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Held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Festival 2011 puts education at its heart. A programme of education-driven activities is set to support and inspire the creativity and imagination of inquisitive minds across the United Arab Emirates. Building on the year-round programme of Festival organisers, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, thousands of children and young people will benefit from the workshops, music symposiums, lectures and performances scheduled to take place between 19th March and 4th April in locations across the country. In 2010, more than 250 schools participated in the Abu Dhabi Festival, with thousands of children and students of all ages engaging in the diverse schedule of events. This year
promises to be no different, with more schools than ever participating.
Highlights of the 2011 Abu Dhabi Festival education programme will include school visits and workshops by visiting cultural icons who are sure to inspire with their unique talents. Exciting new additions to the programme this year include the Playing Shakespeare Project from Shakespeare‟s Globe Company, Carnegie Hall‟s Ensemble ACJW and the Big Bang sciencemeets- theatre performances and workshop programme. Returning to the Festival for the fourth year is the ever popular Matthew Barley and his music ensemble Between the Notes who will participate in workshop sessions in a number of different schools in addition to supporting Young Artists‟ Day. Held for the first time in 2010, the Festival Debates series will return for a second year.
“Providing new opportunities for people to engage with the arts and culture is the single most important aspect of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Our ability to inspire and open new minds to the wonders of the arts will be our lasting legacy. As the Late Sheikh Zayed was aware, an educated and enlightened people are a country‟s greatest asset. We remain committed to finding new and exciting ways for people across the United Arab Emirates to be involved in the Abu Dhabi Festival and to inspire the cultural leaders of tomorrow. Our education programme will provide intellectual nourishment and expose everyone to new ideas, to new cultures and to new experiences,” explained Her Excellency Mrs. Hoda Ibrahim Al Khamis Kanoo, Founder and Artistic Director of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
An ever-popular feature of the education programme, the classroom workshop series will continue to bring world-class talents to the classroom in 2011. With some of the world‟s most respected international artists, visiting Abu Dhabi for the Festival‟s main programme, the series will take talent to the classroom with mini-performances, workshops and masterclasses. Festival in Focus will provide open rehearsals at the Emirates Palace auditorium that will offer schools a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Festival‟s headline acts.
Giving children the opportunity to participate in learning about the wonderful creative freedoms of music, performance and the arts will be a series of in-school workshops led by cellist and groundbreaking educator Matthew Barley and his music ensemble Between The Notes. Returning to the Festival in 2011, Matthew and the ensemble will bring a diverse background of musical heritage from across global cultures alive through their interactive workshops. The workshops will lead to the final performance of an original piece of music composition on Young Artists‟ Day, Saturday 26th March at the Emirates Palace. The original composition inspired by
the traditional songs and music of the UAE‟s fishermen will be written and developed by gifted young musicians from „The Abu Dhabi Festival Youth Ensemble‟ New to the Festival in 2011 is the science-meets-theatre performances and workshops, The Big Bang. This unique series of performances aims to bring mathematics and physics alive through the medium of performance. Making the sciences more accessible through the arts, the Punk Science Climate Change and Feel the Force performances will draw schools from across Abu
Dhabi to the Abu Dhabi Theatre for a fun-filled experience. An in-school experience from The Big Bang team called the Carbon Trading Challenge is set to engage and inspire by mixing science with hands-on experiences and performance.
In its ever-growing commitment to inspiring music education and making great music accessible, the Festival is proud to welcome Carnegie Hall‟s Ensemble ACJW. The renowned New York music hall brings musicians from The Academy – a programme of Carnegie Hall, The Julliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with New York City Department of Education, to the UAE capital to conduct a workshop-performance with students of Abu Dhabi schools.
The Festival is delighted to welcome Globe Education at Shakespeare‟s Globe to participate in the 2011 activities. The company will present a specially commissioned production of Shakespeare‟s Scottish play, Macbeth, adapted for young people aimed at giving a first experience of live theatre. In support of the performances, Globe Education will also offer inschool workshops which will follow a curriculum aimed at exploring the great Bard‟s work and prepare students for the live performance experience of Macbeth. This production is part of the
Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank project.
The Festival does not limit education and learning opportunities to the young. It is committed to providing learning opportunities to people of all ages through a variety of lifelong learning opportunities including lectures from artists who are leaders in their respective fields. Amongst those set to participate this year include acclaimed Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, whose lecture on Paper Fashion will explore her skill for making traditional costumes and haute couture dresses from folded paper. A pioneer in her field, this will be an amazing opportunity to learn about the craft form and the techniques required. This forms part of a long term project upholding the textile traditions in the UAE.
The eminent Algerian artist Rachid Koraïchi, whose visual arts production „The Path of Roses‟ (Tariq Al Ward) will be showcased in the Emirates Palace Auditorium Foyer, will provide public and students alike with a unique insight into his artistic influences and styles through captivating exhibition tours, a student workshop and public lecture. The lecture will be in association with Alliance Francaise.
In 2011, the Festival will host the second annual series of Riwaq Al Fikr –The Festival Debates, a specially produced programme of panel discussions on key themes in culture and the arts. They will explore the role of art and culture in diplomatic dialogue between nations as well as the impact and value of music to bring out the brilliance of children with special needs.
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