Photo by Garreth Chan/The Gazelle

In the past, the Office of Social Responsibility has conducted a number of programs targeted toward the contract staff that keeps NYU Abu Dhabi running. These programs have included English classes, Arabic classes, CV-writing workshops and intramural sports.

However, this past summer, junior Garreth Chan and Global Academic Fellow Attilio Rigotti discussed the possibility of expanding these workshops to include art lessons such as dance and photography.

The Gazelle spoke with Chan to learn more about these workshops and their impact on the contract staff.

In fall 2015, Chan and Rigotti designed and facilitated a series of ten art workshops under the umbrella of the Office of Social Responsibility.

“Students and faculty teach a variety of different art forms, from music, photography to printmaking to acting to dance, storytelling, creative writing and the sorts,” said Chan.

Photo by Garreth Chan/The Gazelle

Donabelle Hernandez, who works in the mailroom, spoke to The Gazelle about her experience with the photography workshop. She talked about the value of learning about others’ points of view through photography. She added that these workshops contribute to her feeling of belonging to NYUAD.

“I felt so proud,” said Belle. “It’s something special for me. It’s fulfilling.”

Kunal Thapa, a security guard who works for Securitas, also spoke about his participation in an acting and creative writing workshop led by Professor Jim Savio.

“It was so nice, so refreshing … we have created one story,” said Thapa.

He added that, through these workshops, he has made many new friends.

“We gather together, we discuss a lot [of new ideas]. And it’s so amazing,” noted Thapa.

Manager of the Office of Social Responsibility Liria Gjidijia also spoke about the positive impact of the workshops. “[Their impact] is witnessed by the gut laughs that echoed throughout the multipurpose room as our colleagues stumbled over their feet learning a new dance routine, or seeing the expressions on their faces when they saw their work exhibited, relishing in their newfound talents.”

“Art has a viable impact, especially on groups with contested identities,” added Chan.

For instance, this semester, Chan expanded the number of workshops to 28, including workshops on photography, dance and music. This resulted in double the number of participants.

Photo by Garreth Chan/The Gazelle

Moving forward, Chan and his colleagues think that sustainability is an important factor to consider during their work.

“We're hoping to continue the momentum ... this summer we'll be piloting a series of workshops taught by our contract colleagues. The workshops will include music, singing and dance,” said Gjidija.

Furthermore, the eventual hope is for the workshops to expand beyond NYUAD to reach Abu Dhabi’s migrant workers as well.

“We’re looking into developing a curriculum for adult education for both our migrant workers and migrant workers outside,” said Chan. “If the model works, we’re looking into replicating it into the region and hopefully acquiring a physical space in the city to be an open studio for migrant workers to come in and make art.”