Dubai Culture enhances children’s imagination and creativity with virtual performing arts workshops

- Creating a shadow-theatre box and innovative musical instruments from simple materials.
- Discovering, nurturing and refining emerging artistic talents.
- Spreading the values of beauty and fun in the Emirati society.
- Promoting the culture of recycling and upgrading children's artistic tastes.

Dubai, UAE, 3 April 2021:

As part of an initiative to develop the capabilities of emerging generations in the field of creating dolls and musical instruments from used materials, employing them artistically, and enhancing imagination and artistic creativity, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is organising a series of virtual workshops in April 2021 within the Dubai Performing Arts Programme. The workshops will be given by Sara Mezher, a Lebanese award-winning filmmaker, actor, and creative workshop facilitator, and will invite promising and interested talents to participate and invest their time in an entertaining and beneficial manner.

These workshops come within the framework of Dubai Culture’s sectoral priorities in its strategic roadmap that aim to discover emerging talents, whether citizens, residents or international talents. The Authority also aims to inspire, support, and refine the skills of those talents, especially as it seeks to contribute to the qualification of a generation of creative people in the field of performing arts, in line with its vision of strengthening Dubai's position as a global centre of culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving forum for talent.
During the ‘Theatre Shadow Box’ workshop held on 4 April from 5 - 6:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams, Mezher will take kids aged eight and over to the magical world of dolls, introducing them to the methods of creating their own theatre box and bringing silhouettes to life using light and sound. Kids will learn how to make their own theatre box and shadow puppets, create their own story, and choose their characters. They will also exercise their visual arts creativity and their storytelling skills.
The ‘Stories in a Jar’ workshop will stimulate children's imagination and creativity by encouraging them to write their own stories. Each child will write their own story by choosing different characters, events, and locations and putting them into decorated jars. After the workshop ends, they will take their jars with them to share their stories with their friends and family. This workshop will be held on 6 April 2021 via Microsoft Teams and is also aimed at children aged eight and over.
Music lovers will also have a chance to join these workshops. Through the ‘Creating a Musical Instrument’ workshop, children will be introduced to the many musical instruments that they can create using simple materials available at home. Children will create different instruments, such as spin drums, rain sticks, harmonicas, and banjos from used materials that are recycled with added creative touches. This workshop will be held on April 10 from 5 - 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams, and targets children aged 10 and over.
Through these workshops, Dubai Culture seeks to activate its partnership with specialists in the field of performing arts, whether individuals or institutions, to provide an opportunity for future generations to uncover their talents and acquire new life experiences and skills as well as to spread the values of beauty and fun and promote the culture of recycling materials at home by turning them into innovative theatrical and musical tools. In addition, these workshops play a role in upgrading children’s tastes and encouraging them to respect art as a way of life.
To join the workshops, please click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3wgiT68