries’ with global ambitions and resonance in the MENA region. 

Speakers on the panel will include: Jasper Hope, CEO of Dubai Opera, Cyril Zammit, Director of Design, Art Dubai Group and Design Days Dubai Fair Director; Lubna Al Shamsi, Senior Arts Executive and Project Leader, Dubai Art Season, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director, Dubai Studio City & Chairman of Dubai Film and TV Commission, and Lindsay Miller, Managing Director, Dubai Design District (d3).

Commenting on the upcoming edition of Dubai Next, His Excellency Saeed Al Naboodah, Acting Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority said: “The participation of Dubai Next at REMIX Sydney 2016 will draw global attention to the Emirate’s cultural ethos and vibrant creative scene. In line with the Dubai Plan 2021, we will also showcase the city as a thriving capital for creative industries, emphasising the creative economy’s role in boosting the city’s livability, thereby attracting international talent, resources and visitors. This latest edition of Dubai Next will continue to develop an affinity with Australian cultural institutions, including its partnership with the Islamic Museum of Australia in Melbourne.” 

Moza Suwaidan, Director of Projects and Events at Dubai Arts & Culture Authority said: “Hosting the fifth edition of Dubai Next in Sydney will showcase Dubai‘s rich and dynamic artistic and cultural landscape to the international creative community. Visitors will learn about key initiatives such as Dubai Art Season - a city-wide public activation of arts and culture - as well as other cultural initiatives launched by key cultural institutions in Dubai. Our  contribution in Sydney will showcase Creatopia, the informative platform which provides the artistic community with invaluable opportunities. Creatopia also provides creative individuals with the satisfaction of belonging to a talented community.

Dubai Culture’s participation in REMIX Sydney 2016 will also include a VIP dinner, which will be held at the iconic Elizabeth Bay House, hosting delegates from the international creative industry, leaders in media, entertainment, innovation and the cultural sectors. 

The presence of Dubai Culture at REMIX Sydney is part of the Authority’s mission to help strengthen Dubai’s global presence in the arts and cultural landscape. A previous edition of Dubai Next was held on the sidelines of London’s Shubbak Festival in The Serpentine Gallery in 2015. Organised in partnership with Vision Magazine, the Dubai Next talk in the UK focused on building Dubai’s reputation as a fast-growing contemporary centre of Arabic arts and culture. 

Dubai Culture has also been involved with supporting the UAE bid to host the World Expo 2020, by organizing a ‘Dubai Next’ event at the Arab World Institute in Paris. Another edition of ‘Dubai Next’ was held in Milan during the opening week of Expo Milano 2015, reaffirming the Emirate’s position as a hub for artistic and cultural collaboration and creativity, followed by an edition in Venice on the eve of the 56th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

Dubai has established its credentials as a creative hub not only of the region but also of the world. The Emirate continues to provide abundant opportunities for creative professionals, entrepreneurs and artists in Dubai throughout the year. This was further illustrated in ‘Creative Dubai’, a book launched by Dubai Culture in 2015 that charts the transformation of Dubai into a creative economy, Through the experiences and insights of the creative community and its stakeholders.