Etihad Museum is a Dubai landmark that educates and inspires visitors with the story of the UAE.

 

In 2022-23, Alserkal Advisory was invited by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (DCAA) to craft the public programme of the Etihad Museum. 

 

The team at Alserkal Advisory articulated the programme under the title ‘Contemporary Histories’, to reinforce the historic museum as a contemporary site of dialogue, exchange, and experimentation.

 

 

Contemporary Histories I 2022-23

 

Centring it as a platform for Emirati voices and perspectives on art, culture, and architecture, we initially built the programme on the cadence of two categories: Museum Talks; panel discussions to poetry performances, and Museum Films; screenings by Emirati filmmakers and films on the Emirates. Through constant engagement it began to evolve, growing to include interactive experiences such as culinary gatherings and educational workshops utilizing in-house resources.

 

One of our greatest successes over the year was realizing that our programming had accrued a loyal audience: over the span of 9 programmes, we have had 76 visitors attend two or more events. This consistency allowed us to understand gaps in the Museum’s offering and crystallize targets to further strengthen the museum’s position as an accessible site of dialogue, and stake a claim to new conversations around contemporary local identities. 

Highlights

Sketching tour of Etihad Museum's permanent exhibition

Immersive and sensory programme exploring Emirati cuisine

Panel of Emirati art at Art Dubai 2023

Engagement of the archives in the Etihad Museum's Library

Living Legacies I 2024

Building on the achievements of the 2022-23, 2024 shephards in an expanded scope under a three-year contract. It is fundamentally ambitious, with plans to establish offsite partnerships, a flagship festival with alternative but niche programming, and a strategy to enliven its resources for educational purposes. 

 

Under the title ‘Living Legacies’, this new chapter signifies a continuation of exploring how the active voices of today are shaping the UAE’s future while drawing inspiration from our collective pasts. The theme invites visitors to engage with ongoing stories, developments, and contributions that will define the nation’s legacy for generations to come.

Strategic Tenets

Exhibitions engaged

Re-invigorate existing permanent exhibitions through programming that re-interprets existing themes through new intersectional lenses to encourage a sense of discovery in the visitor experience.

Open Access

Activate the museum outside of specific events by ensuring an engaging experience for visitors who come at any time of the day.

Educational Support

Utilize the knowlege resource of the museum to generate research throughout programmes that ignite alternative learning around critical and locally rooted interests.

Partnerships

Scale Etihad Museum's presence through mutually beneficial local and international partnerships across disciplines and industries.

Highlights

COP 28 x Etihad Museum Partnership "We are the Possible"

SoWeGrow Planting Wellness Workshop in the Etihad Museum garden

First-ever Ramadan Festival at Etihad Museum centred around Suhoor Astrology