Dubai Culture Announces July Workshops for Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre 2017

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has announced the July workshops of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre 2017, including three that will be hosted from 2 to 23 July in collaboration with the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in Cairo.

The first workshop, ‘Theatrical Script Writing’, will run from 2 to 8 July at the Al Twar branch of the Dubai Public Library and cover several topics including the basics of writing theatre scripts, harnessing scripts to capture dramatic conflict, dramatic construction, improvisation, and different types of drama. The practical aspect of the workshop will involve writing a full play script, and the main outcome will be an in-depth understanding of how to unite all elements of theatrical text to support the vision of the director. The workshop will be hosted by Dr. Essam Abdel Aziz, Professor and Head of the Department of Drama and Criticism, and former Deputy of the High Institute of Theatrical Arts. Dr. Aziz is currently teaching theatre, drama and writing arts at the Higher Institute of Drama Arts, and is also a professor of writing at Ain Shams University. He has published numerous articles, studies and plays, which are covered by a variety universities and institutes.

The second workshop will focus on ‘Voice & Language for Actors & Presenters’, including methods for correct pronunciation and breathing during performances and ceremonies. At the end of the workshop, all participants will undertake vocal tests, with one of the most important outcomes being an education in how to enhance spoke performances. The workshop will run from 10 to 13 July at the Al Rashidiya branch of the Dubai Public Library and be presented by Professor Lynn Darnley, who has a PhD in this field and over 25 years of experience in teaching and training. Professor Darnley also has produced specialised literature on the subject and participated in many vocal workshops in institutes and universities around the world.

The third workshop will run from 16 to 23 July at the Al Twar branch of the Dubai Public Library and cover many theoretical and practical topics related to ‘Theatrical Costumes’, including the difference between normal and play clothes and how to use costumes to illustrate dramatic emotions. The key aim of the workshop is to teach participants how to creatively reinterpret current fashions to make costumes an integral part of plays, and at the end of the workshop, participants will create their own models of theatrical costumes. The workshop will be taught by Dr. Laila Moughrabi, who is a specialist in fashion design at the German Institute for Fashion Design and a professor of fashion history and design at the Higher Cinema Institute in Cairo.

Fatma Al Jallaf, Head of Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre and Acting Events Manager, commented: “This year’s workshops focus on the academic development of the participants’ talents. This is reflected by our programme of specialised workshops and lectures, which are being hosted by theatre experts and have been designed to provide a sound education across various aspects of theatrical production. In addition to the workshops, we are also hosting a theatrical composition contest under a ‘Year of Giving’ theme, and a best text award that will see the winner’s work produced during the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre 2018.”

The festival is open to participants aged 15 years or over who have the discipline to commit to the workshop hours, sufficient talent and desire to participate, and the ability to handle the pressures of intensive psychological and physical training. The Authority also stresses that participants must be able to communicate with others through teamwork, and be willing to follow the work ethic required during the practical and theoretical exercises. Interested participants can apply via the following email address:  dfytworkshops@dubaiculture.ae

All workshops run for six hours daily between 4:00PM and 10:00PM, and are open to participants from local theatre groups, university students and the public. 

Dubai Culture is celebrating ten successful years of the festival, which has become a leading platform for nurturing the most promising theatre talent in the UAE and the Gulf region, including directors, script writers, actors, technical professionals and experts in costumes, lighting and make-up.

Dubai Culture aims to enhance Dubai’s cultural scene and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage with a variety of initiatives that take place throughout the year. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different civilisations and cultures through enriching initiatives that benefit the Emirate’s citizens, residents and visitors.