2022:Submissions/Poetry in Motion - UAE Entertainment
- Language: Arabic & English
- Status: Pre-recorded
Speaker(s)[edit source]
Ahlam Bolooki, Hani Yakan, Dr. Afra Atiq, Danabelle Gutierrez and Arqam Al Abri
Abstract[edit source]
This Wikimania session will be a short and invigorating poetry performance followed by a live Q&A.
The recorded performance is set in Dubai Creek, an area of historical and current significance, andone of the most important trade routes in the region. The setting and the performance is a tribute to the User Group and to the wider Wikimedian community and celebrates unbiased and accessible information, the power of community and sustainable growth and development.
For updates about the Wikimedians of UAE User Group, follow them on their Instagram.
Learning Outcomes[edit source]
- To raise the profile of the Wikimedians of the UAE User Group on a global platform.
- To create awareness of Emirates Literature Foundation; the not-for-profit organization that sponsors the User Group.
- To allow audiences a chance to enjoy poetry and music from UAE-based performers in accordance with Wikimedia’s objectives to share free knowledge and free content.
- To give the conference participants a platform to ask questions of and about the Wikimedians of the UAE User Group.
Biography[edit source]
Dr Afra Atiq is an Emirati scholar and poet. She has a completed her PhD in Media and Creative Industries at UAE University. Dr Afra also has a master’s degree in diplomacy and has been published in international journals. Her research focuses on mapping the Arab literary sphere, education, literacy, social media effects and collective memory. She has won numerous awards for her poetry and has been featured on stages across the world. Her art explores a broad range of topics which include heritage, culture, identity, legacy, self-acceptance, grief, and almost everything in between. She writes and performs in a blend of English, Arabic, and French. She’s a founding member of Untitled Chapters – a community for Emirati women writers.
Danabelle Gutierrez is a multi-awarded writer, actress, and photographer. She is the author of poetry books I Long To Be The River and & Until The Dreams Come and chapbooks Eventually, The River Surrenders, and Softer. Born in Las Piñas and raised in Cairo, Vienna, and Muscat, Danabelle now lives in Dubai and is currently working on her next book Tears Across The Earth.
Born and raised in the UAE, with roots in Oman and Zanzibar, Arqam Al Abri is a young Emirati soul singer trying to make a difference with music and conscious entrepreneurship. His music reflects the embodiment of the UAE, where the old values meet the new and progressive – a mix of old school soul with neo-soul beats, with lyrics rooted in positivity, introspection, love, and search for purpose. All this brought together with vocals that are reminiscent of Motown and the early soul movements.
Ahlam Bolooki is the Leader of the Wikimedians of UAE User Group and the Director of the Emirates Festival of Literature - the Middle East’s largest celebration of the written and spoken word. With a mission of inspiring all, including non-readers, to read for pleasure, Ahlam is responsible for devising strategy and curating a diverse, inclusive and enlightening Festival programme. With appeal to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, the Festival attracts fresh ideas, forward thinking and promotes a more empathetic society. Prior to her role with the Festival, Ahlam was the Head of Regional Campaigns at Dubai Tourism - the principal authority responsible for strengthening Dubai’s positioning as a world-leading tourism destination. Ahlam also spent over four years working in marketing roles at global hospitality group, Jumeirah Group, during which she oversaw all aspects of marketing and communication for a portfolio of over 60 restaurants in 10 cities worldwide.