(MENAFN Press) The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, the first-of-its-kind initiative in the region, has announced the Selection and Supervision Committee for its sixth edition, encompassing of veterans across the various facets of theatre.
Organised by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate's dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, the Selection and Supervision Committee is headed by producer Hassan Ragab, and comprises theatre actor Abdullah Saleh, industry professional and 'Personality of the Year' at the 2011 edition, Yahya Al-Haj, and actor, screenwriter, and author Ibrahim Salem.
The four committee members will work together with Dubai Culture to shortlist the submissions, while providing invaluable insights to further improve the production quality and performances of the aspiring thespians.
Now in its sixth year, the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, and aims to promote Emirati and Arab theatre artists by providing a dedicated platform to showcase their talent in addition to sharpening their skills through critique sessions led by experts.
Salem Belyouha, Projects & Events Director, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: "In line with its mandate to nurture and support Emirati talent in the theatre industry, the Authority created the Selection and Supervision Committee to guide and supervise aspiring theatric talent, thereby producing plays of higher quality.
With their collective experience, the members of the Selection Committee will be able to equip our emerging artists with the trove of knowledge that they require to grow in this field."
Renowned theatric professional, Chairman of the Department of Theatre and Cinema in the Ministry of Culture, Youth, & Community Development, Hassan Ragab is one of the most prolific theatric talents in the city.
A board member of the UAE Theatrical Association and the Sharjah Modern Theatre, Ragab has close to 60 productions to his credit spanning theatre, television, and radio, for which he has scooped multiple accolades.
Actor and writer Abdullah Saleh, joins the panel of jurors with over 30 years of experience in the field.
One of the founding members of the renowned Dubai Community Theatre, the Theatrical Association and the Youth Theatre for the Arts, Saleh has designed and led various workshops for emerging theatric talent.
An accolade winner for his work in screenwriting and acting, Saleh was honoured as the 'Personality of the Year,' in the second Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre.
The first non-Emirati to be honoured by the Festival, Yahya Al-Haj has strong contributions to the development of Arabic theatre with a focus on training young and emerging talent.
He started his career as a teaching assistant specialised in acting and directing in Khartoum, Sudan.
Al-Haj has participated in numerous festivals regionally and internationally including, the Arab Authority for Theatre in Beirut and the International Book Fair in Damascus.
He has conducted in-depth research in the field of theatre and acting, and has contributed to works on theatre prepared by the UAE Ministry of Education.
Accomplished author, actor, and screenwriter, Ibrahim Salem, was a founding member of the Modern Theatre in Sharjah. With over 50 theatric works to his credit, winning numerous laurels at local and regional festivals, Salem began his stint in the industry as the Director of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, & Community Development.
Submissions for the 2012 edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre are open until August 15, 2012. This year, the Authority is encouraging potential applicants to showcase their plots in authentic and classic Arabic.
