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ABU DHABI/WAM
The Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced the dates of its leading global forum, Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, for its seventh edition. The gathering will take place from April 27 to 29 2025 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, within the Saadiyat Cultural District in Abu Dhabi.
With the theme, Culture for Humanity and Beyond, this edition will explore the ever-dynamic relationship between culture and humanity in an unrivalled period of transformation.
The first quarter of the century has witnessed major power shifts leading to a sense of an uncertain future. The Summit will prompt a collective rethinking of human emancipation and humanism and seek to find a new common ground to build a shared sustainable future.
Across three days of panels, creative conversations, case studies, artist talks and workshops, the summit will see renowned artists, leaders, intellectuals and creatives share new perspectives on reimagining what tomorrow could look like, as old ways of thinking become obsolete.
Three sub-themes will be explored across the summit’s duration. Day one will be focused on the sub-theme, “reshaping the cultural landscape”. As power shifts continue in a world marked by the digital revolution, economic inequality, and geopolitical volatility, cultural identities and societal values are being redefined.
The sessions will explore the impact of these shifts on the production, reception, and consumption of culture, and discuss the role the creative sector can play in guiding humanity through uncertainty towards a confident future.
Day two will explore “the new frontiers of a post-human environment”. As advancements in technology, including AI, biotechnology, and environmental studies, redefine the essence of humanity, the sessions on this day will examine how culture can ensure these changes enhance the human experience.
The programme will explore how the cultural and creative sectors are adapting their business models, infrastructures, and policies to seize the opportunities these new frontiers present.
Day three will examine “new frames to redefine Culture for Humanity and Beyond”. The sessions will explore how innovative, collaborative efforts and the rise of ‘glocal’ approaches can foster resilience, inclusion, and sustainability.
They will also examine how cultural innovation and technology can help reshape narratives and create new common ground to overcome global polarisation.
The event’s key global partners include UNESCO, The Economist Impact, the Design Museum, Google, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, and Recording Academy.
Additional partners include notably Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, the Cultural Foundation, The National, the Club de Madrid, the Abrahamic Family House, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Berklee Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, and Institut Français.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is an annual global forum that brings international leaders from the cultural and creative industries to explore how culture can transform societies and communities worldwide.