Curtains rise on the 5th edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre

The red carpet for the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre has rolled out, marking the opening of the fifth edition of the Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

Featuring an exciting array of performances from nearly every established theatre group in the UAE, the Festival will run until October 12, 2011 at the Dubai Cultural & Scientific Association.

Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “The significant strides made by the Festival is underscored by the strong participation from the theatre community, as well as the number of plays that will be performed. With over 150 new artists, eight new directors and three new playwrights, the fifth edition clearly highlights the success of the Festival in fostering new Emirati talent and encouraging them to step forward to prove their abilities.”

This year, the Festival will feature 11 plays, including: Fasel wa Nowasel by the Bani Yas Theatre; Al Bandira by Al Ahli Theatre; Al Ghorfa by Youth Theatre; Al Khabsa by the Sharjah Modern Theatre; Ya Ward by Ras Al Khaimah National Theatre; Fil Al Mosadas Rasasa by Sharjah Modern Theatre; Rasm Hadeeth by the Abu Dhabi Theatre; Lailat Hasab by the Dubai Community Theatre; Al Dubab by the Fujairah National Theatre, Mahow wa Deema Shaml Theatre Association of Folk Arts and Theatre; Al Atfal Fukat by the Hatta Society for Arts and Culture.

Headed by screenwriter Jamal Salem Al Tamimi, the jury evaluating the plays this year comprises theatric professional Hafez Amaan; and Najla Al-Shehhi; theatre actor Abdullah Saleh; and writer/poet and theatric researcher and critic Haitham Al-Khawaja.

Gracing the Festival this year are Kuwaiti artists Abdulrahman Al-Aql, Dawood Hussain, Bassem Al Amir, and Qatar’s Ghanem Al Salithi.

The Festival will also honour theatric personality Yahya Al-Haj as ‘Personality of the Year,’ for his contributions to the development of Arabic theatre with a focus on training young and emerging talent.

In addition, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority is hosting an extensive workshop on the ‘Photography of Performing Arts,’ aimed at encouraging participants to strengthen their skills in the art of photography of performing arts, and mastering moving imagery, under the instruction of artists Jassim Al Awadi and Said Shamis.

The fifth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre focuses on promoting Emirati and Arab theatre artists by providing a dedicated platform to showcase their talent.