The agreement is part of twofour54’s commitment to growing the creative industries in Abu Dhabi.
twofour54 and Suniel Shetty’s firm FTC Talent Media & Entertainment, a content production and talent placement company, have signed an agreement that will see them working together to nurture young talent within Abu Dhabi’s rapidly growing film industry.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by twofour54 and FTC ahead of a two-day workshop organised in collaboration with twofour54.
Attracting more than 50 aspiring talents, the workshop aimed to prepare the UAE’s emerging talents for the demands of the auditioning process. The candidates, who came from a wide variety of backgrounds, participated in live auditions in front of FTC acting and auditioning industry experts. The most impressive participants were then selected for one-on-one acting feedback sessions with famed Bollywood actor, producer and entrepreneur Suniel Shetty.
H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri, CEO of Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi and twofour54, said: “Nurturing local talent and attracting international expertise is at the heart of our strategic objective to support the growth of the creative industries in Abu Dhabi.
“At twofour54, we believe in the power of partnerships to enable content creators to innovate, collaborate and create. As such, our agreement with FTC will help develop training opportunities for twofour54’s creative ecosystem and will equip local talent with the skills to ensure they remain at the forefront of the ever-changing media and entertainment industry.”
As part of the agreement, FTC will contribute to twofour54’s existing dedicated programmes and initiatives for young people, including the Creative Lab, a youth community that includes more than 13,500 members. Additionally, educational workshops and sessions will be streamed on the FTC platform, reaching and inspiring hundreds of emerging film talents across the UAE.
Suniel Shetty, founder of FTC Talent Media & Entertainment, said: “It was a pleasure to engage with such a passionate and talented group of young people in Abu Dhabi. The auditioning process can be daunting for those not familiar with it, which is why I wanted to help these aspiring talents understand the highs and lows and how to navigate them.
“And, based on what I witnessed during the workshop, I am sure I will be crossing paths with many of the candidates again in the future as their enthusiasm translates into life-long careers.
“We’re delighted to partner with twofour54 to further nurture emerging talents in the UAE and we look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”
The workshop also attracted a number of twofour54 partners who were able to explore and understand the great potential of young local talents. Additionally, twofour54’s freelancers provided styling services to the performing talents, demonstrating what this vital workforce group can deliver to businesses of all sizes.