Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Organising 11th GCC Heritage & Oral History Conference in October 2023 - Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Organising 11th GCC Heritage & Oral History Conference in October 2023

09 Oct, 2023

The event will bring together 26 heritage experts, researchers, performers, poets and cultural professionals, who will present research papers on the role of traditional performing arts in preserving cultural heritage and achieving sustainable cultural development in the United Arab Emirates and other countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council. The event will also look at the history of these arts, their special attributes, their common features across the different Gulf countries, as well as the best practices with which to safeguard them for generations to come.

Additionally, the conference will showcase shared experiences from Gulf countries in which traditional performing arts have been successfully embedded within the cultural, social and humanitarian facets of Arab societies – and will also highlight the importance of poetry and the written word in this field. Following the presentation of research papers, panel discussions and live performances, the conference will conclude with recommendations for developing the performing arts field and devising strategies through which to promote and showcase a shared Gulf identity.

HE Saood Al Hosani, Undersecretary at DCT Abu Dhabi remarked: “Traditional art performances have long been part of the cultural heritage of the GCC region, reflecting its rich history, valuable traditions, and enduring legacy. Safeguarding these traditional performing arts through events like this conference, which for a decade now has brought together the best performers and researchers in the field, will allow future generations to learn about their ancestors’ past and their authentic heritage. In addition, the GCC Heritage and Oral History Conference presents professionals in this field with the chance to connect, share experiences and discuss their successes and challenges, all of which lead to sustainable cultural development in the Gulf.”

The conference will also celebrate the beauty of traditional performing arts through a series of live performances that will be staged prior to the onset of the sessions, showcasing the depth of their chanted lyrics – especially elements that were inspired by the poetry of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father and first President of the United Arab Emirates. The conference provides its attendees with the opportunity to learn about traditional performing arts and the different ways in which they can be disseminated in order to build a shared identity, not only for the Gulf region but also for humanity at large.

DCT Abu Dhabi has been organizing the GCC Heritage and Oral History Conference annually for a decade. During this time, there has been a focus on aspects of mutual oral heritage and its tools across Gulf Cooperation countries – and on how this heritage could be protected – along with how to safeguard the culture of Gulf societies, especially those aspects they have in common. These include traditional art and crafts, social practices, literature as well as traditional performing arts, with the intention of connecting the current generation with future ones through their ancestors’ heritage. This will enable this form of heritage to be preserved as a catalyst for sustainable cultural development, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of the Gulf societies for a prosperous future.

The conference is part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider strategy to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Other successful efforts to further strengthen the status of traditional arts include the department’s work, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Youth, to inscribe of Al-Razfa, Al-Ayyala, Al-Taghrooda and Al Azi on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.