Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) is proud to share that its Executive Director, Professor Peter Barlow, participated in the prestigious Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2025, held from 27 to 29 April at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
On the final day of the summit, Professor Barlow took part in a session titled “Staging Presence: Performing Arts in a Virtual World”, alongside Alistair Spalding CBE, Artistic Director and Co-Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells. The session explored how live performance continues to offer meaningful spaces for connection, emotion, and embodiment in an increasingly digital and immaterial world.
Reflecting on their respective institutional contexts, Professor Barlow and Mr Spalding examined how performing arts organisations are reimagining their creative, curatorial, and organisational strategies to remain relevant and impactful. The conversation addressed the challenges and opportunities facing the cultural sector as it navigates technological innovation and shifting audience expectations.
Professor Barlow’s participation in this global gathering of cultural leaders reaffirms SPAA’s growing role in shaping the future of performing arts education and cultural discourse in the region and beyond.
About Culture Summit Abu Dhabi:
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is a global platform for cultural exchange, bringing together policymakers, artists, scholars, and creative professionals from around the world to discuss and develop innovative solutions to pressing cultural and social challenges.