(MENAFN Press) The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, a unique initiative to promote theatre, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate's dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, concluded at a glittering ceremony, showcasing the finest youth talent from across the UAE.
In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to strengthen and nurture the Arabic language, this year the Festival featured an eclectic mix of classic Arabic and Emirati Arabic plays by Emirati and UAE-based talent, setting the stage for powerful plays that highlighted the growing involvement of the country's youth in theatre.
At the closing ceremony, His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented an array of awards to the winners chosen from the five plays performed at the Festival.
Saeed Al Nabouda, Acting Director General, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: "We placed considerable emphasis on the quality of the plays that were showcased this year, and this has delivered solid results.
The sixth edition of the Festival has indeed been a strong showcase of youth talent in theatre from our nation.
By encouraging the UAE's theatre talent to present their plots in classic Arabic, the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority has further underlined its commitment to preserving and nurturing the rich traditions and cultural identity of its city and its art forms."
The winners were selected by the Festival's jury comprising Walid Imran Jassim Al Jallaf, Director of the Office of International Relations at the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Community Development; Mari Mohamed Said Mohamed Halian, Director of the Sharjah Modern Theatre; renowned actor and playwright Jamal Ahmad Ali Sumaiti and theatre director Hameed Saleh.
To fortify the skills of the participants this year, the Authority held critiquing sessions attended by the Selection & Supervision Committee, jury members, Dubai Culture management, artists, and media, to provide invaluable insights of further strengthening the skillsets of the performers.
Over the course of seven days, Dubai Culture also hosted the 'Mastering Photography of Performing Arts' exhibition, which presented the works of participants from the photography workshop held during the fifth edition of the Festival.
The sixth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre marked a significant first this year, offering simultaneous translations of the Arabic plays, providing a wider audience with an inherent understanding on one of the region's oldest artforms. The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre 2012 was sponsored by the Commercial Bank of Dubai.
