Dubai Culture play ‘Ashputtel’ comes to Zoom
DUBAI: Keeping the spirit of performing arts alive even in times of social distancing and temporary closure of venues across the emirate as well as bringing the joy of theatre to the community through interactive digital channels, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority has announced that ‘Ashputel,’ a performance that was created in Dubai and supported by Dubai Culture, and whose cast is currently based in London and the emirate, will be held on the video-calling plaform Zoom from 16 - 18 July 2020.
Presented by Bark At A Crow, an events company, and MXB Studios, a production studio, the interactive theatre event can be enjoyed by theatre enthusiasts from anywhere in the world. Tickets for the 45-minute play can be purchased from www.barkatacrow.com and are priced at AED 75 per Zoom code. This allows any number of people living in the same household to watch and participate for the price of one ticket.
Liz Hadaway, director of Ashputel, said: “At a time when the theatre and performing arts sectors are facing challenging times, bringing the production to a digital plaform will certainly prove to be an effective and fruiful exercise. We are thankful to Dubai Culture for their support as they are helping us widen the reach of the play and make it truly global. The live online interactive theatre experience promises to be immersive and a memorable one.”
Ashputel is a play based on the 1812 European fairy tale by The Brothers’ Grimm and is a story of a girl reduced to poverty and servitude by the manipulations of her new stepmother and stepsisters. Assisted by a mysterious half-bird, half-tree forest creature, she is able to break free, run to the palace, and atempt to win the heart of the prince.
In the interactive play, audiences will be asked to assist Ashputel to complete her tasks, atend the party at the palace, and maybe get even with her stepsisters.
Recently, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dubai Culture, announced its partnership with Createnations, under the patronage of Briar Prestidge Trading LLC, as part of its digital campaign #Createtogether.
The campaign by Dubai Culture encourages Uae-based artists to share their talent through their chosen art form and it has already garnered over 1,500 submissions.
In line with this, Createnation artists have created designs for quarantine-themed T-shirts which are sold with toxic-free fabric paints for a creative at-home project. Proceeds from the first collection will go towards buying personal protective equipment, PPE, for health workers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic via the Emirates Red Crescent, authorised by Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department.
A creative mix of art and fashion, this unique project offers an opportunity to get creative. Thanks to the new partnership with Dubai Culture, it also provides UAE artists with the chance to turn their art into fashion to raise awareness and help society’s most pressing issues.
Shaima Alsuwaidi, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Dubai Culture, said, “Through this collaboration, we seek to support inventive and creative initiatives and provide them with a national-level plaform to showcase and engage with the community. The partnership will certainly spread a positive message and a renewed love for culture across all segments of society.”
Createnations Founder and CEO of Prestidge Group, Briar Prestidge, said, “This is an encouraging partnership for Dubai Culture and Createnations for many reasons. The Createnations’ movement began with a simple agenda – Do your part to help others. Our debut quarantine-themed collection received praise for the fun designs and memories it created during the lockdown period, with the proceeds donated to procuring PPES for frontline workers. As a result of the pandemic and social isolation, many people feel anxiety. Our second Createnations collection, in collaboration with Dubai Culture, will focus on mental health and positivity. We encourage the UAE nationals and Uae-based artists to get creative, submit your design for the T-shirt at Createnations for a chance to be featured and to be part of our cause.