Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi:  The legacy of theatre in the UAE goes back many years to the time before the union was formed, and interest in theatre grew over time with the support of our founding father

The Ministry of Culture and Youth organised a consultative meeting of Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, with a group of Emirati playwrights to discuss the Ministry’s projects to support the growth of theatre in the country. The group discussed how the ministry could help enrich the theatre scene in the country by formulating supporting legislation and developmental ideas to launch initiatives to help the sector grow.

The meeting took place at the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai and discussed the role of theatre in enriching cultural and creative industries, empowering creators, developing performing arts in the UAE in general, and how the National Strategy for Cultural and Creative Industries positions theatre as one of the top creative industries in the country.

Her Excellency also discussed some of the challenges faced by theatre artists, and how the Ministry of Culture and Youth can support the theatre industry in the country to overcome these challenges. Her Excellency also shared ideas for the advancement of Emirati theatre and its intellectual growth to empower the sector and establish a sustainable creative environment for performing arts.

Her Excellency said during the meeting that the Ministry provides special care to the creative sectors and is focusing on the performing arts which include theatre as well. Theatre has a unique identity in Emirati culture and Emirati theatre stands out for its technical expertise and superlative artistic experience that make it a very interesting creative field. Her Excellency pointed out that the journey of theatre in the UAE started in the fifties of the twentieth century and it received special attention from the leadership as it contributes in building public awareness.

Her Excellency further added that creativity and art are a means to communicate our cultural values to other communities, as these channels promote tolerance, coexistence and moderate thinking. Intellectuals and creators play a very significant role in today’s hyperconnected world which is strewn with disparities.  They can use their creativity to spread awareness for greater social cohesion. Artists and creators have the responsibility to forge meaningful connections among people from different backgrounds. Being at the forefront of performing arts and creativity, theatre can play a leading role in cultural development of communities and nations.

The consultative meeting provided an opportunity for luminaries from the field of art and culture to learn about the ministry's projects that support theatre as a sector. It also gave them a platform to raise their concerns about the current state of Emirati theatre and how legislation can help the sector. The meeting discussed some of the ideas to help the Ministry of Culture and Youth develop targeted strategies and initiatives for the theatre sector. The Ministry is working closely with theatre professionals from different departments such as production, direction, scriptwriting and acting, to celebrate the country's long-standing theatre heritage and collaborate on efforts to upgrade the theatre scene not just locally but also globally.

The meeting also discussed how a framework of policies, legislation and laws can be used to prop up the theatre sector in the country. Also on the agenda were a number of programmes and initiatives to empower Emirati theatre, and how to promote theatre as a strong contributor to the cultural and creative industries.