Dubai Culture Crowns Creatives of the Dubai Youth Performing Arts Festival at Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood

• ‘Matchbox’ wins Best Integrated Theatre Performance and three additional awards
• ‘Al Hawa Gharam’ secures three awards, while ‘Ashes’ wins Best Artistic Innovation and Best Theatre Promotion
• Faris Al Ali wins Best Pianist and Best Emerging Emirati Talent; Youth Theatre for Arts tops the Dubai Folk Arts Festival competition
• Fatma Al Jallaf: Hosting the event in public spaces enabled participating talents to present innovative artistic works that resonate with the aspirations of future generations.

Dubai, UAE, 6 December 2025: Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has honoured the winners of the Dubai Youth Performing Arts Festival awards during the conclusion of its first edition, which sought to support and empower emerging talent in theatre, music, and folk arts.

The goal is encouragement to continue artistic journeys and produce outstanding works that contribute to strengthening the cultural and creative industries and enrich Dubai’s cultural landscape. The festival reflects the Authority’s mandate and sectoral priorities to reinforce Dubai’s position as a global centre for the creative economy.

The closing ceremony, held at Al Shindagha Historic Neighbourhood, was attended by Dr. Salah Al Qassim, Advisor at Dubai Culture; Fatma Al Jallaf, Acting Director of Performing Arts at Dubai Culture; a number of artists and theatre professionals; and members of the festival’s jury panels. The competitions witnessed strong performances from finalists who showcased a diverse selection of theatrical works, musical compositions and artistic presentations that expressed their passion for the performing arts and highlighted the depth of their skills and creativity across these fields.

As part of the ceremony honouring theatre productions within the framework of Dubai’s Quality of Life Strategy, ‘Matchbox’ by Al Ain Theatre won four awards, including Best Integrated Theatre Performance, in recognition of its cohesive aesthetic vision and the harmonious interplay between its visual elements and movement design. The production also received the awards for Best Scenography, Best Youth Script - awarded to Mohammed Saleh Al Saidi - and Best Young Actor, for Hazza Al Meqbali. Meanwhile, ‘Al Hawa Gharam’ by Dubai National Theatre earned three awards: Best Youth Direction, presented to Abdullah Al Muhairi for his bold directorial vision; Best Young Actress, awarded to Khawla Abdul Salam; and Best Promising Talent, for Zain Zuhair.

‘Ashes’ by Art Maze won the awards for Best Theatre Promotion and Best Artistic Innovation, in recognition of the production’s visibility and audience engagement, as well as its daring artistic approach that combined meaning, discovery, and enjoyment through innovative theatrical techniques. The jury also presented its Special Jury Award to ‘The Night Chekhov Was Killed’ for its ability to deliver a coherent and compelling comedic performance, and granted a special recognition to Abdulaziz Al Khamees for his outstanding contribution to sound design across two productions.

In its report, the jury recommended prioritising actor training and development to enable more authentic and impactful performances, and encouraged young creatives to explore writing for the theatre. It also recommended introducing a dedicated Playwriting Award in future editions to motivate youth to pursue scriptwriting. The report further highlighted the importance of benefiting from international theatrical texts and adapting them to reflect the local cultural context, while continuing to modernise theatrical practices without compromising their essential artistic foundations. The jury also emphasised the significance of activating heritage sites as cultural spaces that host youth festivals, strengthening younger generations’ local connection, and recommended restaging the winning productions before diverse audiences to enhance the sustainability of artistic output and support the theatre sector.

In the music category, Hadi Jibril Mohammed received the award for Best Music Arrangement. Faris Al Ali won both Best Pianist and Best Emerging Emirati Talent. Hamad Omar Al Hadhrami picked up Best Young Qanun Player, while Crisens Francesca Rodriguez was named Best Female Vocalist. Joseph Tmieh was given the award for Best Professional Qanun Player, and Amira Juma Rashid Al Ali was recognised as Best Multi-Instrumentalist. Abrar received the award for Best Music Arranger and Pianist. Yahya Nadi was named Best Professional Vocalist, while Maria Masrani took home Best Female Pianist.

The Dubai Folk Arts Festival competition witnessed strong participation, with Youth Theatre for Arts securing first place, followed by Al Yzwa Group, the Dubai Society for Folklore and Rowing Arts, and the Dubai Society for Folklore Arts in fourth.

In its recommendations, the jury stressed the need to support and train young talent in folk arts. This would help develop their performance skills and encourage long-term involvement. The jury proposed launching an annual youth folk arts forum to better understand the needs of participating groups and help sustain their efforts in preserving local heritage. It also recommended creating a national folk ensemble to bring together all Dubai folk arts groups to represent the UAE at both local and international events. Another suggestion was to increase the number of awards related to rhythm, movement, and performance, as a way to encourage more active participation. The jury praised the festival management for its efforts in supporting emerging creativity and contributing to the cultivation of a new generation in the field of folk arts.

Fatma Al Jallaf reaffirmed Dubai Culture’s commitment to developing the local cultural scene and equipping the artistic sector with young talent capable of enhancing and elevating the performing arts. She said: “Through the Dubai Youth Performing Arts Festival, the Authority seeks to identify new participants and encourage them to develop their skills across music, theatre, and folk arts, ensuring their continued ability to produce distinguished art that reflects the uniqueness of local performing arts and enriches Dubai’s cultural movement.” She added that the festival serves as a creative incubator that enables participants to express their passions, connect with one another, and exchange artistic expertise across various fields, laying the groundwork for future projects that strengthen the cultural and creative industries. Al Jallaf further noted that hosting the event in public spaces and at Al Shindagha Historical Neighbourhood played a vital role in enhancing this creative environment, as it enabled participating talents to present innovative works aligned with the aspirations of future generations and contributed to deepening audience engagement with the performances.