World's First Long-Term Cultural Visa

"His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, formally launched the cultural visa category while chairing a meeting for the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and also approved a new strategic plan to turn the vision of Dubai as a cultural hub into a reality," thus reported by the Gulf News two (2) days ago.

The City of Gold through its visionary leader desires to "attract artists, authors and innovators to firmly establish Dubai as an incubator or the arts".

According to Wikipedia,  'culture' is an "umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities and habits of the individuals in these groups."

Lexico.com defines 'culture' as "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively."

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said,

We have some 6,000 companies concerned with arts and culture, five creative complexes and 20 museums. We organize more than 550 cultural events every year attracting millions of visitors, so we do need a new vision that unify and coordinate efforts.

This is a very inspiring message. As a huge art enthusiast and an artist myself, a writer and a lover of Dubai which I consider as my second home, the news on the long-term cultural visa is exciting and something to look forward to. Hopefully, I can come up with an innovation platform in my next journey.

Art is deep and powerful. It is connecting our physical body with the soul, an expression of the conscious and subconscious mind, a silent exchange of wavelengths with likeminded people, a gateway to their minds and hearts. It can be a vision board that tickles one's imagination and leave it restless until it comes to life.

Many great leaders are artists as they are imaginative and creatively put things together in their minds, to lead and inspire others.

It is therapeutic. These days when mental health issue is given priority in discussions on healthcare, art therapy matters as an artist can best express himself/herself in whatever creative medium he/she chooses. Those who suffer from depression and anxiety are vulnerable. They feel isolated, misunderstood and unloved. Only in things that they use for creative pursuit do they feel the dominance, like an artist over a blank canvas, and blending of colors to his/her satisfaction.

Not everyone in a creative profession makes money enough for him/her to survive and thrive. That is why if a child would choose a course related to arts, most parents in lower or average economic echelons would say, "There's no money there unless you become famous." For those who follow their dreams despite strong oppositions, and battled well, they have reached their desired destination. But for many creatives, they find jobs that do not make them very happy but can help pay their bills and meet their other needs, which is but a practical move.

If you are an artist, writer or an innovator in a shared space just enough for your bed and a cupboard for your clothes, with flatmates face-to-face with you (sometimes with noises that cannot be controlled) or just a wall away from you, where will you go to unleash your creative talents? You dream of something big, but your fishbowl is something very small, what will you do? Where will you go?

This is a very clear reality because every good space with good facilities and amenities has a good price. And we know it all. But given the givens, there is somewhere else for regular artistic escapades. There is a change. There is a movement.

How, where and when can you discover and/or develop your creative talents without spending a fortune, and with much enjoyment in your heart?

What is the legal opportunity for you to convert your creative works to money or how do you monetize your artistic outputs in a permissible way without registering a trade license if you do not have the money and/or intention to put up one due to insufficient funds and resources? Or if you decided to do so, what is the blueprint and what are the safe steps to be taken? What will you do to protect your rights to your creations without costing you much money?

What is the message that you want to tell behind your creation that will have a cultural impact for the betterment of humanity? How will you leave a legacy through your creations?

The government of Dubai is fine-tuning everything in favor of talents who can contribute more to its already rich cultural treasure, bring it to the world stage and be a global hub for culture. It aims to be an incubator for local and international talents like the creatives, artists, writers, authors and innovators. The goal is a collective cultural achievement that reflects very refined intellectual processing from diverse origins, unified at its best through coordinated efforts.

It is important to have a community and a place to discover and nurture talents. Most often than not, creatives are misunderstood and considered as weird if not crazy by judgmental people with shallow minds. The cultural community evolves with positive changes and development, and by this government support, it will be a movement that will be a catalyst for positive transformation.

Parallel to this, there are some strategic initiatives in place, according to Gulf News.

1. A free zone for creatives in Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE, with a wide range of services and facilities will be set up to attract and foster the skills of creative artists, authors and innovators.
2. There will be Dubai International Literature Season, to feature 1,000 artistic, literary and cultural events, and host 100 Arab and international writers, as well as 100 Arab and international publishing houses to activate the publishing sector. It is envisioned to be the largest in the region, which will put Dubai as the capital of cultural and knowledge content.
3. The main public libraries in Dubai will be transformed into 'Schools of Life', considered as integrated cultural centers to equip the young generations with life skills in art, innovation and creativity. Life skills development initiatives include reading clubs; writing, speaking and interviewing programs; Arabic calligraphy; drawing education; management programs; savings and investment; etiquette education, and; handicraft education, among others.
4. To coincide with Golden Jubilee of founding the UAE, the Land Art is an initiative to create a cultural and tourism destination. It will also document Expo2020, the first international event hosted by an Arab City.
5. The Dubai International Alumni Exhibition will be held during the World Government Summit 2020, which is expected to attract 1,000 participants and 150 projects from 208 Arab and foreign universities worldwide. The goal is to encourage and motivate graduates of those universities to find innovative solutions to various pressing societal problems using design thinking.
6. There will be an open-air Marmoum Film Festival, in collaboration with various cinemas, to promote Dubai's best spots and attractions.
7. A special committee will adopt distinctive architectural designs for Dubai buildings to make Dubai a destination of architectural innovation, with international artistic landmarks.
8. A clear Dubai's architectural identity will be designed and placed on public and private buildings to make it unique from other international cities.
9. An annual Hatta Cultural Carnival will be held to maintain the UAE's cultural heritage and stimulate tourism and economic progress in Hatta, famous for its rich natural environment.
10. 'Art for Good' will blend communities and philanthropic/humanitarian goals through art events.  There will be cultural dialogues among community members. Funds will be raised to support good causes. There will be an international art week for this purpose.
11. Dubai Gold Group aims to develop a special gold production line in Dubai. A cultural and economic initiative, it will host a competition to design the Dubai Gold Group to stimulate the creativity of Emirati manufacturers, boost Dubai gold economy, and strengthen its position as a global gold hub.
12. An exploration of Dubai's cultural treasures in collaboration with Uber will be finalized,  to provide the tourists/guests with interactive cultural experiences in visiting Dubai cultural destinations.
13. Dubai Art Collections will help those interested in art to acquire, display and exchange paintings, sculptures and art pieces.
14. Dubai Special Collections Season is the period when art collectors can showcase their collections throughout Dubai. The objectives are to motivate art collectors/owners of antiques and artworks to display their treasures, raise art awareness among the public, and contribute to boost the art economy in Dubai.
15. Some historical buildings and landmarks will be renovated. One of them is Zabeel High School for Girls and will be divided into many multi-purpose sections that can be utilized to host events like exhibitions, workshops, museums, etc.
16. Dubai Festival for Cultures and Peoples is a series of events based on an annual schedule, to celebrate the cultures of Dubai-based communities, highlight the customs, traditions, foods, products, folk costumes, folklore, and crafts.

I am passionately magnetized by what Shaikha Latifa Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the beautiful Chairperson of Dubai Culture, said -- 

The new vision will lead to the largest and most comprehensive cultural movement in the emirate, in line with the sustainable economic development being witnessed by Dubai.

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Photo credits:  Pixabay