Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is presenting inspiring sessions and innovative interactive activities this August at Dubai Public Library branches. These events are open to all community members as part of the Cinema, Photography, Art, and Chess clubs. They fall under the School of Life project, which aims to develop the skills of adults and children, enrich their knowledge about visual storytelling methods, and craft impactful stories. It also enables participants to document their memories using photography and cinematic arts.

Under the theme ‘Capturing Moments: Photography and Cinema,’ School of Life offers visitors to Al Safa Art & Design Library a series of workshops presented by Hala Kassab through the Art Club. These include the ‘Memory Box’ session, where children become acquainted with the art of collage and how to merge photographs to design their own memory box. In the ‘Creativity from Scraps’ workshop, they explore multimedia techniques and learn how to assemble photos into mosaic-like scraps using various decorations, reflecting their creativity and imagination. The ‘Art of Decorating Tea and Coffee Pots’ workshop teaches how to transform ordinary tea and coffee pots into artistic pieces, while the ‘Artistic Porcelain Plate Painting’ workshop guides them in creating elegant designs on plates.

Al Safa Art & Design Library will also host four Photography Club sessions presented by members of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award. In these, children will learn the art of storytelling through photojournalism and advanced photography techniques, applying them by covering the Dubai Public Library’s Summer Camp activities. This experience will culminate in displaying and discussing their captured photos. Additionally, adults can participate in the ‘Flash Lights & Runways: Fashion Photography Workshop,’ which will teach techniques for utilising lighting, poses, and dynamic movements to achieve stunning results, whether at a fashion show or in everyday stylish settings.

In August, Al Mankhool Public Library will host Cinema Club sessions led by Touma Bittar, who will train attendees in analysing classic films and exploring visual composition. The ‘Camera Movements for Storytelling’ workshop will cover concepts and strategies for using camera framing and movements to enhance the viewer’s experience. Additionally, the ‘Integrating Framing and Movement’ workshop will introduce visual storytelling techniques to produce impactful stories. Participants will use their visual expression skills to create a cinematic project, which will be showcased within the club’s activities.

Nasser Haji will present the ‘Capturing Togetherness: From the Heart to the Lens’ workshop, introducing members of the Thukher Social Club to techniques for creating family photos. The focus will be on identifying locations and lighting to capture the essence of family bonds and document moments creatively and uniquely. Haji will also lead the ‘Lens of Memories’ workshop at Hatta Public Library, where participants can explore the power of photography in telling stories related to Emirati heritage, culture, and national identity. Meanwhile, Mohamed Ramadan will continue to train Dubai Public Library members on chess strategies at Al Twar Public Library, revealing various methods to win the game. Additionally, Al Twar Public Library will host the ‘Developing Images Process’ session by Filmoticon-Spacelab, where adults can learn advanced techniques to enhance photos from raw images to refined artistic masterpieces.

Dubai Culture also announced the registration of both the School of Life brand and logo as a trademark after receiving approval from the Ministry of Economy. The School of Life logo, inspired by ‘Tangram’, aims to stimulate creativity, enhance mental abilities, and develop skills.