Youth Takeover 2024

The Jameel’s annual handover of the arts centre to a selected cohort of young visionaries starts on Saturday 4 May and runs to Monday 27 May. There will be multiple artwork and installation “interventions” across the ground floor of the building, both indoors and outdoors, with a public programme of talks, performances and more on the four weekends.

The Assembly is an annual experimental learning programme designed to foster creative leaders aged 18 to 24 in the UAE, inviting the creation and curation of projects reflective of their generation’s areas of interest. This year’s learning programme was designed, curated and facilitated by Abhirami Suresh, Library and Youth Coordinator at Art Jameel, in collaboration with Osemudiamen Ekore, alumnus of The Assembly 2022-2023. The 2023-24 Assembly cohort members are …

Karim el Atrache artist and philosopher-to-be
Malavika Suresh spoken word poet and interdisciplinary researcher
Mariam Shamma interdisciplinary designer
Marwan Ali architect
Nabeeha Sajjad multimedia designer
Redha Al Hammad photographer
Sami Al Soloh artist
Toga Al Tahir interdisciplinary researcher

The exhibition – (un)cooked:

The 11 original commissions by young artists represents a variety of “romantic and magnified versions of seemingly mundane experiences” that “challenge you to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and embark on a journey in discovering that the mundane is real, raw and relevant in its simplicity”. The theme (un)cooked “expands on the portrayal of various interpretations of memories, realities and fantasies”. The artists:

Karim el Atrache and Klythm
Malavika Suresh and Alysia Knowles
Mariam Shamma
Marwan Ali and Nour Elbery
Nabeeha Sajjad and Ala Kheir, Jawad Al Bdiwi, Makki Rashid and Sarwa Abdul
Redha Al Hammad and Dalia Mustafa
Sami Al Soloh
Toga Tahir, Abdallah Abbas and Adiga Music Band

The schedule:

All events are free, but you’re advised to preregister via the links.

4 May

– discussion: (un)cooked panel with the Assembly 2023-2024 and programme curators Abhirami Suresh and Osemudiamen Ekore 6–7pm Lobby
– performance: (Self)Serving by artist Assi Abogado 7.15–7.45pm, Lobby
– music: Filipino dream pop duo WYWY 7.45–8.30pm, Jaddaf Waterfront Sculpture Park

5 May

– interactive lecture: Stoicism by Dr Kurt Mertel, Prof of Philosophy at AUS 5–6.30pm Lobby

11 May

– family tour and workshop: A Time-Capsule Exchange by Sami Al Soloh and Sarah Al Soloh 11am–2.30pm Lobby
– poetry workshop day two: Self-Portrait in Verse two-day intensive poetry writing workshop with Danabelle Gutierrez and Malavika Suresh 11am–2.30pm Lobby

12 May

– poetry workshop day two: Self-Portrait in Verse two-day intensive poetry writing workshop with Danabelle Gutierrez and Malavika Suresh 11am–2.30pm Lobby

18 May

– exhibition: (un)cooked tour led by Youth Takeover Assembly members 3–4pm Lobby
– supper club: let them eat cake by artist Farah AlZeer 4–6pm Sahaab
– film screening + talk: And I Must Go with director/artist Nabeeha Sajjad, photographer Ala Kheir, filmmaker Makki Rashid, creative producer Sarwa Abdul; moderated by Sophie Ziai 6–.730pm Lobby

19 May

– talk: Hudhud with artist Enas Al Faranjiya, writer Nayla Tozin, designer Rana Kassem, artist Shaikha Al Salman; moderated by Bootleg Griot 4–5.30pm Lobby

25 May

– exhibition: (un)cooked tour led by Youth Takeover Assembly members 5–6pm Lobby
– poetry: Self-Portrait in Verse – showcase and open mic by Malavika Suresh

26 May

– film screening + gathering: Magila by Toga Al Tahir 3–4pm Lobby