The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) recently organized an art exhibition called the National Identity Programme for Visual Arts at Manarat Al Saadiyat. Over 500 artworks by Emirati students were featured, with a focus on local inspiration such as Emirati fashion, jewellery, sand, Al Sadu, Talli, palm fronds, seashells, coins, and pearls. The programme aims to equip UAE national students in the emirate’s private schools to express their reflections on the country’s national identity, heritage, culture, and values.
The programme covers four main streams: Arts and Culture, Sports and Excursions, AlMajalis, and Curriculum Integration towards Identity. Its objective is to create a diverse pool of human capital that can contribute to realizing the goals of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Creative Industries Strategy. The programme aims to empower Emirati students to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and active global citizens who are deeply connected to their cultural heritage.
The exhibition recognized gifted students and prepared them to represent the UAE in local and international events by enhancing their art capabilities and skills. It provided a platform for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and artistic skills between visiting professors, trainers, artists, and students.
The programme’s Art and Culture stream equipped students with the artistic tools to express their national pride, build a unique leadership personality, and develop their identity. Art is an expression of life, and the programme seeks to foster the students’ understanding of intrinsic and deeply rooted UAE values through art.
The programme reinforces Emirati heritage and artistic elements in student artwork, deepening their understanding and appreciation of history, culture, traditions, and values. This is achieved based on three core themes, which are fundamental to the UAE’s rich cultural heritage, including ‘History and Heritage’, ‘Local Environment and Nature’, as well as ‘Local Fashion’. It seeks to instil national identity through presenting students with an opportunity to express and celebrate their cultural roots and national pride.
The programme’s first edition involved 32 art teachers who participated in ‘Teach the Teacher,’ a detailed training course that fused Emirati cultural elements and values into classes. To increase impact, ADEK shared various teaching materials, art workshop ideas, and teaching techniques with trainees to ensure the successful implementation of the program in classrooms.
The exhibition featured an assortment of impressive paintings, including one that depicted the historic mission of Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi to space, a stunning collection of collage works, and photographs expressing the vibrant culture of the UAE. The exhibition showcased student artworks that repurposed traditional elements such as textiles and jewellery to create truly inspiring works that depict the Sadu and the Louvre Museum’s dome using colourful wooden sticks.
The programme focused on core themes that are integral to the UAE’s rich cultural heritage, including our people’s history as coastal, in-land, and mountainous communities, exploring the significance of the desert, agriculture, and sea in the daily life of Emiratis. The Emirati students created individual and group projects focused on three themes: History and Heritage, Nature, and Fashion.
