75 artists and creatives affected by Covid-19 crisis to receive micro-grants from Dubai Culture and Art Jameel

The programme selected artists and creatives from 17 countries, including the UAE, Pakistan and the US

Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai. Mohamed Somji / Courtesy Art Jameel

A total of 75 artists and creative practitioners living in the UAE have been selected for a micro-funding programme aimed at those affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

In April, Dubai Culture partnered with Art Jameel to launch a UAE version of the Art Jameel Research and Practice Platform, which was directed towards the Mena region. Art Jameel is an independent arts foundation from Saudi Arabia that runs Jameel Art Centre in Dubai.

The aim of the initiative was to ensure continued artistic production for artists and artist collectives, writers and curators whose projects have been affected by the closures and cancellations brought on the by pandemic.

Initially, the initiative sought to support up to 20 practitioners with grants ranging from Dh3,600 to Dh11,000. After receiving applications via open call from April to June, Dubai Culture and Art Jameel have now selected 47 applications, benefiting more than 75 individuals and providing grants in the range of Dh3,500 to Dh7,000.

The list of creatives comprises 17 different nationalities, including people from the UAE, Pakistan, the US, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, India, Philippines and the UK.

Art Jameel's Mena-wide programme, which allocated Dh550,000 in funding, received a total of 496 applications from more than 49 nationalities. Its final cycle closed in June, and the institution has awarded a total of 97 applicants.

An independent jury of established practitioners was responsible for choosing the recipients. They considered the originality of the submission, as well the impact of the closures on the applicants.

In a statement, Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture, said: “We hope that this will benefit the winners and play an integral role in keeping the spirits of the artists high during these trying times.”

She also called for “collective effort” to address the challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis on the creative community, which has been adversely affected by the cancellation of cultural events.

Director of Art Jameel, Antonia Carver, added: “With the Art Jameel Research and Practice Platform and other initiatives launched in the UAE and in the region, we hope that creatives can navigate these challenging times, and continue to produce works, with continued financial relief.”

Another government-supported initiative for creatives is the National Creative Relief Programme by the Ministry of Culture and Youth (formerly the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development), which recently concluded its second phase, providing a total of Dh4.6 million in support to the country’s creative sector.

Currently, Dubai Culture and Art Jameel have not announced plans to launch a second phase of the initiative.