Rubu’ Qarn Theatre Ensemble Engages with Gulf Performance Culture at Bahrain Festival

A delegation from Sharjah's leading theatre centre participates in the Fifth Bahrain Theatre Festival, deepening members' artistic practice through immersion in diverse theatrical traditions across the region.

The Fifth Bahrain Theatre Festival, honouring the legacy of late artist Khalifa Al Araifi, welcomes this year a delegation from Rubu’ Qarn Theatre and Performing Arts, the specialised performance centre operating within the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators. Running through 11th November, the festival brings together theatre professionals and practitioners from across the Gulf, offering a significant platform for cultural exchange and artistic development.

For Rubu’ Qarn’s members, the festival represents far more than attendance at performances. The experience embodies the centre’s educational philosophy: that theatre functions as a comprehensive creative practice, cultivating critical thinking, self-confidence and the refinement of communication skills. Sondos Al Amoudi, Director of Rubu’ Qarn Theatre and Performing Arts, articulates this vision with clarity. “Theatre is not merely a space for acquiring artistic skills; it is a comprehensive creative experience that develops critical thinking, builds self-confidence, and strengthens communication and self-expression.”

The delegation’s engagement spans multiple dimensions of theatrical practice. Members attend performances and artistic events throughout the festival programme, observing the craft of acting, directing and scenography as realised by accomplished professionals. Conversations with actors, directors and theatre practitioners extend this learning beyond passive observation, creating dialogue between the centre’s emerging talent and established voices in Gulf theatre. Through discussion of the artistic and aesthetic elements within each production, members develop deeper understanding of how theatrical choices convey meaning and emotion.

This participation reflects as we reported in the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation’s broader commitment to transformative learning experiences, whether through adventure expeditions or cultural immersion. The theatre centre’s involvement in regional events strengthens its presence within Gulf cultural networks whilst providing members with exposure to different creative approaches and theatrical traditions. By broadening artistic horizons and deepening appreciation of the performing arts, the delegation returns to Sharjah with enriched sensibilities and expanded understanding of their craft.

Al Amoudi expressed confidence that these experiences will advance members’ capabilities and invigorate their creative practices, positioning theatre as a pathway to discovering new artistic perspectives and exploring the diverse approaches that define contemporary performance across the region.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

Rubu’ Qarn’s regional engagement at Bahrain’s theatre festival exemplifies how Sharjah’s cultural institutions extend their influence across the Gulf, fostering artistic excellence and cross-emirate collaboration. The experience enriches not only individual members but strengthens the creative networks that bind the UAE’s cultural landscape.

As the foundation continues to develop emerging leaders through integrated programmes spanning music, visual arts, adventure and now theatre, its work reinforces the UAE’s position as a centre for cultural development and artistic innovation, where young people gain access to transformative learning experiences that extend beyond traditional education into the realm of creative excellence.

Source: WAM