A senior delegation of UAE ambassadors has been welcomed by the Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory. The visit came ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and reflected a shared interest between the UAE and the Juilliard School in the power of the arts in the development of society. During their visit, the ambassadors saw student performances and rehearsals, and reviewed manuscripts from the Juilliard Manuscript Collection, including the original score of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

In addition to the aesthetic and educational value of international cultural exchange and collaboration, Asia TOPA provided an excellent platform for developing critical economic, political, and security relationships between Australia and its Asian neighbors.

But as part of the inaugural Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia Topa) in Melbourne, cultural categorisation is inevitable. Although not the festival’s overt aim, Asia Topa and festivals like it – including Adelaide’s OzAsia festival – categorise performers according to geography and culture in an attempt to improve a still underdeveloped relationship between Australia and its neighbours.