• Khulood Khoory: Makers’ Month contributes to enhancing the strength of Dubai’s cultural and creative industries

Dubai, UAE: Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is organising Makers’ Month at Al Quoz Creative Zone throughout May 2023 with the aim of providing a platform that brings together makers, talents, and entrepreneurs to develop their skills, technical capabilities, and diverse talents, nurture collaboration between the manufacturing and creative industries, engage and highlight Al Quoz-based businesses, highlight the current diversity of makers and creatives, strengthen connections and networks, and demonstrate best practices. Lasting until 28 May, Makers’ Month comes as part of the Authority’s commitment to achieving Dubai’s cultural vision aimed at cementing the emirate’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

The Makers’ Month programme will include a series of workshops, talks, networking sessions, and panels led by a group of industry experts and speakers who will also hold direct meetings with the makers and provide them with technical and professional advice to further develop their businesses and projects. Taking place in Al Quoz Creative Zone, Makers’ Month will also host a series of field visits to various makers’ sites and projects. This underscores the essential value of the location as a prime centre for making and manufacturing that is vital to advancing the cultural and creative industries. Additionally, Mobtakir, an innovative maker diploma for designing and developing prototypes for product-based projects will be launched to provide entrepreneurs with practical skills and knowledge relevant to the local market.

The Makers’ Month programme will  feature a “PechaKucha” talk under the theme of "Designing for a Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Design Practices".

Other activities also include ‘Makers’ Exchange’ with the goal to enrich the experience and knowledge of members of the creative manufacturers’ community, deepen communication between them, benefit from activities and present global best industry practices. As well, it is meant to identify manufacturer needs by organising field visits to their sites to see their working methods and their implementation of project plans.

The Makers’ Month activities will also includes  an introduction to Makeworks UAE, a portal aimed at facilitating collaboration between the creative sector and manufacturers, fabricators and suppliers in the UAE, seeking to highlight the importance of the industrial sector in supporting the cultural and creative industries. Additionally Makeworks UAE will also be organizing advice clinics, a talk on ‘first steps for makers’, as well as a panel discussion on 3D printing and makers’ experiences in the UAE.

Makers’ Month is organised in collabordation with key industry partners including Alserkal Advisory, Makeworks UAE, and Colab. Through this initiative, Dubai Culture aims to facilitate communication between members of the creative community and manufacturing and production companies in the UAE. It also aims to highlight Dubai’s cultural and creative industries sector and the resources and investment opportunities that Al Quoz Creative Zone offers manufacturers. This reflects the Authority’s commitment to stimulating the local manufacturing system.

Khulood Khoory, Director of the Projects & Events Department at Dubai Culture, emphasised the importance of supporting the emirate’s creative scene and achieving the objectives of its creative economy strategy, saying: “In line with our commitment to support the cultural and creative industries in Dubai, we recognize the pivotal role of Al Quoz in providing a complete ecosystem for making and manufacturing. At Dubai Culture, we aim to promote locally manufactured and produced goods and products, which adds economic value and enhances the emirate's diversified economic system based on knowledge and innovation. We believe that by providing an appropriate and stimulating environment for manufacturers through various initiatives and projects, we can attract entrepreneurs and talent, and enable them to access investment opportunities. This contributes to the overall growth of Dubai's creative economy and helps establish the emirate as a hub for innovation and creativity.”

Khoory stressed the significance of Makers’ Month in supporting emerging makers and SMEs, enabling them to promote their businesses and services on a larger scale, affirming that participation in the workshops and sessions of Makers’ Month will be free of charge for all entrepreneurs and makers residing in Dubai and the UAE.

To view the details of the programme and workshop dates, please visit https://dubaiculture.gov.ae/en/events/Makers-Month