I really think we have
the most amazing, rich culture in any civilisation.
Wow, bold statement.
Hello, and welcome to Aktashif, everybody.
By answering the questions
asked of our content creators in today’s episode
you will be able to successfully enter the Aktashif competition.
More about that later.
Today is about your culture
and how it influences your creativity.
Let’s hear from some of our creators.
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
My name is Ibrahim Mohammed Al Nuaimi
Hi, I’m Tamara.
Hi, my name is Maha Moussa.
I really think we have
the most amazing, rich culture in any civilisation, like, literally.
So, I really think that culture is very important
when it comes to storytelling because
how do we get inspired?
By the people around us
by the stories that, you know, our grandparents tell us
the stories that your parents tell you.
And I really believe that storytelling starts when you’re a kid.
That’s the beauty of what we do
It’s that we document and it stays forever, it lives forever.
Living in Ras Al Khaimah helped me evolve on my own.
All the natural surroundings inspired my perspective on nature
that’s why I chose to pursue Nature Photography.
Knowing who you are
is essential to discovering your voice.
Your culture and your life experiences
are what make you, unique.
I was living in an environment where you should be a doctor
or you should be an engineer.
There’s no… they didn’t even imagine what it’s like to be an artist.
We didn’t have that in the house.
I think I’m the first filmmaker in the family
no one ever studied filmmaking but me.
With that, I changed that perception
that no, with this creative path you can actually
build an amazing career, you can gain money
and you can do something so beautiful and you can create an impact.
My dad has always been interested in photography
and always had cameras laying around, so that’s how I picked that up.
And my mum has always been an artist, she still is an artist.
They both impact me in those ways.
I was raised in a mixed environment of culture, art and development
in a family that supports my passion for photography.
One of the most important moments in my life
was when I got the scholarship from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid School For Communication
This is how I was brought up in an environment where I got that support
that people believed in me
that I got the education that I deserve
So, this is one of the most important things that you live in a place
like, being here in Dubai is a blessing
because there are so many opportunities.
If people believe in you, there’s always support.
My dad’s Eritrean, my mum’s Egyptian.
I was born in the U.S. and I live in Dubai
so, I’m very influenced by a lot of different cultures
kind of like a world-culture.
If I were to really pick one, it would be Humanity
as a message that inspires me in my work.
In my creative career with photography
I look up to a lot of photographers
such as Rosie Matheson and Damon Baker.
They really inspire me because they like to show
the person’s story and their emotion behind the photo
and they really focus on the person.
In the beginning, I discovered a lot of photographers through Instagram.
The one that inspired me most was H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
His photographs inspired me in a lot of different ways.
So, the person that influenced me the most in my work
is my professor. Her name is Elissa.
She’s the one who inspired me to be a documentary filmmaker.
Ever since I did my first documentary, Sulala
I fell in love with the journey, with the process
with the learning experience, with every single thing that was related to that film.
There are two words that people have told me;
Your work is “Bold” and your work is “Free.”
It took me some time to understand
but now I truly believe those things.
It’s me when I’m filming, I feel like I am free.
I would describe myself and my work as very experimental.
Because I really like photography, but I also like
graphic design and digital art.
I can describe myself in a couple of words:
Innovation and Development.
Understand your culture.
Tell your stories.
Study Art history.
Fall in love with other cultures.
This grows you and changes you as a person.
But never forget your roots and where you came from.
So remember everybody, the Aktashif programme consists of 4 different Modules
This is Module 1.
And, if you are lucky enough to be between the ages of 14 and 25
we encourage you to enter the great competition.
You need to answer the questions that were asked in this episode
relating to your culture and your creativity.
So, create a short video and upload them to the Aktashif platform.
If you’re looking for more instructions
click on the link below.
Both English and Arabic submissions are gladly accepted.
Otherwise, leave us any comments.
I hope you enjoyed this episode and it gave you some insights
and we’ll see you again soon.