Tandem Al-Emarat: Creating local connections in the UAE

After many years of Tandem activities in the wider Arab region and welcoming our first participants from the UAE and Oman on Tandem Shaml this summer, we are happy to launch our new programme: Tandem Al-Emarat. Together with our new partner the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), which we were introduced to by our alumna Reem Kassem, Tandem will support creating local connections in the seven emirates.

For the first time since its inception, a Tandem edition is focusing on establishing collaborations on a national level. For Tandem this is a chance to test a new model for the programme, where international exchange steps to the background as we focus on fostering and creating long-term collaborations within domestic boundaries.

The methodological framework and activity flow will remain in the established Tandem manner, which allows for smaller experiments and adaptions fitted to the local context. The Tandem team is excited to test and develop the programme in a new partnership in this particular cultural and political context.

We believe that establishing a local network of collaborations that will start working together Tandem-style can bring many benefits to the cultural scene in the UAE, such as strengthening the independent scene through supporting cultural organisations and initiatives.

The local implementation and administration of Tandem Al-Emarat is taken care of by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, a foundation that aims to embed music and arts in the heart of civil society and foster cross-cultural understanding among the United Arab Emirates. Project manager at ADMAF and Tandem Shaml alumna Reem Kassem will work together with Hatem Salama from MitOst to translate the programme to the local needs and challenges.

Ps. Keep a look out for the new Tandem Europe Call that will be launched at the end of September: fostering cross-sectoral connections among cultural actors within Europe.