Latest news with #Reimagining
Broadcast Pro
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Arab cinema icons to headline Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries in Abu Dhabi
The two-day event aims to explore the evolving role of the language in the region's fast-growing creative economy. Arab cinema icons Nadine Labaki, Hend Sabry and Tima Shomali are set to headline the upcoming Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries, taking place in Abu Dhabi from September 14 to 15. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, under the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the event brings together leading cultural voices, global tech experts and emerging talent to explore the evolving role of the Arabic language within the region's growing creative economy. Now in its third edition, the congress has expanded its scope beyond publishing to include discussions on the wider creative landscape. This year, it will place a strong focus on the role of artificial intelligence in transforming regional storytelling, audience engagement, heritage preservation and creative entrepreneurship. Labaki, Sabry and Shomali will lead a keynote session titled Her Narratives: Women Reimagining Arabic Creativity, spotlighting the contributions of Arab women in shaping contemporary storytelling across film, media, literature and digital platforms. The panel will delve into their personal journeys, creative processes, and the challenges they've faced while pushing boundaries in Arabic cultural expression. Labaki, known for her Oscar-nominated film Capernaum, Sabry for acclaimed performances in Arabic cinema and Netflix's Finding Ola, and Shomali for co-creating and starring in AlRawabi School for Girls, will reflect on how their work has redefined narratives in the Arab world. With AI and cultural innovation at its core, the Congress aims to position the Arabic language as a dynamic force in the future of creative industries across the region.
Chicago Tribune
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Chicago Tribune
Auto seat supplier opening $8 million Normal facility near Rivian's EV plant
As Rivian gears up to build the new midsize R2 SUV next year, the EV automaker is also building up its supply chain near its Normal plant to assist increased production. Adient, a leading global manufacturer of auto seats, is investing more than $8 million to repurpose an existing 85,000 square-foot-warehouse adjacent to the Rivian plant to make front and rear seats for the EVs. The Plymouth, Michigan-based company plans to create at least 75 new jobs within four years at the plant to qualify for a state tax credit, with an estimated value of about $4 million. 'Adient's new facility in Normal is a critical investment in our state's growing EV ecosystem and supply chain,' Gov. JB Pritzker said in a news release Monday. 'With yet another global company choosing to locate in Illinois, we're creating more jobs, opportunities and bolstering economic development for the people of Illinois.' Beyond proximity to Rivian's plant, Adient was incentivized to build its first Illinois facility through the state's Reimagining Energy and Vehicles In Illinois (REV Illinois). The 2021 legislation offers up to a 75% credit on state income tax for EV manufacturers for meeting agreed upon investment and job creation targets. In May, Rivian announced it is building a separate $120 million supplier park near its Normal plant to support increased production. The 1.2 million-square-foot supplier park is expected to add an additional 100 jobs to the expanding production operation of the California-based EV automaker, which manufactures its entire fleet in the college town about 130 miles south of Chicago. Construction on the supplier park is under way and expected to be completed in 2026, in time for the rollout of the much-anticipated R2. Adient will not be in the new supplier park. 'Having suppliers like Adient located near our plant in Normal will be a key enabler when we increase production next year to build R2,' Carlo Materazzo, Rivian's vice president of manufacturing operations, said in the news release. 'Integrating suppliers on site reduces costs and improves manufacturing efficiency.' Rivian began building its full-size electric R1T pickup truck, R1S SUV and commercial delivery vans in a former Mitsubishi auto plant on the outskirts of Normal in September 2021. In March 2024, Rivian revealed that the R2 will also be made in Illinois, putting plans to build a $5 billion Georgia plant on hold. Down the road, Georgia is still integral to Rivian plans, however. 'Since announcing the pause in construction of our Georgia site, we've continued development activities necessary for a rapid transition to vertical construction in 2026, ahead of the start of production in 2028,' a Rivian spokesperson said in a statement Monday. In addition, Rivian announced last week it plans to open an East Coast headquarters in Atlanta later this year, with office expansion slated for 2026 as construction at the new Georgia manufacturing site accelerates. Backed by $827 million in state incentives, Rivian is also expanding its 4.3 million-square-foot auto plant in Normal by an additional 1.1 million square feet and creating more than 550 assembly jobs over five years to build the midsize R2 SUV, which is expected to begin rolling off the production line in 2026. Rivian is seeking to lure new buyers at price points well below its first-generation SUV and truck, which cost upward of $80,000. The R2 will be priced starting at $45,000. The Normal plant had about 7,000 assembly workers in April 2024, when it streamlined operations and went from three to two shifts. Rivian had 14,861 employees across North America and Europe at the end of 2024, but declined Monday to update the current number of employees in Normal. Last year, Rivian produced 49,476 and delivered 51,579 EVs from its Normal plant, with slightly lower production guidance at 40,000 to 46,000 vehicles for 2025. During the second quarter, Rivian built 5,979 vehicles at its Normal plant and delivered 10,661, with production limited by retooling in preparation for the rollout of 2026 model year vehicles, which are expected to launch later this month, the automaker said. Meanwhile, customers looking to buy an EV may be motivated to take the plunge this summer by President Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which was signed into law July 4. The bill eliminates the $7,500 federal tax credit on new EVs and $4,000 on used EVs as of Sept. 30. rchannick@
Winnipeg Free Press
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Massive murals won't just brighten Winnipeg's Graham Avenue, they will make it safer
Murals, not buses, will soon running be up and down Graham Avenue. Winnipeg is one of only 10 cities in North America — and just two in Canada, the other being Ottawa — selected for the US$100,000 Asphalt Art Initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The project turns the formerly transit-heavy corridor into a whimsical urban canvas. Beginning Monday, local artists will cover the asphalt with large-scale, street-level murals. Asphalt Art Initiative projects include Billings, Mont. The public art initiative is part of the broader Reimagining Graham Avenue, which is seeing the four-block zone from Carlton to Garry Street transformed into a pedestrian-first corridor. 'It's not often where that scale of a (mural) project can happen this fast,' says project lead Stéphane Dorge, an organizer with CoolStreetsWPG, which specializes in transforming community spaces through art. 'This is kind of like an arts festival, where we're going to be up to 10 artists on site, plus helpers and volunteers bringing to life about 18,000 square feet of murals to animate the Graham Avenue space, so it's a bit overwhelming.' Muralists include Marc Kuegle, Alex Plante, Kal Barteski, Kale Sheppard, Laura Lee Harasym, Mike Zastre, James Culleton, Architects at Play and lead artist Takashi Iwasaki. Like a cinematically colour-graded street scene, the project will have a rich, overarching palette, but each of the artists was given near carte blanche to create, with an emphasis on play and interactivity. Dorge describes Architects at Play's 13,000-square-foot piece as a 'playable mural where you can bring your own pocket dice or use a dice app on your phone to play.' Varna, Bulgaria, was one of the cities that completed an Asphalt Art initiative in 2023 'I can't wait to unveil it.' Reimagining Graham Avenue dovetails with the city's new spine-and-feeder transit model launching Sunday. Known as Primary Transit Network (PTN), the new system is a historic transformation that will shift transit's focal points away from the downtown core towards other major corridors in the city, prioritizing bus frequency and greater neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood access across Winnipeg. But rather than diminish downtown's place in the city's civic culture, projects such as the PTN and Reimagining Graham Avenue — which coincide with the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street opening to pedestrian traffic — aim to transform the heart of the city into a more walkable social hub. Look up from the asphalt tableaus, and rather than buses you'll soon see a public plaza, including street plants, picnic tables, furniture, benches, ping-pong tables and access ramps. Car traffic will be allowed along other stretches of Graham, where protected bike lanes are also being added. 'When these changes are in place, Graham will be more colourful, more dynamic, more pedestrian-friendly. One more reason for people to visit, explore and enjoy our downtown,' said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The application to Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charitable organization in New York, for the Asphalt Art Initiative was submitted by Public Works and the Planning, Property and Development departments at the City of Winnipeg. 'It was just a really well-thought-out, really inspired application,' says Nicholas Mosquera, one of the program leads at Bloomberg Philanthropies for the Asphalt Art Initiative. 'It reminded us a lot of work that we'd been doing (in New York City's Times Square). We saw a lot of similarities in the Winnipeg project, and we're happy to be a part of that effort.' Studies consistently show that pedestrian-friendly design makes neighbourhoods feel more connected. For example, research from a University of British Columbia review found walkable neighbourhoods build civic trust and spark friendlier interactions, while a U.K. study showed that quieter, low-traffic streets made people more neighbourly and less lonely. That same study also found that low-traffic, pedestrian-centric neighbourhoods can create public health gains up to 100 times greater than the costs of those plans. SUPPLIED East Providence, Rhode Island Asphalt Art Initiative drone image. And while public arts and beautification projects are sometimes criticized as a superficial fix to the social problems undergirding urban distress, a growing body of literature shows the social benefits run deeper than fleeting eye candy. The Asphalt Art Safety Study, conducted by Sam Schwartz Consulting in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, analyzed 17 asphalt art sites across the United States. Among the outcomes reassuring them of their good work, they found that crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists were halved, while crashes resulting in injuries decreased by 37 per cent, along with a 27 per cent increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right-of-way. 'They're really striking results. We're really proud of that — (it's) some of the first research, certainly to our knowledge, to look at multiple arts-driven street-design projects,' says Mosquera. A number of independent studies, mostly focusing on green projects, illuminate the effects of community beautification on improving mental health and community connectivity. 'It's incredible when we can see that the street is actually going to turn into a large piece of art,' said Kate Fenske, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ's chief executive officer, of Reimagining Graham Avenue. Birmingham, Alabama Asphalt Art Initiative 'I hope this isn't the full catalyst, though,' says Dorge. 'We still need development of the surface lots and Graham. We need more housing downtown. But I hope this draws attention to that need and, hopefully, spurs prioritization from developers to focus on rebuilding that area and making it more vibrant.' From July 5 to Sept. 28, Graham Avenue will host four art installations by designers from New York, Halifax and Winnipeg — including a bike-powered giant fan and a coastal-themed landscape — along with projects by Art City (opens July 11) and the Manitoba Métis Federation. This other wave of installations is part of Storefront Manitoba's Cool Gardens, a landscape art and design festival, now in its 10th edition, similar to the Warming Huts competition. (The event is not to be confused with CoolStreetsWpg, which leads the mural initiative on Graham; cool people abound in Winnipeg's public art field.) This year, Cool Gardens also plans vibrant installations at Assiniboine Park, Osborne Village, St. Boniface and The Forks. Conrad SweatmanReporter Conrad Sweatman is an arts reporter and feature writer. Before joining the Free Press full-time in 2024, he worked in the U.K. and Canadian cultural sectors, freelanced for outlets including The Walrus, VICE and Prairie Fire. Read more about Conrad. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Al-Ahram Weekly
04-03-2025
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Don't miss Concordia University History Professor Wilson Jacob's lecture at AUC
American University in Cairo New Cairo Campus History Department Conference Room, 2144 Wed 12, 9.45am – 10.55am: "History Hash Outs — The Gender of Al-Riyada: Secular and Religious Bodies in Egypt and Beyond, 1820-1936" join this lecture with Wilson Chacko Jacob, Professor of History at Concordia University, as he explores how gender, leadership and bodily discipline shaped secular and religious spheres in Egypt from 1820 to 1936, offering insights into power and identity that resonate beyond this era. Wed 19, 9.45am – 10.55am: "History Hash Outs—Reclaiming Voices, Reimagining Futures: A Personal Journey Through Gender, History and Public Policy" join Reham Elmorally (HIST '16), Assistant Professor of Public Policy at AUC, for an inspiring talk on her journey—what led her to her work, how her experiences shaped her views, and why she wrote Recovering Women's Voices: Islam, Citizenship, and Patriarchy. She'll also share insights from her role as Head of Public Policy and Research at Entlaq Holding, an Egyptian think tank supporting entrepreneurs, and why empowering change makers is more important than ever. El Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, underneath the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 Word Hall Fri 7, 9.30: " So That You Do Not Miss Ramadan" a meeting with His Eminence Sheikh Ali Mustafa, First Preacher in the Cairo Preaching District and His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Abbadi in the Cairo Preaching District. The meeting will discuss several topics such as preparing yourself for worshiping in Ramadan, organizing your time well and give everyone their due and getting rid of restrictions that impede you from fasting properly in the holy month of Ramadan. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
