twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment hub, released a series of videos created by children participating in its Virtual Summer Camp 2020. Now in its fifth year, twofour54’s Summer Camp was transformed into a completely virtual experience in response to the ongoing situation. In the series of videos, the Summer Campers express their heart-felt appreciation for UAE’s frontline workers, including police, doctors, nurses, volunteers, and disinfecting teams.
Under the theme of ‘Gratitude’, 28 children between the ages of 10 and 12 were tasked with developing videos that showed their appreciation for COVID-19 frontline heroes using the new media and content creation skills they picked up during this year’s twofour54 Summer Camp. This year’s edition featured an array of training sessions aimed at equipping the tech-savvy future generation with skills that can later be deployed in their careers. Sessions covered technical skills, such as editing and shooting videos, and also looked at creative and legal aspects, such as storyboarding and copyrights awareness. To kick-off the programme, participants were supplied with a ‘Wonders Box’ of practical tools to assist with video production, such as tripods and ring lights.
The participants were also treated to a special interactive session with Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, Head of Hematology and Oncology at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, a SEHA healthcare facility. Dr Fatima answered questions from all the participants on how Abu Dhabi is pioneering the treatment of COVID-19 and gave helpful hints and tips on how children can help prevent the spread of the disease.
Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) is showcasing the five videos generated by the Summer Campers across its digital channels, extending the reach of children’s powerful messages to a wider audience across UAE.
Maitha Khalifa, Head of creative lab at twofour54 Abu Dhabi, said: “As part of the working team behind Summer Camp, I am very proud of the content created by our young creatives separately from their homes during these challenging times. Nurturing media talent from a young age is at the core of twofour54/Image Nation’s priorities to ensure a sustainable media industry. On behalf of all mentors and volunteers, I thank the parents who support our mission by allowing their little ones to explore the expansive world of media through the lens of our Summer Camp.”
“We sincerely thank twofour54 for this heartwarming initiative to thank the employees and volunteers at the National Screening Project in Mussafah. The twofour54 Summer Camp did not only help the children explore their creative sides, but it also drew smiles on the faces of the frontline heroes.” added Dr Ahmed Al Hefny, Admin In charge at the Screening Center in Mussafah
10-year old Jude Al Nowais, a twofour54 Summer Camper, said: “I was in group 5 and we created the video for doctors. We wrote a whole story plan and it was really fun working with others and creating some amazing ideas.”
The first twofour54 Virtual Summer Camp 2020 kicked off on 12 July with the participation of 28 children aged between 10 and 12 years, providing young talents with the opportunity to explore the world of media through a dynamic programme incorporating interactive workshops.
Between this year’s virtual camp and the four previous physical camps, more than 210 young talents have been introduced to a wide range of media activities through the annual Summer Camp programme, offering them the chance to discover their passion and explore the experience of working in the media industry.