On the stages of the UAE, the creative movement appears to be more than a succession of performances — it bears the hallmarks of a project in search of completion.
Between the expertise of pioneers who laid the early foundations and the drive of young talents rediscovering theatrical language, a delicate equation is taking shape, one that passion alone cannot sustain, nor experience support in isolation from proper training.
Here, the need emerges for something beyond spontaneous intergenerational encounter: a conscious system capable of converting accumulated knowledge into expertise, talent into craft, and ideas into living theatrical acts.
At the heart of this scene, questions of development intersect with the stakes of sustainability: how can UAE theatre build its future on methodical foundations that guarantee the flow of experience, depth of vision, and maturity of performance? The question concerns no single individual; rather, it reflects a growing awareness that the flourishing of theatre depends on its ability to build solid bridges between thought and practice, and between generations, so that it remains a living art capable of touching people and expressing the transformations of their reality.
In this context, Emirati theatre artist Omar Ghobash told Al Bayan that the integration of generations within the UAE theatrical scene is a tangible and ongoing reality. He noted that current theatre companies include a rich mix of pioneering figures and talented young people who have undertaken promising creative experiences, creating a vital blending between the founding generation and rising generations.
Speaking about how to develop this theatrical space and ensure the smooth transfer of expertise, Ghobash explained that the process requires institutional and methodical tools that go beyond mere collaborative work. He pointed to the establishment of a genuine, specialised institute for theatrical arts as the fundamental step for converting accumulated experience into an active and sustainable movement.
He stressed that this institute must be thoroughly academic in character, supervised by specialised academics from the Arab world to ensure that curricula are aligned with local identity and the local theatrical environment, while remaining open to foreign expertise as a supplementary rather than foundational element, and teaching various theatrical curricula, schools, and performance arts.
Creative partnership
Emirati theatre director Murtada Jumaa affirmed that the stage is capable of transforming from a static performance space into a living bridge through which experience passes between generations — but only when the relationship between pioneers and young artists transcends symbolic recognition and becomes an actual creative partnership within the artwork itself. He underlined the need for pioneers to be an integral part of the artistic formation process, contributing their deep experience to rehearsals and theatrical decision-making.
Jumaa highlighted the importance of empowering young people and giving talented creators sufficient space for experimentation and expression, and for presenting their own vision that reflects the ambitions of their generation. He stressed that in this model, experience does not remain a preserved legacy but becomes a living daily practice that passes from one generation to the next.
Director Murtada Jumaa concluded by affirming that this integration produces theatrical work that carries the memory of the past and the boldness of the present — something that necessarily guarantees the sustainability and continued development of creativity in the UAE theatrical scene.
Theatre director Ilham Mohammed, for her part, affirmed that the creative journey of any theatrical work begins with the text, but is only completed through absorbing the idea and transforming it into a tangible issue.
Explaining her directorial philosophy, Ilham noted that a director always searches within the core of the text for the issue it raises, whether a general social condition or a subject that touches the human self directly. She pointed out that true creativity is only born when the director adopts the idea and it becomes an inseparable part of their being.
She noted that this process of adoption is the primary driver that carries the work smoothly onto the stage, granting the director the ability to draw the artistic vision with precision and to create deep harmony and an interconnected relationship between the actor's performance and the elements of scenography — lighting, costumes, and set design.
Theatre playwright Ahmed Al Majid affirmed that the key to a theatre artist's success in commanding the stage lies in continuous experimentation and persistent self-development, stressing that an actor's personal culture is the primary foundation for developing their performance.
Addressing the challenges facing actors, Al Majid noted that some productions reveal a failure on the part of performers to engage with and make use of the theatrical space, attributing this shortcoming primarily to a lack of awareness or an absence of genuine desire to establish a presence on stage.
In a related vein, he observed that there is no magic formula or ready-made solutions that can be handed to an actor to make them a professional overnight; rather, the matter requires self-directed work on artistic tools.