The Arts Edit: Celebrating Emirati women

Emirati Women’s Day on Wednesday provides another opportunity to celebrate the myriad contributions to the UAE’s rich culture.

The history of those contributions will be a key aspect of the upcoming Zayed National Museum, curator Fatema Al Hammadi tells The National.

“I am not talking about the recent past, but ancient history as well,” Al Hammadi explains. “We noticed how the Emirati woman has always been an active participant in the community. In the simplest terms, it was our mothers who really took care of our communities."

Find Saeed Saeed’s in-depth feature on how Zayed National Museum will spotlight Emirati women, and the collaboration involved in putting the project together, here.

Emirati women have made a huge impact on the region’s cultural scene this year, as The National has documented.

Last month, the family comedy Al Eid Eiden hit cinemas across the region. The film came to fruition thanks to four women from the UAE: writer Sara Al Sayegh, actress Meera AlMidfa, director Maitha Alawadi and producer Rawia Abdullah.

The experience also exemplified the power of collaboration between Emirati women, the four explained. The process of making the film and of thinking deeply about what it means to be Emirati in an everyday setting helped solidify each of the four women's identities, and made them prouder than ever to be from the UAE.

“This is a love story of giving back to a country that gave so much to us. The only way to give back to the community that’s been supporting us is to tell their stories, both for ourselves and the world,” Alawadi said. Find more here.

We’ve seen a lot of impactful collaborative and individual contributions in 2024, across a broad range of mediums.

In January, Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja collaborated with a number of her compatriots to produce her first feature, Three, which we reviewed positively here.

Later that month, Emirati conceptual artist Afra Al Dhaheri held a powerful solo exhibition at Green Art Gallery which you can learn more about here.

In February, a union of artists that included Shaikha Al Mazrou, Asma Belhamar and Al Dhaheri helped to produce a powerful work as a Dubai Public Art initiative, which you can learn more about here.

Also that month, Emirati women artists contributed to the inaugural Dhai Dubai Festival, which you can find more on here.

In April, the film Mountain Boy was screened at the Gulf Cinema Festival in Riyadh, directed by Zainab Shaheen. Read our review here.

In July, Emirati artist Azza Al Qubaisi created the Mubadala Citi DC Open tennis trophy to celebrate women from her country. Find more here.

And the Kutubna Cultural Centre, founded by Emirati-Kuwaiti historian Shatha Almutawa, has risen in cultural importance this year, which we explored here.

This is just a small sample of the many significant contributions Emirati women are making to the world of arts and culture right now, and The National remains a proud home for their stories.

A look back on Oasis's history in the UAE

It is Tuesday morning glory for Oasis fans, with the British group announcing they are reforming for a mammoth UK tour next year.

This includes four shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, on July 25 and 26 and August 2 and 3. Other shows include hometown gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park on July 11 and 12 and July 19 and 20. Tickets go on sale on Saturday at 9am BST (noon UAE time).

There has been feverish anticipation of the concerts, which will see Oasis – led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher – performing together again for the first time since they split following a particularly acrimonious Paris show in 2009. The brothers went their separate ways, both launching individual careers.

Liam founded the short-lived and underperforming band Beady Eye, featuring Oasis guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell, months after the split. The band folded in 2014 and he then launched a successful solo career that found him playing in stadiums and arenas that Oasis used to headline. Without Oasis, Noel was able to release more experimental material under the name Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in 2010.

Liam favours the bombastic approach of Oasis in his music while Noel infused more electronics into his work, but fans agree the high points of respective concerts often arrive when Oasis tracks are played.

This was something UAE fans became accustomed to at solo shows by Liam and Noel over the past 14 years. If the Oasis reunion spells the end of their solo careers, the brothers' UAE concerts provided reminders of their respective talents and confirmation of why they are better together.

Find more on that history here.

Chris Hemsworth's growing role in the Transformers franchise

When the animated prequel film Transformers One is released next month, it will mark a major departure for the franchise. For the first time in the big screen history of Transformers, the lead character Optimus Prime will be voiced by someone other than Peter Cullen – Chris Hemsworth.

However, the Australian actor, 41, who is best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will not be taking the reins for Optimus Prime moving forward, series producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura tells The National.

The plan is for Hemsworth to only voice this character, who is called Orion Pax at first, Di Bonaventura says, in the prequel cartoons. He is also being eyed to play a GI Joe in the next live-action Transformers film, which will crossover with Hasbro’s other popular franchise.

“In the live-action, I’m hoping he’s in the GI Joe part of things. Peter Cullen will remain Optimus Prime in live action, but Chris would make a good GI Joe,” says Di Bonaventura. “Moving forward, the animated movies will be different from the world of live action. This is on a timeline that’s millions of years before the live action, so there’s never a conflict.”

Find more here.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

· Echoes of the Orient at Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, Abu Dhabi – until September 1

· Nasser Almulhim’s solo exhibition at Tabari Artspace, Dubai – until September 6

· Diljit Dosanjh at Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi – November 9