The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has announced the fourth edition of Numoo, its professional development accelerator for UAE-based performing artists, reaffirming a long-term commitment to nurturing local creative talent and strengthening the UAE’s arts ecosystem. This edition is supported by MusicNation.
Running from May to August 2026, the new edition builds on a program that has previously supported 34 artists since its launch as an online pilot in 2021-2022, followed by in-person editions in 2023 and 2024. Designed to help artists build sustainable careers in the UAE, Numoo offers participants a platform for creative and professional development while fostering a growing network of locally based practitioners across disciplines.
This year’s program arrives at a moment when the UAE is celebrating its citizens and residents. Against that backdrop, Numoo reflects a deliberate choice to focus on artists based here, making work here, and committed to contributing to the country’s cultural life from the ground up.
That makes the program especially resonant now. As during the pandemic, when the absence of visiting international artists created both the space and the urgency to invest more deeply in grassroots talent, Numoo reflects the importance of sustaining local artistic development during periods of uncertainty.
Open to early- and mid-career performing artists based in the UAE, Numoo is tailored toward professional skills and career trajectory rather than artistic practice. Conceived as an accelerator for locally based artists, the program supports participants in refining their artistic vision while gaining the practical tools needed to grow professionally in their field and bring their work to the public in the UAE and abroad. It’s designed to enhance artists’ sense of agency over their own careers, and has contributed to the creation of new performances and recordings, expanded collaborative networks, and a heightened sense of empowerment for its participants.
Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director of The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, said:
“Numoo reflects our long-term commitment to supporting artists building their careers in the UAE and contributing to the country’s evolving cultural landscape. By investing in local talent and expanding networks across artforms, we are strengthening a creative ecosystem unique to the country, that is both rooted and globally relevant. We were thrilled to review all the applicants and come up with an exceptionally strong cohort of a dozen artists from a variety of artforms and backgrounds.”
The 2026 cohort of UAE based artists are:
- Ananya Murali –singer and songwriter
- Dalia Yassine – film and performance maker
- Doris Tao – dancer
- Ibrahim Ustadi – actor
- Isaac Tbazz – bass player
- Ksenia Klubova – dancer, choreographer, & aerial artist
- Maitha Ali – artist &theater maker
- Ram Farha – musical theater actor
- Samir El Kawas – storyteller
- Sreeja Chakra – musician
- Stephanie Tadros – multidisciplinary performer & director
- Yousif Hassan – singer and songwriter
Following an open call, which generated nearly triple the number of applications of each previous edition, the artists were selected through a collaborative evaluation process by The Arts Center’s staff and Advisory Circle members. Reflecting the diversity of the UAE’s creative scene, the selected artists represent a cross-section of the UAE – Emiratis, multi-generational residents, and more recently arrived expats. The cohort intentionally mixes musicians, dancers, choreographers, poets, theatermakers, and multimedia artists, to enhance cross-participant learning across diverse experiences and perspectives.
Participants will receive guidance from The Arts Center staff, invited arts professionals, and each other. Numoo will take place over three weekend intensive full-day sessions in May, June, and August.
The curriculum includes the following modules, taught by an experienced array of The Arts Center staff, UAE based experts, and knowledgeable international guest faculty:
- Defining and Pitching Your Vision with Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director of The Arts Center
- Building Your Team with Tiéce Edwards, music business professional and founder of Snap & Boom
- Introduction to Producing and Budgeting with Linsey Bostwick, Director of the NYU Production Lab
- Creating Your Own Opportunities with Mary Chase, Innovative Arts Leader, Administrator, Educator
- Sharing Their Experience as Numoo Alumni with Trixie Danielle and Jomel Reyes, founders of 63kolektib, a Filipino theater collective
- Fundraising and Partnerships with Yvette Campbell, Director of Institutional Advancement at ACS Abu Dhabi
- Cultivating Authentic Relationships with Yahael Camara Onono, musician and bandleader of Balimaya Project and current artist in residence with the NYUAD Music Program
- Touring with Cindy Hwang, Founder and President of InPulse Creatives, as well as the music programmer for Ithra theatre in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
- Career Trajectory and Creating Commissioned Work with Afra Al Dhaheri, visual artist
- Intellectual Property with Aisha Salem Howey, General Counsel at MusicNation
- Artist Contracts and Negotiation with Laura Colby, Founder of Elsie Management and Beatrice L. Thomas, Founder and Director of Authentic Arts & Media
- Building Your Brand with Clive Primrose, Director of Marketing at The Arts Center
- Production and Technical Riders with Chris Pye, Director of Production at The Arts Center
- Career Trajectory and The Way Forward with Dr. Reem Kassem, Cultural Manager, Producer, and Performing Arts Unit Head at Cultural Foundation
Bragin added: “From the open call process to the weekend intensives, Numoo gives The Arts Center the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with the grassroots independent artist scene in the UAE and deepen our understanding of their needs. What has been most meaningful is seeing local artists develop a stronger sense of agency in how they create their own opportunities, how they expand collaborative networks, and how they can shape the future of their work. The program supports individual growth, while also helping build a more interconnected and sustainable artistic community.”
