Art today often feels polarized – either molded for hyper–commercialized mass appeal or sequestered in niche corners accessible only to the initiated, those with the knowledge, experience, or cultural context necessary to appreciate it fully. Standing against these currents, NYU Abu Dhabi’s Arts Center, helmed by Executive Artistic Director Bill Bragin, has spent the past decade trying to redefine what it means to democratize art. What happens when art becomes a shared experience rather than a product? What if its purpose shifts from accolades and recognition to fostering dialogue and community?

In an exclusive conversation with The Gazelle, Bill Bragin shared his insights on these questions, his personal and professional trajectory, and where he situates our beloved C3 (The Arts Center) in the United Arab Emirates’ dynamic arts scene after 10 years of growth.

“I come from a tradition of democratizing access,” Bragin reflected, recounting his years directing at the Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage and Joe’s Pub, back in the US where he comes from. These institutions, known for offering free or affordable entry, shaped his programming ethos: ambitious and thought-provoking yet always within reach. “If the ticket prices are high, you’re going to be more conservative,” he says. “You go see the artists you know because you’re investing a lot and want to be 100% sure it’s good. But if it’s free — or the price of a movie — you’re more inclined to take a risk!”

This philosophy underpinned the early work at The Arts Center. During its first two seasons, all events were free—a deliberate effort to build trust, and invite a transient, multicultural audience. In a city where “90% of people are expats reinventing themselves in one way or another,” and the locals experience constant change, there is a unique openness to discovery. "The question was, do we need to be more conservative once we are far into the process of opening and are now charging for tickets?” I said, no. We are a place of discovery, and we’re going to hold onto that.”

By keeping ticket prices intentionally low for the public and also ensuring students always have free access, Bragin continues to believe that art should challenge and inspire without alienating its audience. This vision eventually probed The Arts Center's motto: Come Curious, Leave Inspired. For Bragin, the reward lies in creating a space where seasoned patrons who “respond to cultural cues” and newcomers, encountering something for the first time, can come together. “The ideal audience,” he mused, “is one where someone who knows the art deeply sits next to someone who’s never seen it, and they learn from each other.”

As a self-described “learned extrovert,” Bragin approaches his work not as an academic or critic, but rather as someone driven by the pure joy of sharing something that moved him. His curatorial philosophy roots back to his teenage years, when he would play records for friends just to spark a connection. Bragin traces his approach to his teenage years, when he discovered he could only focus on writing papers amidst the chaos — TV on, music playing, and several ideas competing for his attention. “That chaos is when my mind actually works best,” he explains. Opening up about his ADHD, Bragin shares how he thrives on juggling multiple ideas, projects, and creative challenges at once. “I’m not going to catch all the balls I throw in the air, but that’s okay — I’ve built a team that helps me do that.” It seemed as though his ADHD is both a quirk and a strength, allowing him to think laterally, synthesize ideas across disciplines, and adapt rather intuitively. This tendency has shaped his career, especially in Abu Dhabi, where the cultural diversity and constant flux align with his natural way of processing the world and all of the art within it. “I wouldn’t thrive in a monolithic place,” he admits. “The diversity, the newness, the constant input, that’s where I come alive.”

Bill’s approach towards arts in the UAE being a way to navigate complex conversations is also fascinating. Take Canticles of a Pyre Foretold, for instance, a play critiquing institutionalized religion. While such themes may initially seem challenging to address in the region, Bragin shares how these are avenues to “redefine the discourse on censorship”, something he endeavors The Arts Center persists in doing, shifting the focus from confrontation to creativity and nuance. Early on, he learned that presenting to Abu Dhabi’s diverse audience required rethinking his approach to match the community’s varied experiences and expectations. He also recalls initial concerns around showcasing contemporary dance, a medium often sensitive to body representation, and how it might be received in the UAE. Today, the same series is supported by international sponsors like Van Cleef & Arpels.“[T]hey[‘ve] recognize[d] that we've reached a certain level”. He says proudly. “[We’ve] become the first presenter of contemporary dance in the region that they support.” For Bragin, “everything you do as a curator is site-specific,” While New York offered freedom of unbridled expression, Abu Dhabi demanded a more layered understanding of how art could provoke and inspire while remaining relevant and resonant.

Bragin draws parallels between his life and Passing Strange, a rock musical he helped commission (and strongly advocates we watch), which explores self-invention and the expatriate experience.“Those phone calls home with my dad, the questions of belonging, being asked, ‘When are you coming back?’— they mirrored my own expatriate experience,” he shares. After a decade in Abu Dhabi, “a place where most come and go in cycles of two to four years”, he often faced a key question: “Are you here to contribute or to extract?” For Bragin, the answer has always been about contribution. His work became an anchor, a way to create meaning and forge connections in a city defined by transience. “[Abu Dhabi] feels like home,” he says, “because, for better or for worse, a lot of my self-identity is wrapped up in my work.” Yet, his sense of home is fluid, built through discovery and reinvention in a place that never stops evolving. Even now, he describes himself as “a New Yorker who’s had a home in Abu Dhabi for a decade,” highlighting that home is less about geography and more about the spaces we carve for ourselves amid constant change.

The COVID-19 pandemic was another pivotal period for The Arts Center. Stripped of the ability to gather audiences physically, Bragin and his team had to get creative. They reimagined The Gauntlet, a choral performance, into a virtual experience exploring the theme of home during a time of global lockdowns. Similarly, Theater for One: Nairobi Edition spotlighted Kenyan female playwrights through intimate digital encounters. “Constraints became opportunities,” Bragin reflects. In the last decade of their presence within our community, Bragin and his team have also consistently tried to engage with various academic disciplines. “Community building is one part, and research and development is another,” he explains. His team actually scans Albert's course offerings to find ways to collaborate. “We’re connected to the arts and humanities, but we’re also very much part of the core curriculum,” ensuring that visiting artists can be embedded into the curriculum. From poets like Trixie Danielle and Jennah Fakhouri joining classes on language, identity, and diaspora, to interdisciplinary collaborations with scientists, he wants the Art Center to be a bridge between artistic creation and intellectual inquiry. One of Bragin’s favorite examples is Toshi Reagon's opera Parable of the Sower, based on Octavia Butler’s speculative novel. Its themes of hyper-empathy and environmental collapse sparked conversations in a class about the neurobiology of empathy. “For an artist like Toshi to sit in a room with scientists — it’s a rare exchange,” Bragin says, emphasizing how these interactions open up new ways of thinking for both artists and students.

As Bragin reflects on his decade at NYUAD, he ponders: "Is art the mosquito or the mosquito net?", a question posed by Stew, the Playwright of Passing Strange. Art can sting, provoke, and unsettle, challenging us to confront uncomfortable truths. At the same time, it can shield, comfort, and heal, offering solace and connection. Truth is that art thrives in its contradictions, often fulfilling both roles simultaneously. This belief shapes Bill’s and his team’s programming within The Arts Center, which aims to inspire and provoke in equal measure, reminding us that art’s greatest value is not in providing answers, but in posing questions that linger long after the experience.