Sharjah: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA), chaired the Academy’s Board of Trustees meeting at the Academy’s building in University City, Sharjah. At the beginning of the meeting, the Ruler of Sharjah welcomed the members and new joiners of the Board of Trustees, praising their efforts in developing all aspects that contribute to advancing the Academy, its programmes, and its academic degrees.
According to Emirates News Agency, the meeting focused on several topics and future plans for the Academy, including ways to achieve them and efforts to support the Academy, aiming to make it an educational institution that provides specialised, high-quality education to talented and creative students from within and outside the country. Discussions also covered SPAA’s progress in various areas, such as its faculty, practical training for students, and the improvement and development of the educational environment. The Board also reviewed the Academy’s efforts to expand its relationships with relevant entities through the signing of memoranda of understanding.
The Board approved several graduation decisions, including plans for graduating its 2025 students this June. Additionally, the meeting addressed plans to offer programs specialising in film studies and production. Preparations for the opening of the Academy’s College of Music were also discussed, with the College scheduled to begin at the start of the next academic year. The Board set student admission criteria to the highest standards and discussed plans to expand the field of music studies, offer specialised music courses for young people, and participate in international arts festivals.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Ruler of Sharjah received a commemorative plaque from the Lebanese National Theatre Festival, inspired by one of the famous works of the late Sheikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi. A film about his life and artistic experience was screened during the festival, and the plaque was signed by all the artists who participated in the third edition.
The meeting was attended by several notable figures, including Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Art Foundation and Vice-Chairman of the Academy’s Board of Trustees; Ismail Abdullah Ismail, Secretary-General of the Arab Theatre Authority; Dr. Habib Ghuloum Al Attar, Secretary-General of the Theatre Association; Dr. Peter Barlow, Executive Director of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy; Ahmed Mohammed Bu Rahima, Director of the Theatre Department at the Department of Culture; Dr. Youssef Abdullah Eidabi, Cultural Advisor at the Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi Foundation; Qasim Istanbouli, Founder of the Lebanese National Theatre; Dr. Nadia Al Hassani, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Sharjah; and Dr. Abeer Al Jundi.