W E D N E S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 14 , 2 0 1 1
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OMAN ‘Social networking rules the roost’ ‘Youth is self-driven, it has lots of vigour’
Times of Oman met up with the presenter
Youth culture is about change. The recent V&A exhibition in London, of South African photography by young South Africans reveals a new generation playing with looks and identity
of the Muscat Youth Summit (MYS) workshop, Sue Steward, an independent writer, broadcaster, and exhibition curator,
Sue Steward
based in England
MUSCAT: Launched in 2009 by the Brand Oman Management Unit, the Muscat Youth Summit (MYS) attracts over 200 participants aged 15 to 24 years from Asia, Europe and North America. MYS 2011, which will be held between December 4 and 7, is a residential initiative that aims to enhance young people’s perceptions of culture, innovation and enterprise. SUE STEWARD talked to MRUDU NAIK about her perspective and plans: What’s the focus of your MYS workshop? Photography introducing new ideas and challenging preconceptions; setting up photo-shoots on location and organising an exhibition. What types of conversations and discussions do you hope will emerge during MYS 2011? I will be working with 40 students and I want our day to be as much a forum for discussion and engagement between the students and myself as it is a lecturer-student arrangement. I will also involve two practising photographers, both called Ahmed, in the conversations and active sessions. What do you hope will be the takeaway from your
Presenter, Muscat Youth Summit
MYS workshop? Changed ideas and approaches to photography; learning to look and see, to revise what they see and how they see things from different perspectives – whether it’s landscapes, portraits, or still-life. And taking home with them a new curiosity and awareness about what photographers in other parts of the world are doing and producing. How would you describe youth culture in a word? Exhilarating! What do you think are the main issues facing young people today? Serious and understandable anxieties about work, finance, the cost of education, the state of the environment, health. So much depends on where they live and their social status. They are living in such exciting time, times of rapid changes in life-styles, technologies and cultural details. Through the shrinking world and global digital connections, they can for the first time in history, connect to so many diverse cultures and learn from each other through the internet - and at events like Muscat Youth Summit. The field of youth media is just
exploding right now. Where do you see it heading? Social networking and the internet is the most significant thing happening today – and it links into photography. It links the youth to each other, introduces them to constantly changing new ideas and actions and with that comes new possibilities - and unimaginable changes. The crucial thing is their application of the new technologies and photographic possibilities to all walks of life and work that will be stressed here in Muscat.
something I will be stressing at the Summit.
Which brands do you think are best connecting with young people today and why? Of course Google, Facebook and Twitter and too many websites to mention. I’m impressed with the self-publishing websites like Blurb, which allow young people with little money to make cheap books which can serve as a starter – or become a best-seller! I believe passionately that physical books are still crucial. Self-published photography books are fantastic ways for young people to learn about the many technical and design elements involved in production and they help students realize that being a photographer is not the only occupation available for photography graduates. This is
Tell us about a day in your life and what your work routine is like? Unpredictable: Always moving and unpredictable, going between very sociable events and very quiet, private time at home. Out and about: viewing exhibitions, at meetings, judging competitions, doing interviews, talking on radio, writing, reviewing portfolios, giving talks. Then I stop and have solitary time to recharge and hang out with friends. At home, in my tiny garden, watching plants grow, watching the sea and skies in constant motion. Waiting for the full moon over the sea each month and hoping for no clouds. Need more time to dream!
Young people today are ‘chameleons’ changing their look/character based on their environment/people they’re hanging with. Do you agree or disagree? Of course they are! It’s always been that way – and I hope always will be. Youth culture is about change. The recent V&A exhibition in London, of South African photography by youths, it reveals a new generation playing with looks and identity.
FREE SCREENINGS
An unforgettable Korean cine night SARAH MACDONALD sarah@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: About 250 people enjoyed free screenings of two Korean films at City Cinema in Shatti in movie nights hosted by the South Korean embassy Monday and Tuesday evenings. Monday night’s feature was Le Grand Chef, a poignant and funny tale of a fierce rivalry during a cooking competition. On Tuesday audiences were treated to a romantic action film titled My Girlfriend is an Agent. “We gave a lot of thought about what kind of movies would be agreeable to an Omani audience,” said Choe Jong-hyun, the South Korean ambassador. One of Choe’s roles is to expose Omanis to Korean culture and he said he finds film an effect means of doing that. Choe said they chose the movies because they reflect both the modern and traditional sides of Korea. Movie-goers were pleased with the event. For the Koreans in the audience it was a touch of home, while for Omanis it was a learning experience. “Korea and Oman are very far from each other but I think this type of event can connect people,” said Kim Tai Hwan, a Korean man who has lived in Oman since 2007. Khalfan Saif Al Tawqi, an Omani who wants to start an OmaniKorea friendship association, says
STRENGTHENING CULTURE CONNECTION: South Korean ambassador Choe Jong-Hyun (second from left) and members of his staff attend a screening of Le Grand Chef. - Shameer Muhammed/TIMES OF OMAN
Omanis can learn from Korean movies. He says they show how a country can develop without losing its culture. “Korea is very sophisticated and high-tech but they keep taking care of customs and traditions. We cannot progress unless we preserve our traditions and customs,” Al Tawqi said. Afrah Abdullah Al Salmi and Ameera Abdullah Al Sabri have
both been fans of Korean pop culture since accidently coming across some music online. They like Korean actors and would like to visit Korea one day, so they were happy to attend the event. “In this movie I liked the food. I really wanted to taste it. It looked tasty and healthy,” Al Sabri explained after exiting the theatre. This is the fifth movie event hosted by the South Korean em-
bassy. There are also plans for a Korean fashion show, a tae kwon do exhibition, a Korean food festival, and a concert. Choe said he hopes more people will attend so the ties between the countries can grow. About 1,000 South Koreans work in Oman, according to the Korean Embassy. Many of them work on oil projects and in the shipping industry. Oman also exports oil to South Korea.
MUSCAT: Deeba Hasan, a third-year student of Bayan College, Muscat who has attended Muscat Youth Summit earlier, shares her experience with Times of Oman Tell us about some of the highlights of the MYS 2010 It was a first time experience for me and I made friends with students from across the world. I really enjoyed the workshop on blogging and online media; and we all created our own blogs. The panel discussion on road safety was enlightening too. We had debates, discussions which turned out to be a real learning experience. What was the one thing that turned your head at MYS 2010? I was impressed to see that the youth of Oman were well aware of the issues concerning them and were keen on solving them through dialogue. What types of conversations and discussions would you like to see emerge during MYS 2011? MYS 2011 is about social entrepreneurship, urban art and culture and digital participation. I am curious to know about all of these topics as they are upcoming trends – all very pertinent to today’s youth. I would like to see a lot of interactive dialogue among the participants as this would help exchange ideas. We need to have informative sessions to help us better understand each of these topics. What do you hope will be the takeaway from MYS 2011? Urban art and culture is slowly
Deeba Hasan
and gradually making its way into youth culture, I expect it to steal the show! How would you describe youth culture in a word? Self-driven with lots of vigour! What do you think are the main issues facing young people today? Today’s youth are smart and alert but there are a few challenges. For example, maintaining a stable relationship with family and friends. They also find themselves being distracted by the many temptations that surround them. They sometimes indulge in the wrong kind of stuff. The field of youth media is just exploding right now. Where do you see it heading? Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, online forums are all part of youth media and it is a very positive culture. What’s your life mantra? Never say never. Who or what inspires you? Free-thinking, positive people always inspire me. I love their company.