Record numbers of young Emiratis have attended a series of workshops held at twofour54 this month aimed at developing the skills to become a professional writer in the media and entertainment industry.
More than 153 young people attended three workshops which, inspired by the UAE’s Year of Reading, were structured under the monthly theme of Reading and Writing.
In a great example of twofour54 creative lab’s impact on developing future talent for the industry, the final workshop in the series was led by twofour54 creative alumnus(senior community member), Maitha Al Khayat, an Emirati author and illustrator of children’s books who was also a scriptwriter for Iftah Ya Simsim. The session focused on publishing and illustrating and gave insights to budding young authors and illustrators on drawing illustrations customized for the UAE, different publishing options and how to choose the right publisher. The UAE Board on Books for Young People co-instructed the session as part of their role in promoting a reading culture among children and young people in the UAE.
Commenting on the workshops, Acting CEO Mariam Al Mheiri said: “We were inundated with registrations for the ‘ (Reading and Writing) series of workshops, showing the level of interest there is among young people for a career in writing-based media careers. We know that without writing there cannot be reading, but writing also sits at the start of the process for almost every other creative content output. This makes it a core skill for the industry’s next generation to have and as the region’s leading hub of content creation across all platforms, we need to play our role in helping young people to gain these skills.”
She added: “To see Maitha return to creative lab in the capacity as trainer was a really proud moment for twofour54. Maitha is now an accomplished and in-demand writer, enjoying a career that she started by joining creative lab herself. She has gone on to write the children’s book ‘I Love My Mom’s Pretty Veil’ , which turned into a hugely popular app, and participated as one of the scriptwriters for last year’s revival of Iftah Ya Simsim. We are extremely proud of Maitha’s achievements and she is a shining example to current members of creative lab of what is possible to achieve here in the media industry.”
twofour54’s current programme of workshops aim to provide practical skills to young local talent interested in a pursuing a career in the media and entertainment industry. The workshops cover a range of disciplines and skills including writing, corporate social responsibility, filmmaking, digital media and content production, creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation. The workshops are delivered by media professionals with a multitude of experience and are held at twofour54 purpose built space called #thelab. Individuals interested in upcoming workshops should register online with twofour54 creative lab, where they will also gain access to industry opportunities including work placements on local and international productions in Abu Dhabi, internships, workshops, events and much more.
For more information on twofour54 creative lab and its workshop programme, please visit creativelab.twofour54.com