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work with theatres and other performers in the
country to help ensure the future of theatre.
He also hopes one day to see more Emiratis
actively participating in the country’s theatre
community. “It is really a shame that there
aren’t many Emiratis interested in theatre.
Most prefer to sit in the audience rather than
be a part of the cast,” he states. Rashid feels
that the best thing about theatre is that it
brings people of all different nationalities
and religions together and gives them a sense
of belonging. He says,“ I’ve worked with lots
of nationalities: people from Tanzania to
Puerto Rico.”
Cultural Barriers
Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city that is home
to over 200 different nationalities and cultures.
It has everything, shopping malls, a ski slope,
restaurants, golf courses and hotels. Because
of its diverse population, when it comes to
theatrical performances, there are two different
kinds of barriers. Kemsley states,“ Obviously
language barriers pose a problem because not
all people understand the same language.”
He says that cultural barriers, also, make it
difficult for people to relate to the plays and
performances. It is not uncommon to find
lots of different kinds of theatre in other
places in the world like Chinese theatre,
Iranian theatre and even Italian theatre all
in one city. Dubai, however, has about three
drama groups representing its multi-national
population.
Funding
Last, but definitely not the least of the
obstacles affecting the theatre in Dubai is its
funding. Although there is a theatre in Dubai,
Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Center,
the lack of adequate funding brings about
another problem. The drama groups of Dubai
are mostly non-profit and are done purely out
of the love for drama.
A Growing community
Drama is not taught as a single entity subject
in schools or universities in Dubai. There
are, however, some schools and educational
institutes that have drama as popular
extra-curricular activity. Some British National
Curriculum following schools offer drama
classes for children. The American University
in Dubai has The Troupe, a campus group for
theatre enthusiasts. Hamza Badi, The Troupe
president, says, “The Troupe at the American
University in Dubai is a 300member strong
group of theatre enthusiasts. Over the past
four years, the Troupe has staged several drama
productions within the university campus and
participated in drama competitions in and
around Dubai.” The Troupe, also, hosts an
annual spring production and a theatre-festival.
Despite the fact that the theatre community in
the UAE is predominantly expatriate, there is
a growing Emirati interest in theatrics. Though
it is small, it is growing and gaining more
and more popularity. Evidence of this can be
seen from the work done by the Theatrical
Association, a Sharjah-based group of UAE
nationals dedicated to promoting theatre as
an art form. The Association has launched a
strategic plan to strengthen the Emirati theatre,
including opening branches of the association
in Fujairah and Abu Dhabi. It also receives
continuous support from His Highness Dr
Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi,
Supreme Council Member and Ruler of
Sharjah. Commenting on the association’s
work, Esmail Abdullah, the head of the
association, told uaeinteract.com,“It is a home
for all of us who work in the theatre. It is an
umbrella for our dreams and an organization
to help them achieve these dreams.”
Photo Provided By: Kemsely Dickinson
Kemsely
Dickinson,
chairman of
the Dubai
Drama Group
(DDG) says,
“ In other big
cities like Cairo
and Tokyo,
you can easily
find over fifty
well-established
groups for
amateur
theatre, but
sadly there
aren’t many in
Dubai.