I sat down with Lizz Totton, Culture and Arts Editor for Time Out Abu Dhabi to have coffee while discussing all things culture in the capital city.
Paul D: Where are you from originally and how long have you been in the UAE?
Lizz: I am originally from New Jersey in the US. I have been in Abu Dhabi for almost two years.
Paul D: How long have you been writing?
Lizz: I have been writing since I could write. Ask my mother. I wrote, bound and illustrated tiny books ever since I was six years old. I have always loved that serendipitous moment in writing when you land dead center into a storyline you weren’t even aiming at.
Paul D: Me too! I’ve been wiring on a concept for a novel for years and have experienced that feeling as well. When did you first know you were interested in arts and culture?
Lizz: I have also been painting since I was four years old. It was inevitable. I am very visual. I was also fortunate enough to grow up right in between two cities (New York City and Philadelphia) with two intellectually and artistically nurturing parents who recognized my talents and my interests early on and let me choose my path. How about you?
Paul D: Art runs in my family, but I was always overshadowed by my sister when it came to visual art as she is a prolific painter and graphic designer. I got wise quick and started writing instead. What’s your favourite genre of art? Performance? Music? Visual?
Lizz: Visual because it’s what I know, but I am so drawn to music. I never heard its call when I was young. I appreciate it, and I would love to learn an instrument now, if I had the time. I guess I feel the same way about performance art, but I was too shy for the stage when I was younger.
Paul D: So you are also an artist?
Lizz: Yes, I am an oil painter. I have taught art and consider myself more of a mixed media artist these days when I am not writing.
Paul D: The arts scene in Abu Dhabi has blossomed in the past few years. Have you noticed an influx in cultural events?
Lizz: Well, it has been in full blossom for the two years that I have been here, so I am not sure I can comment on the transformation prior to that. But, I can say that I feel always as if I am on the verge of something here. Abu Dhabi is such an amazing city full of so many inspired and inspiring people. I never want to miss anything because there is something happening all the time. People talk and talk about Dubai, but I think Abu Dhabi is this sleeping giant. Once it fully awakens culturally, it will be unstoppable.
Paul D: How would you compare Abu Dhabi’s cultural scene with that of Dubai’s?
Lizz: I am probably not informed enough to comment on Dubai because Abu Dhabi is my beat. Initially, I wondered if there would be enough content in this city’s art scene to fuel a weekly Arts & Culture section. Now, I find myself prioritizing Arts & Culture events because I cannot cover them all. Like Dubai, Abu Dhabi doesn’t do anything half-way. But unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi prioritizes its cultural scene. Abu Dhabi wants to be a great city full of art and culture. I think it’s not way off to compare Abu Dhabi to a San Francisco and Dubai to Las Vegas. They are just going in different directions.
When people (from Dubai or elsewhere) say that Abu Dhabi is too conservative, too sleepy, there is not enough going on down here for them, I tell them they have clearly not been down here in a long time.
Paul D: What’s your favourite cultural event in the city?
Lizz: Well that depends on what you are after. I love Abu Dhabi Festival for the performance art and the eclectic assortment of musicians they bring in from all over the world. I love the Abu Dhabi Art Festival for all things visual and then I love all the heritage festivals run by TCA Abu Dhabi. They remind me where I am. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget you are not in any anonymous big city of the world. The frequent heritage festivals stop me in my tracks and take me on a journey back. I love that. It’s a nice reminder. This is why many of us travel, to feel as if we are a part of something exotic and foreign, to learn and grow.
Paul D: What do you think Abu Dhabi’s new initiatives like the Guggenheim and Louvre will impact the cultural scene?
Lizz: Again, I keep going back to putting Abu Dhabi on the map. Not long ago when the prospect of us moving here was on the table, no one around had ever heard of Abu Dhabi (about eight years ago). They thought we made it up. Some had heard of Dubai because Dubai has been selling itself for some time. Sleepy Abu Dhabi has been lying in wait for the right moment, and the moment is now. It is so exciting to live and work in the capital at the moment. We moved here partially for the lure of having these two institutions in our back yard. And the prospect of them finally opening gives me chills. The architecture of the two museums alone is exciting, let alone the artwork they will ultimately house.
Paul D: That’s great! Help me out. Can you be the first to find the bill and pay for it?
By Dorian “Paul D” Rogers | @pauldTHERIPY
