The best of youth theatre talent in the UAE was honoured at the closing ceremony of the fourth edition of the Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre, a pioneering initiative by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage.
The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre also honoured Emirati actress, Moza AlMazroei with the ‘Personality of the Year’ award for her outstanding contribution to theatre. The first female actress to brace theatre in the UAE, AlMazroei opened the doors for theatre actresses to follow.
Eight theatre groups from across the UAE showcased their talent at the festival held at the Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association. An eminent jury of professionals evaluated their performances and announced awards in several categories.
The winners are:
* Best Play: ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
* Best Director: Hassan Yousef for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
* Best Script: Humeid Fares for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
* Best male actor: Ibrahim Istazy for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by the Dubai National Theatre Group
* Best female supporting role: Alia Al Mana’aii for her role in ‘Door’ by the Modern Theatre Group
* Best male supporting role: Nawaf Al Matrooshi for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by Dubai National Theatre Group and Salah Mohammad for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre group
* Best role for a non-Emirati: Raed Dalati for his role in ‘The salt is gone’ by Dubai National Theatre Group
* Best use of Lighting: Ibrahim Haidar for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre Group
* Best music and sound effects: Jasem Ismail for ‘The slip of a lifetime’ by Umm Al Quwein National Theatre Group
* Best Stage Design: Mohammad Saleh for ‘The Door’ by the Modern Theatre Group
* Best costumes: Hassan Yousef for ‘The Storm’ by the Youth Theatre for Arts Group
Salem Belyouha, Projects & Events Manager of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “We congratulate the winners and all the participants who took part in making this year’s event a success. This year, our audience doubled, which reflects the increasing popularity of the festival amongst the youth. The plays also were bolder and more mature in content, which is a testament to the potential of our youth; we are honoured to have provided them a platform to showcase their talent.â€
He added: “The festival also hosted workshops that were led by experts, to broaden the knowledge on all aspects of theatre production. The opportunity to interact with renowned theatre personalities taught participants to further enhance their skills, which was reflected in the significant improvement of quality of productions.â€
The seminars highlighted the role of women in theatre, the use and development of technology in theatre, and the importance of scriptwriting to compose the perfect production.
The Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre is one of pioneering initiatives of Dubai Culture aimed at strengthening, promoting, and driving support for the cultural scene of the Emirate.
