Numoo 2023 Cohort
Safeya Alblooshi
Sound Artist, Kawader Research Fellow
Where are you now:
At the moment, I have just finalized the season for Resound UAE, a sound-based program I organized and curated, which was initially workshopped during my Numoo participation last year. After organizing 8 workshops, 2 screenings, field visits, and public events, I landed an opportunity to collaborate with Micro Mutek Dubai (an electronic music and digital art festival), which became the closing event of Resound for the initial season. I’m now thinking about how to plan ahead, expand regionally, and seek further funding for the upcoming season.
How I put what I learned from Numoo to use:
The Numoo program has given me the confidence and preparedness to apply for opportunities and grants. As such, I have taken my first step in applying for a grant (the National Grant Program for Culture and Creativity by the Ministry of Culture) and became a recipient of the first grant cycle, which allowed me to create Resound UAE, a 2-month program featuring various sonic activations across 3 different Emirates.
Likewise, Numoo taught me the importance of building ambassadors and making use of resources in ways that not only benefit myself but also the community I’m part of. I put this into practice when structuring my Resound program by seeking venues, workshop leaders, and performing opportunities; looking for spaces and resources that would allow me to collaborate without paying venue rent or license fees, or even collaborating with Numoo fellows on some workshop ideas.
Jindi
Singer/ Songwriter, Record Producer
Right now, I’m in the motherland, Nairobi to be specific, promoting my album Reign&Fire.
It was definitely a great experience for me to have one on one talks with industry leaders across various parts from publishing to pitching, building a team to building your profile as an artist. It has also been a great opportunity connecting with creatives from different fields within the arts sector
... and what I would like to say to the upcoming generation of artists and creatives: be yourself and always remember to be kind to one another and keep the fire blazing ALWAYS.
Carlos Alejandro Páez González
Multidisciplinary Theater Maker, Game Designer, and Educator
While the learning modules in Numoo taught me how to go about navigating things like acquiring funding and writing tech riders, the most important takeaway was in how it unveiled the mystery of performing arts production. Numoo was the start of my realization that shows, from the artists to the institutions that host them, are people. They don't only listen to you when you apply to open calls, but they can listen to you anytime — at social gatherings or through cold emails. This is the paradigm shift that gave me the necessary confidence to reach out to venues directly, which led to exciting developments like the Performance Co/lab workshops I co-run at 421 Art Campus.
Getting to hang out with other artists and know how they go about making their work was also a massive boost in confidence and has given me access to a network that makes me feel like I’m not alone in a country where the performing arts scene is only germinating.
Shereen Saif
Multidisciplinary Artist
Where are you now?
I am an independent artist based out of Dubai.
How did you put you use what you learnt from Numoo?
Numoo helped sharpen my thinking as a Producer and Project Manager. The technical tools and tips I picked up at Numoo helped me make more compelling pitches and secure a grant to tour my storytelling-theatre show. The long-lasting impact of the programme is that has helped me think of ways to make my practice more sustainable
Noush Anand
Interdisciplinary Artist
Numoo came at a moment when I was on the cusp of a shift in my practice. In retrospect, it acted as a tipping point, providing me the resources and community to take the next big leap in my work. A year later, the change has been undeniable: my relationship to my instrument, craft and process have found a very deep groove. My focus has recentered around creating original performing arts work, and understanding in detail, every step of the process, in order to take the work to relevant audiences anywhere in the world. Since Numoo, I’ve completed my first international musician tour (self-organized), released my first album, and have co-written, directed, and performed in an original, multi-lingual, multidisciplinary indie musical to a sold-out audience. The projects that are simmering for the coming months are equally juicy, and it feels incredible to remove the blocks from the path. Numoo has been a major contributing factor to this journey, playing well with the emerging infrastructures and informal communities that exist in the UAE.