PHOTO ESSAY BY RATS OF BAT’HA

THE UNIQUE TRAITS OF THE UNDERGROUND SAUDI MUSIC SCENE LIES IN ITS PASSIONATE CREATIVES AND INTIMATE SETTINGS. DATING BACK TO ITS ORIGINS IN THE LATE 90S, IN A SOCIETAL CONTEXT THAT VALUES PRIVACY AND A STRONG SENSE OF BELONGING. THE SCENE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CULTIVATING SPACE FOR CREATIVES TO CONNECT, INSPIRE AND TRANSCEND COLLECTIVELY. IN RECENT YEARS, THE SCENE HAS NOT ONLY CELEBRATED ITS LOCAL HEROES, BUT ALSO MADE SPACE FOR INTERNATIONALS TO TAP INTO ITS MAGIC. EFFORTS FROM ARTISTS, BRANDS AND COMMUNITY HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR NEW ENERGIES TO INDULGE WITH THE SCENE AND TRANSFORM PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ON BOTH ENDS. I FOUND MYSELF NOT ONLY CURIOUS TO NAVIGATE OUR LOCAL SCENE, IT WAS INEVITABLE TO EXAMINE OTHER POINTS OF REFERENCE FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING. WHAT INFLUENCES SHAPE CITIES’ SOUNDS OVERTIME? HOW DOES THE NATURE OF ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR CONTEXT SHAPE SCENES THEY FORGE? WHAT ACCELERATES TALENT OUTPUT? HOW DO CITIES NURTURE VARIED CROWD QUALITIES? AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT ALLOWS A SENSE OF BELONGING AND CREATIVE CREATIONS IN DANCE SCENES.

COMMON GROUNDS BETWEEN THE DANCEFLOORS OF BARCELONA AND RIYADH WERE UNSURPRISING TO ME. BOTH SCENES UPHOLD INTIMACY AND PLAY ABOVE ALL, EACH OFFERING DIFFERENT DEGREES OF THE SPECTRUM - AND CULTIVATING EQUALLY PROFOUND EXPERIENCES. THIS MIRROR IMAGE OF DANCE CULTURE - BETWEEN SPAIN AND SAUDI AND LIKELY MANY OTHERS - IT REMINDS US OF HOW SIMILAR WE ARE WHEN WE POSTPONE OUR JUDGMENTS. HERE, ON THE DANCEFLOOR, WE CELEBRATE MUSIC, INSTANTANEOUS RHYTHMS, INTIMATE SETTINGS, AND CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE THAT CONTINUOUSLY ELEVATE OUR MUSICAL PALATES, THOSE WHO CO-CREATE AND ALLOW THE NEW TO EMERGE.

THE IDEA OF THIS ZINE CAME ABOUT IN CASUAL CONVERSATION WITH OUR RESIDENT PUNK-ROCKING CREATIVE STRATEGIST, . THE IDEA MUSHROOMED INTO REALITY LED BY HER PARTNER IN RHYME, FELLOW SENIOR CREATIVE STRATEGIST, A HUNT FOR REGIONAL ILLUSTRATORS – THEY MET AND RECEIVED PROPOSALS FROM REGIONAL ROCKSTARS – LANDING AT LAST ON GRAPHIC DESIGNER & ILLUSTRATOR

THE MEAT OF THIS ZINE IS THE WORKSHOP OUTCOMES. THESE WORKSHOPS WERE SPEARHEADED BY XP MUSIC & ACTIVATIONS

& BADER ASSERY TO ORGANIZE, FACILITATE AND SYNTHESIZE FINDINGS. OUR VERY OWN SARA-OF-ALL-TRADES, DABBLED IN POLICY-RECOMMENDATIONS, MODERATING, MANAGING GUEST LISTS, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT CO-PILOTING WITH US WERE OUR PARTNERS AT VIBELAB – NAMELY, THOMAS SCHEELE , MIRIK MILAN

SHOUT OUT TO THE CONTENT TEAM IN ACTION; AND THE SOCIAL TEAM OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU TO THE ADVOCATES WRITTEN CONTRIBUTIONS, AND ESSAY. GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE WORKSHOPS, CANDID CONVERSATIONS AND PERFORMANCES.

NOTE-TAKERS:

AYA KHOJA HEBA ZAIDAN LATIFA AL SUDAIRI MUNIRA ALMUAMMAR RAWAN JABER SARA BAZIAN LOCATION PARTNERS:

ART JAMEEL FOUNDATION, JEDDAH, KSA DIRIYAH BIENNALE FOUNDATION, RIYADH, KSA THEATER OF DIGITAL ARTS, TODA, DUBAI, UAE

BANDAR AL TUNSI

BEN CAESAR DARIA PRODAEVICH

PRINCESS FAHDA BANDAR ABDULLAH AL SAUD MATHEW DICKS RAYYAN AL RASHEED WALEED SHAH TANYA AWAD

ALL THIS COMES TOGETHER, WITH THE TRUST IN CREATIVE DIRECTION, FROM CHIEF CREATIVE, THE GUIDANCE OF OUR FIRST LADY BEAST – STRATEGIC DIRECTOR,