The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Culture concluded the inaugural AlUla Future Culture Summit, bringing together more than 150 global cultural leaders to hold insightful discussions, innovative performances and immersive experiences that highlight the impact of culture on societal progress and identity.

The summit (February 25-27), set in Daimumah, AlUla, featured an impressive line-up of speakers and participants, including Rakan Altouq, Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Culture; Lise Macdonald, President of L’ecole School of Jewelry Arts; Laurent Le Bon, President of the Centre Pompidou; and internationally acclaimed artistic director and curator Akiko Miki.

With a focus on expanding culture’s role in advancing and fostering positive change, the summit offered a diverse programme of panel discussions, immersive performances, workshops, and guided exploration of AlUla’s rich cultural and physical landscape.

Nora Aldabal, Arts and Creative Industries Executive Director at RCU said: “Over the past three days, we’ve seen a diverse and engaging group come together to connect, share and learn from each other, through inspiring conversation and creative expression.

“Enriched by AlUla's natural landscape, participants engaged in conversations and dialogue that will serve to redefine the cultural ecosystem and reinforce the Kingdom as a hub of global cultural exchange.”

During The Future of the Culture Scene: A Factor of Success, Abdullah AlRashid, Director of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), asserted the need for doubt and reflection in sustaining a successful cultural future, whilst Jason Harborow, Vice President of Culture of RCU, advocated for looking beyond the numbers and KPIs to focus on how to extend and expand reciprocal human bonds and learning.

In another panel, Landscapes: Cultural Development and Environment, speakers explored the connection between cultural infrastructure and the environment, exploring the integration of art in the landscape.

Akiko Miki, International Artistic Director of Benesse Art Site Naoshima & Director of Naoshima New Museum of Art, said: "The journey to a site is part of the experience - taking time and experiencing time itself is something very important for our human activities.”

She also argued that slow sustainable travel allows visitors to fully experience art and its surroundings.

On the same panel Wael Al Awar, Principal Architect & Founding Partner at waiwai, said: “If we want to innovate, and re-question our practices, we need to talk to other disciplines. It’s only through this cross-disciplinary dialogue that we can come up with new ideas.”

The full programme included a rich array of activities that further contextualise and expand the points made in the panel discussions.

Among the performances, the Saudi multidisciplinary artist Balqis Alrashed presented Uncarved Myths, an immersive performance of movement, traditional music, and incense, guiding participants across the oasis.

Guided tours of AlUla’s cultural and natural wonders included Desert X AlUla 2024, featuring visionary contemporary artworks amidst the desert landscape.

Participants were also treated to a curated journey of performance, poetry, music, and storytelling at Wadi AlFann's Immersive Experience, titled Campfire Tales: Crossroads of Creativity. A highlight came from artist Ahaad Alamoudi, who illuminated the canyons of Wadi AlFann and set them echoing with ancient mawaals or Arabic songs.

Alongside the performances, panels and keynotes the summit featured a range of workshops led by leading cultural institutions, exploring topics such as the integration of blockchain in museums, rethinking landscapes as mediums of cultural expression, and fostering cross-cultural collaboration. – TradeArabia News Service