Sharjah:To further highlight the role of museums and artists, Manal Ataya, the director general of Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) was invited to speak on soft power and the critical role of arts and culture in connecting people and raising their awareness on global issues. 

During her participation in the "Social Advocacy in the Art World” webinar, organised by ‘She is Arab’, a speaker's platform for Arab women that tackles the underrepresentation of Arab women in leadership, Ataya said that art can motivate people to see beyond the obvious, pay attention to other’s causes, think differently about them and turn this thinking into positive action. 

She highlighted how cultural diplomacy is an extremely important tool which can have a positive impact on people when it helps them realize connections between one another, and builds greater knowledge through mutual understanding and embracing differences. 

During the panel discussion, moderated by Samar Al Shorafa, cofounder of ‘She is Arab’, Ataya pointed out that the universal language of art, allows people to understand, reflect and empathize on a number of issues that may not otherwise be articulated through other means. 

“For example, the Palestinian cause, which is a tragedy on a human and a world scale, when portrayed through art whether it's paintings, filmmaking, or literature, has the power to disseminate information and compelling  stories to a wider audience in a manner different from that of say news media because it is more appealing and therefore more accessible to people,” Ataya said. 

Ataya also stressed that preserving the art and cultural heritage of any nation is preserving its existence that is often targeted in conflict as a tactic for the “methodical erasure of identity”.  

Underlining SMA’s efforts in supporting international causes and creating bridges between people, Ataya said that SMA has organized and hosted exhibitions that serve the purpose for two decades. 

“We had the T-Serai exhibition in 2019 which shed light on the refugee crisis and the plight of refugees having lost their homes, family and their identity.  

Another example of SMA’s efforts was the Crossroads exhibition in 2019 which highlighted societies’ evolution due to cultural exchange as a result of the constant migration of people, ideas, technologies and the arts over hundreds of years. 

Focused on issues of racism and discrimination, she said that SMA is currently hosting in partnership with The Africa Institute, Aïda Muluneh’s Homebound: A Journey in Photography, which is a timely exhibit as international attention turned to the United States racial inequality dilemma following the tragic death of George Floyd. 

The online seminar also saw the participation of Farah Nabulsi, Award-winning Filmmaker and founder of Native Liberty Productions, who spoke of her experience visiting Palestine, which triggered her move from the corporate world to the art world.

Nabulsi explained that she uses art as a medium to re-humanise and give life to the lives on the screen. She explained that she uses art as a form of adv