Dubai: Dubai Culture has officially inaugurated the tenth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre to nurture and hone the theatrical talent of youth in the region.
Performing arts specialists, artists and drama enthusiasts from the UAE as well as from the region will attend the 10-day festivities that will run until October 31.
The festival aims to shed light on locally based talent, providing an ideal platform for ambitious directors, writers, young actors, stage technicians, designers of clothing and accessories, technicians, lighting specialists, and make-up artists.
Mohammad Ahmad Al Murr, Federal National Council Speaker; Saeed Al Nabouda, acting director-general of Dubai Culture; Sultan Saqr, chairman of the Cultural and Scientific Association; and Dr Salah Al Qasim and Dhaen Shaheen, Advisers of Dubai Culture, attended the opening ceremony, along with other senior officials.
“This year, the festival celebrates His Excellency and literary figure Mohammad Ahmad Al Murr as the tenth edition’s ‘Personality of the Year’. His Excellency Al Murr is considered one of the leading artists in creativity and culture in the UAE as well as in the region,” Al Nabouda said.
Al Nabouda said Al Murr has contributed to enriching the creative, intellectual and cultural scene with various roles in governmental, academic, journalistic and cultural positions throughout his distinguished career.
Fatima Al Jallaf, Head of Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, Senior Specialist, Cultural and Arts Support of Dubai Culture, said: “Over the years, the festival has succeeded in embedding the important role of youth theatre by establishing a fan base that promotes the festival’s activities and highlights theatre groups in the United Arab Emirates.”
Al Jallaf said the festival has become a platform where the potential of actors, directors, writers, set designers, producers, make-up artists, audio-visual engineers and costume designers can showcase their craft.
In its tenth edition, the festival will award the most brilliant participants through a variety of prizes including Best Play, Best Director, Best Scenario, and Best First and Second Supporting Actor, among other awards.
Ten groups will be participating in this year’s festival and for the first time ever, 10 shows will be performed as part of the festival’s tenth edition.
