This week’s editorial musings
from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote:<\/mark><\/strong> If you\u2019re not playful you\u2019re not alive\u00a0| David Hockney<\/em> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creative spaces<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Sharjah Art Foundation (a regular in these pages!) is inviting\u00a0applications for workspaces in Al Hamriyah Studios<\/strong><\/a>. There are three sizes from 32 to 110m\u00b2, discounted rents from AED 1000 to 2500 per month, short or long leases, access to shared facilities including project spaces and the pantry; applicants must submit a portfolio and CV\u00a0by 11 July<\/strong>. Info\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a> …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Repton does Alserkal<\/mark><\/strong> Repton Dubai<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is doing\u00a0something that other schools could try \u2013 it runs a showcase\u00a0exhibition of students\u2019 work<\/strong>in fine art, photography, furniture, textiles, and product design (which many do) in a public space (which most don\u2019t). Repton is showing nearly 100 works by Year 10 to 13 students at\u00a0Jossa<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(warehouse 45), opening yesterday and running to tomorrow (19 June)\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp1: writing<\/strong><\/mark> Fiker Institute<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has a one-month in-person\u00a0short-story residency<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Dubai this summer for creative writers, focused on short stories on the theme of Memory, Place & Power. Selected writers work from Fiker Institute\u2019s Library for min three days each week resulting in at least 3,500 words of original fiction. Deadline\u00a021 June<\/strong>, start 6 July. Apply\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp 2: artists<\/mark><\/strong> The Indian art resale agency\u00a0Hacoco Art<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0looking for artists to figure in \u201ca contemporary art showcase\u201d<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that it is running in Dubai this August \u2013 and selected artists \u201cmay be considered\u201d for extended support including collector introductions and \u201cprivate sales opportunities. Email your portfolio to\u00a0zinnia@thehacoco.com<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with 5\u201310 images of available works, artwork details, bio and an artist statement (max 200 words) by\u00a030 June<\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp3: theatre<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0+63Kolektib<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(responsible for the excellent\u00a0Metro Diaries<\/strong><\/a>) is running a three-month part-time\u00a0residency for UAE-based writers and directors to create original short plays<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0through collaboration, experimentation, and bold new writing \u2013 \u201cwe especially welcome stories exploring diaspora, identity, migration, gender, and contemporary life in the region\u201d. Culminates in a performance event at Bayt Al Mamzar. Apply before 5 July\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp 4: creative businesses<\/mark><\/strong> Early-stage startups (max 2 years old) are invited to pitch at the fourth\u00a0Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship Competition<\/strong><\/a>, to be held sometime in Q4 2026. First place gets AED 80,000, 2nd AED 50,000, 3rd AED 30,000. \u201cApplicants must be actively engaged in the CCIs.\u201d Deadline\u00a012 July<\/strong>. Details\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp 5: projects<\/mark><\/strong> \u2018Untitled\u2019 is an\u00a0Alserkal Arts Foundation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0programme that delivers\u00a0a one-time grant to help complete artistic projects<\/strong><\/a>. It could apply eg to visual and performing arts, moving image, sound, curation, or writing. Deadline\u00a019 July<\/strong>. Details\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opp 6: installation<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0We Emerge Stronger<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a major open call from Art Dubai and A.R.M. Holding: Submit a design for a permanent sculpture commission to be installed alongside some big names already in the\u00a0HUNA Sculpture Park<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0at H Residence, Dubai. And the commission is worth AED 1,000,000 … Deadline\u00a025 July<\/strong>. Details\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gulf in A Time of War<\/mark><\/strong> Kutubna Cultural Center<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is looking for archival materials that document\u00a0culture and everyday life during the war<\/strong>\u00a0between 28 Feb and 7 April 2026. \u201cJournal entries, letters, photographs, artworks, videos, screenshots, conversations, hand made maps \u2013 anything that captures how that time was lived, felt, and remembered.\u201d Submissions are free, and you may submit up to five items; selected works will be part of a public exhibition (3 Oct \u2013 7 Dec) and associated archive. Submission deadline:\u00a025 July<\/strong>. More\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digital delights<\/mark><\/strong> Part two of Ruba Al-Sweel\u2019s straight-to-Instagram film in six chapters,\u00a0Angelheaded Towers<\/strong><\/a>, is now available. Quirky commentary on social media and more (\u201cwhen everything will be visible, that\u2019s tantamount to being blind \u2026\u201d) A new chapter is released every few months; follow along\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last chances<\/mark><\/strong> Three good shows (coincidentally by female artists) are closing this week, so catch ’em while you can:\u00a0Shalabia Ibrahim<\/strong><\/a>‘s stylised figures and simplified forms are both accessible and symbolic,\u00a0Surabhi Sharm<\/strong><\/a>a’s fascinating oral history of Indian women in film,\u00a0Samar Hejazi<\/strong><\/a>‘s engrossing exploration\u00a0of how forms shift, unravel, and reassemble over time\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Words with care<\/mark><\/strong><\/mark><\/strong> Last week\u2019s issue of Nick Thorpe\u2019s\u00a0Media Majlis newsletter<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for media folk carried a discussion on UAE media law (key takeaway: the truth is no defence) and referenced\u00a0a really excellent download<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00ad\u2013 Elnaggar & Partners\u2019\u00a0Media Law Guide<\/strong><\/a>. Useful for anyone in the UAE posting on social media, writing for newspapers, or even producing a newsletter\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supermarketing<\/mark><\/strong> The Foundry\u2019s rather good\u00a0Supermarket<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0exhibition has been extended until\u00a028 June<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cdue to the wonderful response from our visitors\u201d\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friendly fire<\/mark><\/strong> Only 11% of people surveyed in 15 European countries\u00a0view the USA as an ally<\/strong><\/a>, a historic low and down from \u200c22% in November 2024, says a \u200cEuropean Council on Foreign Relations\u00a0survey<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(but majorities in every \u200ccountry\u00a0except Bulgaria thought US-European relations \u200bwould improve when Donald Trump left office) …<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a similar note \u2026<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Remind me again,\u00a0what was the war all about<\/strong><\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Useful app of the week<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Mole<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is a $19 macOS utility\u00a0that combines five maintenance tools in one: junk removal, app uninstalls, disk analysis, system optimisation and live status monitoring. So covers what you\u2019d otherwise split across CleanMyMac, DaisyDisk and iStat.\u00a0Find it here<\/a>\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0WenWare<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0gives you\u00a0an AI-imagined image from the past\u00a0(based on an actual historic artwork) and you have to guess\u00a0where and when the moment depicted is. Hard, but not impossible.\u00a0Try it here<\/a>\u00a0…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Leo Fender<\/strong>\u00a0(inventor of the first mass-produced\u00a0solid-body electric guitar, founder of the business responsible for the Stratocaster)\u00a0didn\u2019t play guitar<\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark> <\/a><\/strong>Chinese American Bear : I Wanna Go Home<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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