Blank Space: An open mic event platform in UAE

Blank Space is an open mic event platform in Dubai that lets people showcase their talents ranging from poetry and music to stand-up comedy.

 In a fast paced life with long work and study hours, young people need an outlet to express themselves and their creativity.
That's precisely what motivated Dubai residents Mathani Mohammed, 23, and Mohammed Abdel Hakam, 26, to start 'Blank Space' - an open mic event platform that lets people showcase their talents ranging from poetry and music to stand-up comedy.
The event, open to all ages, gives equal opportunities to amateurs and professionals to share their skills.
The founders recently celebrated Blank Space's first anniversary, recalling the opening show that took place in August 2015.
"When we first started, we did not expect it to attract that many people," said Sudanese national Mohammed. She noted that with such diverse talent in the UAE, people needed a platform where they can share and express their art. "There is a big expat crowd here, but few spoken-word events," said Mohammed.
"There's a need for millennials to express themselves. Many of them never expected they would write poetry or go on stage one day, and now they're regulars. It helps youngsters discover themselves, grow confidence and share stories to inspire and get inspired by others."
Starting with more than 70 comers, the monthly event that takes place in Book Munch Café in Business Bay now receives an average of 120 people and around 25 performers.
The idea was inspired by Abu Dhabi's increasingly popular open-mic poetry night Rooftop Rhythms that was started in 2011 to give amateurs the chance to recite their own lyrical compositions on stage. The event receives around 300 attendees every month.
But instead of heading to Abu Dhabi to attend it, the pair thought that launching a similar event in Dubai would do the trick.
Abdel Hakam said that with Dubai's multicultural environment, open-mic events help gather people from different nationalities under the same passion. The duo stressed that the event is far from just poetry slams.
"The aim is to provide performers with a comfortable environment that allows them to share their art without the fear of competition," said Abdel Hakam, adding that the event poses limits on off-topics or swear words that could contradict the UAE's culture.
"The wide range of topics discussed are eye opening. When someone speaks of life lessons and struggles, it helps inspire others."
The pair noted that the general feedback was the main motivation for the group to continue. "It's our way of giving back to the community. Self-expression through simple poetry or music in such small gatherings helped many to heal from past struggles or get out of their comfort zone," noted Abdel Hakam.
The expats have future plans to expand with other event communities such as comedy groups.
"Seeing talents come to life and giving them the platform to do that is a beautiful experience," said Mohammed.
Taking talent forward
Many art enthusiasts have made road trips between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to attend both events. Among them is Abu Dhabi resident Mohammed Tariq Anis, a regular at Rooftop Rhythms and casual performer at Blank Space.
"Performing to a crowd has made me more outspoken in other aspects of life than poetry. It makes millennials more confident and comfortable to speak up on different topics," said Anis.
Another usual performer is Dubai resident Ziad Gadou who started performing with Blank Space from their second show onwards. "As a performer, it's euphoric. It really encourages people with any experience, or even none at all, to summon the courage to express themselves on stage. Overall, I enjoy the feedback I get from other people on my poetry," he said.
Take it from the expert
When American expat Dorian Paul Rogers landed in Abu Dhabi as a teacher, he was surprised to see rich poetry culture with no platform. As an organiser for cultural events in the US, he decided to mix Arabic history of poetry with a Western touch, and that's how Rooftop Rhythms was born in 2012.
"Now you have a platform for modern poetry with performers from different cultures and backgrounds," said Rogers.
Starting with Rogers' poetry readings in the upstairs room of Cafe Arabia, Rooftop Rhythms is now one of the biggest open mic poetry events in the Middle East that presents poems and music to a crowd of around 300 people at New York University in Abu Dhabi. 
Rogers said the event encouraged amateur poets to look at different types of poetry until they grew to become professionals over the years. "Having a platform for self-expression gives a personal lift for people and increases their self-confidence. Even for attendees, it shows that with our differences, we still undergo the same experiences in life."
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE