Dess hosts BMSE Performance Arts Workshop

Gulf News attends the British Schools Middle East Performance Arts Workshop, hosted by Dubai English Speaking School.

Transcript

00:00The Dubai English Speaking School had a full house as it played host to the British School's

00:11Middle East Performing Arts Festival.

00:21More than two hundred children travelled from across the region to take part in the special

00:26performing arts workshops.

00:30I think the organisation of British Schools of the Middle East have wanted to develop

00:34performing arts in the region. I know the first one was last year in Kuwait where we

00:39took a small number from DES and it was such a super weekend doing drama, music and dance

00:44and we thought well we'd host it, it's the second one and there's such a need and demand

00:50for performing arts in the region. We've had a great response from schools, we've had children

00:55arriving from Karachi, Libya, Jordan, all across the UAE and also Oman. It's been a

01:03super weekend for all the children involved, they're ages from 11 to 14. I know from word

01:10of mouth they've had a great weekend working along with the workshop leaders, we've had

01:15kids theatre works involved. Some children were really lucky to have a trip to the Duck

01:20Tack theatre where they looked at the space there and theatre space and the recording

01:25studios available. For me personally as an organiser it's such a joy to see all these

01:29young people joining in together and performing and singing and dancing. Hopefully when they're

01:35getting on their flights this afternoon they've still got that sense of awe about the performing

01:39arts and theatre, but it's been super.

01:41Hi, my name is Koshil Patrick, I'm from Parkhouse English School in Doha, Qatar.

01:53My name is Christine Tayar and I'm from Gulf English School in Kuwait.

01:58I've liked the way we've danced, we've practised and I like the teachers the most,

02:03they're very kind to us, they're very sweet. The children here, they're really nice and

02:07they're sweet and I've made a lot of friends and the teachers here, they're really nice

02:11and sweet and I've learnt a lot of things from this place.

02:17With initiatives such as this, the Middle East is playing an active role

02:21in showcasing and encouraging young talent. Alice Johnson, Gulf News.