The Queen of Art

With 17 museums under her management, director general of the Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), Manal Ataya, is an inspirational figure in the art and culture sector in the UAE. Here she tells us what drives her, her achievements and what’s coming up next

What are your thoughts about the art sector in the UAE, and GCC?

There has been a rapid growth over the last two decades in the art sector in the UAE in particular and the GCC in general. This is evident by the number of cultural establishments that have opened across all emirates inspite of the pandemic. One such example was in Sharjah, with the opening of new projects including the House of Wisdom (HoW) and two new museums to our network, Hisn Khor Fakkan and the Resistance Monument. The region has also witnessed a stronger government focus and investment in creative industries including art and cultural heritage, museums, publishing, writing, and music.

One of the latest government decisions for this purpose was the decision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to launch ‘Dubai Creative Economy Strategy’ last April aimed at stimulating the growth of creativity industries, that would consequently contribute to the emirate’s economy. All of this has led to an increase in cultural production, the opening of new small to medium sized creative businesses and a surge in the number of art exhibitions and fairs across the country, many of which are jointly organised with international institutions and have helped enrich and empower UAE’s art ecosystem.

How can more youth get involved in art, and embrace it as a viable career option?

Fortunately, parents’ attitudes have changed over the years, and the number of arts-related degrees have increased significantly including at several UAE universities such as the University of Sharjah, the American University of Sharjah, Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, New York University Abu Dhabi, and Zayed University among others.

Educational institutions now offer Bachelors and Masters programmes in visual communication, film studies, architecture and design, archaeology, studio arts, multimedia design and even Arab music studies. A recent partnership between SMA and ICCROM-Sharjah Regional Conservation Centre, led to the support of the only Master’s programme in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage (CMCH) in the UAE at the University of Sharjah.

At SMA, we also encourage youth and adults to get involved in the art-making environment not only for personal enjoyment but also for potential career building, and for this purpose, we have produced a number of programmes including the Mini Guide Programme and the Museum Ambassador Programme. All of these initiatives have contributed to increasing interest art-related studies and helped create stronger workforce and future leaders in the country’s cultural sector.

Can you describe the concept of a museum as an ‘educational space’?

Museums complement the education ecosystem of a country and play a key role as informal learning spaces where people from different abilities and ages, and students in particular, can learn about history, science, heritage, and art. In Sharjah, pupils’ visits to SMA museums became part of activity calendars in schools and universities, where teachers and professors are given support to use our collections as resources.

Also, SMA staff regularly create and deliver programmes that are specifically designed to meet the needs of children and families, as well as other activities in English and Arabic for people with disabilities, including the blind, deaf, and the autistic community. We have also built strong relationships with local universities, including the American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah, where we deliver lectures to students in disciplines relating to art, architecture, and conservation management.

Our collections and libraries are also available for students to use in group research projects while also providing them with opportunities for workshops alongside established artists who are part of our exhibitions. Aside from completing an educational ecosystem, museums can also be communal spaces where learning happens not only to individuals but also to groups and families while exploring art, attending an exhibition or taking part in a workshop. Learning happens as visitors share experiences and opinions that help them make a sense of how museum collections relate to their understanding of the world, in connection with the world around them.

These moments are very important and I truly believe that all families should make a habit of visiting all the wonderful cultural organisations including museums as part of their everyday life. This way, they will be exposed to a wealth of knowledge and new ideas that will make them more culturally aware and appreciative of diversity and multiculturalism.

What does it mean to be the director of museums in Sharjah?

My job is one of great responsibility as I was given this opportunity by the ruler to build and strengthen the cultural activity and offerings to our community in Sharjah, and beyond.

For this reason, I’m fully dedicated to providing the best that we can in terms of a museum experience with learning and education at its heart but also including other aspects, which are about family bonding, increasing social cohesion, and making it an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone coming to our museums.

The overall management of 17 museums as director general of SMA involves implementing directives for major refurbishments, overseeing the authority’s centralised departments in order to ensure we deliver best practices in museum services, and most importantly, developing and implementing the museums’ strategic plan for the next 10 years. My role also involves strengthening existing partnerships with local, regional, and international museums as well as cultural organisations and educational establishments while also fostering ties with new entities. Moreover, I lead the designing and launching of community-focused initiatives on various issues including environment and health as part of our commitment to social responsibility, community outreach, and accessibility.

What is in the pipeline for the Sharjah Museums Authority?

There is nothing that we cannot do with the right support system in place and official patronage for our various endeavours. We are very fortunate to have visionary leaders in the UAE. It’s for this reason that we attract talent to a great degree and retain it because of what the country has done in the past few years and is doing now in the form of various policies and incentives. This has created enormous opportunities and an environment filled with potential prospects for all to succeed in their respective fields.