As part of the British Council Cultural Skills programme, we will be delivering a Festival Academy for festival professionals in UAE from 1 – 4 March, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm in Dubai (location to be confirmed). The Festival Academy is a short course that has been created to provide festival skills development and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the festival sector in the UAE and the Gulf region.
The Academy responds to our festival skills research and the discussions we conducted with festival leaders in the region which outlined what skills and capabilities are needed to strengthen and grow the Gulf Festival sector and the social and economic impact that festivals can make.
The Academy will be led by Edinburgh Science Worldwide, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University Business School.
What are the main objectives of the Academy?
- Bring together festival professionals who work in festivals and will lead them in the future and are interested in developing new audiences, venues, and new ways of working
- Enable participants to articulate and discuss their festival vision, mission for the present and the future
- Develop skills in successful festival management which can be applied locally
- Enable participants to apply learning to their local festival sector
- Empower participants to find new solutions and routes to sustainability, through principles of festival management and working with their stakeholders
- Support participants identify what skills they need to develop to strengthen their festivals.
Who can attend the Academy?
Practitioners and professionals who have been 1-5 years active in arts/cultural/family/tech and innovation/science/heritage festivals, and who will benefit from professional development in Festival Management.
What will be the academy language?
English only.
Will this training be accredited?
The Festival Academy is accredited by the Edinburgh Napier University with delegates attending the full academy receiving certification by the university on the final day.
Are there any registration fees?
No – entry to the Academy is free of charge.
Will accommodation be provided for the participants who are based outside Dubai?
The British Council will provide accommodation and hospitality for the participants who are based in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah.
Interested candidates should complete the attached application form and send it to Iman.Tarafa@britishcouncil.org by Sunday 26 January.