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Dubai is soon to enter a
new chapter of its amazing history with the arrival of
the first modern, non-profit theatre and arts centre in
the Arabian Gulf region, which will open its doors in
the emirate later this year.
Part of the exciting
multi-million-dirham Mall of The Emirates project, the
Dubai
Community Theatre and Arts Centre
(DUCTAC)
aims to become the home of the emirate’s creative
community, with artists and connoisseurs of all
nationalities, ages and backgrounds coming together to
share and appreciate creativity and its various artistic
expressions.
Designed with all
culture vultures in mind, the project will spread to an
amazing 80,000 square feet of built space and will
feature a 550-seat, two-level theatre as well as a
smaller studio theatre, capable of seating an audience
of some 150 viewers. There will be two art galleries, a
music school and a lending library. Dance enthusiasts
will be able to enjoy rehearsal spaces for ballet, tap
dancing and salsa, while there will be additional
classrooms and studios for those looking to master the
secrets of sculpture, photography, pottery, drama,
creative writing or calligraphy.
Construction of the
project started in
March 2004,
with the Arts Centre expected to witness its soft
opening in early December, 2005, and the two theatres –
in February next year. A grand opening date is still
being finalised but the organisers are thinking of
producing a multi-cultural show featuring local as well
as international artistes.
DUCTAC is the brainchild
of Dubai—based entrepreneur and devoted amateur drama
enthusiast,
Brian Wilkie
and his wife
Sami Wilkie,
who have so far managed to gather donations worth Dhs.7
million. Collected with help
from various
artistic groups and cultural associations in Dubai, many
of whom have organised fund-raising and publicity events
on behalf of DUCTAC, the funds are just a million short
of the initial Dhs8 million required for the basic
fit-out of the project.
While getting financial
contributions was not an easy task when DUCTAC was first
launched, the project now enjoys the support of a long
list of multi-national and local corporate donors,
including
Dodsal,
the
Dubai Duty
Free, Emirates Airlines, Fosroc, Landmark Group and the
National Bank of Dubai.
Many
individuals have also generously contributed to the
centre through the Founder Patron scheme
which
requires a donation of
at least Dhs10,000
and
includes the benefit of naming a seat in the theatre.
While DUCTAC has been
designed to be a self-sustainable project, additional
funds will be required to sustain the centre during its
first few years.
Donations are
made through the structured Star Patron scheme of
Diamond Star (which
requires donations of Dhs500,000
and above), Gold Star (Dhs100,000
and above) and Silver Star (Dhs50,000 and above)
as well as through the
Founder
Patron scheme.
A
project eagerly adopted by people of various
nationalities and backgrounds, DUCTAC seems to have
already achieved its main goal - becoming Dubai’s
melting pot where differences are set aside in the name
of common goals.
A DUBAI PIONEER
DUCTAC
would not have existed if it was not for the vision and
dedication of entrepreneur and arts enthusiasts Brian
Wilkie and his wife Sami. Brian, who next year will mark
his third decade in the UAE, speaks to Al Shindagah
Magazine about his life-long dream and what it took to
make it happen. Al
Shindagah: What is your professional background?
BW:
A
‘serial-entrepreneur’. I came to the UAE in 1976 as a
sales manager, and graduated to running several
companies of my own.
Al Shindagah: What made you initiate the DUCTAC project?
When did the idea first come to you?
BW:
I’ve
been involved in amateur dramatics for many years and
there has always been a constant moan of ‘Why isn’t
there a proper theatre in Dubai?’ About five years ago,
my wife and I decided to try and make everyone’s dream
come true.
Al Shindagah: When did the DUCTAC
funding campaign start?
BW:
The serious fund-raising started in May 2004. Before
that we’d spent four years getting the right group of
people together, choosing the best site, getting the
necessary permissions and organizing the plans.
Al Shindagah: At present, DUCTAC seems to be enjoying
the support of a significant number of corporate and
private donors. Was it hard for you to get support for
the project at the time when you were first starting out
with it?
BW:
This was not the first time the idea of building a
theatre had been raised and, as nothing had come of
previous ventures, at first we found it hard to be taken
seriously. However, the National Bank of Dubai started
the ball rolling with an unexpected pledge of half a
million dirhams, and that gave us credibility. Then,
when Mr. Majid Al Futtaim generously offered in 2003 to
build the ‘shell & core’ of the complex for us on the
roof of the upcoming Mall of the Emirates, the dream
started to become reality.
Al Shindagah: What impact will DUCTAC make on Dubai’s
culture scene?
BW:
We hope that this will be the start of an explosion of
culture here, as happened in Singapore and Hong Kong in
the 90’s after they opened similar centres. We aim to
provide a venue for all nationalities to come together
to learn, exhibit, perform and enjoy all the arts. A
place for all ages and cultures to display their own
styles and learn everyone else’s. A melting-pot that
could produce a wonderful new “Dubai Culture’ of our
own.
Al Shindagah: Dubai will soon have its arts & culture
venue. What else will be needed to turn the emirate into
a regional cultural hub?
BW:
It will need all the talented people here in Dubai to
make use of the venue – teach and take classes in art,
music, sculpture; write, produce and act in plays and
musicals. [We need to] encourage young people to try
new forms of art, learn a new stagecraft, use the
library, try their hand at writing. The spaces and
facilities will be available at low cost – artists
should use them. But this should be just the beginning.
Dubai will need more venues and facilities– with the
direct and indirect support of the Government, business
and art-lovers – to build a world-class, innovative and
constantly growing ‘city of culture’.
Al Shindagah: Once completed, will DUCTAC be
self-sustainable?
BW:
That is our aim. It is to be a non-profit centre, but
we should be able to cover all our costs, possibly with
the help of sponsorship in the first year or two.
Al Shindagah: Once the facility is up-and-running, who
will be managing the performances being shown at the
theatres?
BW:
There will be a General Manager and professional staff
running the centre, but it will be up to local groups
and promoters to rent the facilities and produce their
own shows.
Al Shindagah: Have any touring companies / artists
already expressed interest in DUCTAC?
BW:
Several!
Al Shindagah: How would you like to see DUCTAC ten years
from now?
BW:
Thriving, vibrant, creative, respected – and so busy
that the then Board of Governors will be complaining
that we should have constructed a bigger centre, built
more classrooms, had more rehearsal spaces, more seats | 
