Connecting creativity with social causes

RIYADH — The Kilmitain event held at Misk on June 16-17 convened creative industry leaders, social advocates and practitioners to explore how creativity can be harnessed for sustained social impact. The two-day programme featured panels and hands-on workshops that highlighted partnerships between artists, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector platforms such as Rukun and AlMashtal, and showcased long‑running nonprofit initiatives that blend cultural production with fundraising and service delivery.

Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif Al-Saud, founder and CEO of Rukun and co‑founder of AlMashtal, framed the discussion around storytelling and systemic cultural infrastructure: “It is an industry that is built on connection, whether it’s within the collaboration of the entities or individuals working in it, or connecting with the rest of humanity because it’s all about telling a story.”

Rukun began as a design studio and has expanded into a “cultural systems and infrastructure design platform” working across research, strategy, program architecture and sector development. Princess Noura described AlMashtal as a creative infrastructure platform in Riyadh that supports practitioners “through programs, production facilities, workshops, memberships, and access to knowledge, tools, and community.” She highlighted practical initiatives such as a weekly Saturday market — which the platform plans to relaunch in the summer — where artisans meet the public, showcase work and generate interest in local crafts.

Speakers emphasized that making craft and cultural production sustainable requires business skills as well as creative practice. “At the same time, we do training programs, incubations, to help them understand the business side, and that’s what’s going to make them sustainable,” Princess Noura said, describing AlMashtal’s combination of mentorship and market access.

Nonprofit sector perspectives and measurable impact

Social advocate Basma Al-Tuwaijri urged a shift in how creativity is deployed in the nonprofit sector, arguing that it should be treated as a tool for lasting impact rather than one-off charity. She pointed to examples where creative initiatives have become steady revenue streams and enduring programs. One such project is “Dakkakeen Al-Khair,” an exhibition developed by Nouf Al‑Sudairi during her tenure on the Sanad Association board. Held annually for 14 years, the exhibition has become a sustainable source of funding that helps cover treatment costs for hundreds of children.

Al-Tuwaijri also referenced the National Center for Non‑Profit Sector Development’s documentation of more than 6,000 nonprofit organisations across the Kingdom, using that figure to underscore the scale of opportunity for creative collaboration. She argued that while many people “want to give,” they do not always recognise how creative and solution‑focused philanthropic activity can be. “Sometimes you can be more creative and generate better impact,” she said, calling attention to platforms and mechanisms — including the Ehsan donations platform and volunteer programmes — that help channel creative approaches into measurable outcomes.

Outlook

Speakers at Kilmitain portrayed a growing infrastructure supporting creative sectors and their intersection with social responsibility, with both market and nonprofit actors expanding capacity. Princess Noura said the future looks promising: as the creative industry’s infrastructure “grew bigger, the nonprofit space would grow with it.” Participants signalled plans to scale mentorship, incubations and public‑facing markets, while nonprofit leaders called for continued documentation, measurement and inventive funding models to ensure creative projects deliver sustained social benefit.

• Event: Kilmitain at Misk, Riyadh — June 16-17
• Organisations cited: Rukun, AlMashtal, Sanad Association, National Center for Non‑Profit Sector Development
• Notable figures: Princess Noura bint Saud bin Naif Al‑Saud; Basma Al‑Tuwaijri; Nouf Al‑Sudairi
• Long‑running initiative: Dakkakeen Al‑Khair exhibition — 14 years, funds treatment for hundreds of children
• Sector data point: more than 6,000 nonprofit organisations documented nationally