Today, the first edition of the Dubai Youth Performing Arts Festival kicks off in the historic Al Shindagha district, organized by Dubai Culture. The festival offers an innovative platform to support and empower young creators, helping them develop skills in theatre, music, and folk arts, and encouraging them to produce diverse artistic works that enrich Dubai's cultural scene. This aligns with the authority's mission to establish the emirate as a global cultural hub and a nurturing ground for creativity.
Under the festival umbrella, the Dubai Youth Theatre Competition will feature eight plays inspired by real life, with local theatre societies and troupes competing for awards. The festival will open with the play «Love is Passion» by Abdullah Al-Muhairi, performed by the Dubai National Theatre. The second day will see the play «Wanderer» by Al-Khorfakkan Arts Theatre, followed by «The Puppet Maker» by Dubai National Arts Theatre on the third day. The fourth day will host «The Night of Chekhov's Murder», the fifth «The Knower Knows Not», the sixth «The Pearl Diver» by the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, and the seventh «Ashes» by Art Maze. The festival will conclude with «The Matchbox» by Al Ain Theatre. All productions will compete for awards, including Best Play, Best Actor and Actress, Best Director, and Best Script.
Fatima Al-Jalaf, Acting Director of Performing Arts at Dubai Culture, stated that the festival brings together performing arts, music, and theatre under one roof to create a supportive platform for young talents. After a year of preparation, 15 theatre submissions were received, with eight selected. In the music category, there are 65 participants, and four folk arts troupes. She emphasized that the selection criteria for the plays were the quality of ideas, acting performance, direction, and script.
Al-Jalaf confirmed that the performances will be held outside traditional indoor theatres but will still feature scenography, with a special focus on lighting adapted to the new venues. A new award for «Best Promotional Effort» has been introduced to support young theatre troupes in marketing their work and attracting a wider audience, especially during the «Year of Community».
The Al Shindagha location is expected to attract a large crowd, with performance spaces accommodating up to 200 people each. The festival will also feature youth folk arts troupes and associations, including Al-Yazou Troupe and Dubai Folk Arts Association. Al-Jalaf noted that Emiratis make up about 50% of the music participants and winners. The awards ceremony will take place on December 5th.
As part of Dubai's «Quality of Life» strategy, the festival will also showcase folk arts performances and host 15 young musicians from the UAE competing in 10 categories, such as Best Solo Singer, Best Female Soloist, Best Oud Player, and Best Emirati Musician.
