CHILDREN RADIATE NATIONAL PRIDE
SHARJAH: As an expression of love and loyalty to their nation, 188 children from the Sharjah Children, a subsidiary of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators, performed an operetta titled ‘My Precious Nation’ at the Sharjah Cultural Palace Amphitheatre, in celebration of the 47th UAE National Day.
The operetta was staged in collaboration with the Media and Cultural Ofice of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah. It comprised eight acts featuring acting, singing, and theatrical performances revolving around Uncle Said’s palm tree, which represents the deep-rooted traditions and values of the UAE.
Through their performance, children portrayed Uncle Said as a teacher who instilled cornerstone values and traditions of the UAE, in a fun and entertaining setting that promotes love, loyalty, and a sense of belonging to the development of the country and its wise leadership.
The theatrical work was written by Salha Ghabish, General Director of the Media and Cultural Ofice of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and starred Emirati theatre artist Abdullah Saleh. Composed by Dina Saad, Music Adviser at Sharjah Children, the operetta was directed by Mohammed Bakr, along with executive producers Magdy Mahfoud and Hani Al Tumbary, while Ali Al Khawar wrote its lyrics and poetry. With its musical arrangement by Mohannad Khader and Mohammed Ali, the performance also brought together Emirati singers Abdullah Al Al Mammari and Hassan Ali who performed the traditional songs. Decor and costumes were managed by Akram Al Awadhi and Hala Makhlouf.
The show also saw the participation of a group of talented girls from Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, and several young men from Sharjah Youth in the chorus, who recorded some of the songs in the performance along with the ‘Sharjah Children’ chorus and performed the UAE National Anthem in a capella.
Aysha Ali Al Kaabi, Acting Director of Sharjah Children, said: “It’s a matter of immense pride to witness the children perform with so much enthusiasm. It was truly an exceptional performance, and a great team effort from the performers, creators of the show, backstage talents, and all those involved. The operetta’s message touched upon each member of the audience, in addition to all the children involved.”
She added: “At Sharjah Children, we work to develop and nurture young talents, enabling them to express their dreams and aspirations and preparing them to lead the country’s future, in line with the vision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.”
The first act of the operetta exemplified the spirit of bridging the present, the past, and the noble values that were passed on from grandfathers to consecutive younger generations. The second act embodied meanings and answered questions on children’s minds about the palm tree as a symbol in the UAE’S history and authentic heritage.
In the third act called ‘Giving’, the operetta highlighted the meanings of giving and helping others, with a focus on the humanitarian approach embraced by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF).
The fourth act revolved around heritage identity of the UAE through exemplifying the history of the ishing and pearling industries, as well as the Silk Road, which contributed to strengthening ties between the UAE and other countries in the past.
The show also highlighted the value of production, architectural and scientific development experienced by the UAE through various generations since the creation of the Union, in the ifth act.
The show underlined the importance of preserving the environment and clean energy in its sixth act through an imaginative dialogue in a little girl’s mind about the sun and solar panels used for generating energy. In this performance, the little girl raised several questions leading to rich scientific conclusions.
In its seventh act, the operetta took the audience on a journey into the future, passing through the past and the present. It illuminated the importance of defending the nation, accompanied by traditional poetry that was used to celebrate victories in the past.
The final act called ‘The Nation is the Winner’, highlighted the importance of embracing all humanitarian and national values, safeguarding the nation and nurturing a generation that can shoulder its responsibility and excel in all ields.