Highlighting a worrying trend at UK-curriculum schools, the Warwick Commission found that the number of pupils choosing creative subjects at GCSE level fell by half this year.
To address the imbalance and reignite a passion for the arts, UAE schools are promoting overseas cultural adventures for their students.
The Literary London Tour has been introduced by Compass International, an educational travel and tourism agency, to transport middle and high-school students out of the classroom environment and into the hub of performing arts and media activity in the UK capital.
The seven-day trip, tailored to complement school literary courses, includes workshops and visits to West End plays, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
“We thought it is necessary to introduce a tour that promotes arts, media and theatre for students,” says Lissy Donald, managing director of Compass International.
“This interactive tour not only inspires them, but provides a different perspective through hands-on learning.”
At the same time, she says, it helps students to come out of their shell. “Attending these workshops and travelling abroad to witness culturally and historically-rich sites makes them more confident, as well,” she says.
The company works with schools on an itinerary based on students’ interests. Each group of between 10 and 30 students are accompanied by a teacher and a guide to the historical locations.
“This tour is very popular at schools that look to offer an excursion to their older students every year,” says Donald.
“Because theory, even when it comes to arts and literature, makes more sense with practical work.”
A tour of Oxford University, where they can gain insights into arts courses, is also on the itinerary. There is also a day visit to Warner Bros Studios, where the Harry Potter film series was shot, as well as a backstage tour of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theatre production.
“It’s a mixed bag of activities,” says Donald. “We include different workshops, so that every students has something of interest during the trip.”
Students can also participate in interactive street-jazz workshops, encouraging them to explore hip-hop, R&B, jazz or contemporary dance when they return home. For the more stage-inclined, the Nose2Nose arts group organises improv and acting workshops.
Gabriela Uzunova, a student of Cambridge International School in Dubai, said she had a defining moment while attending a West End play on one of the tours.
"Every night we watched a West End play," says the 18-year-old. "One of the first we saw was Wicked, and I remember sitting in the audience enamoured by the lights and this beautiful theatre. At that time I thought to myself, 'How great it would be if I can perform on a stage like this one day'."
Uzunova, who is in Grade 13, has opted for psychology, literature, arts and media in her final year at school. During the tour, she attended drama workshops, during which she was exposed to new techniques and acting methods.
“I’ve always been a creative person and I love expressing myself through arts and drama,” she says.
“That trip helped me gain confidence overall because we had to face an audience after each drama class we took. Now I’m way more confident about expressing myself and sharing my ideas and opinions.”
She is now involved in backstage duties for the school’s upcoming winter performance.
“I couldn’t take performing arts as a subject because not many students signed up for the programme and they couldn’t offer it,” she says. “But I stay back and help the drama teacher because I love being a part of stage.”
• The literary tour starts from Dh9,000. For more details visit www.compassuae.com
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Results
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2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Talento Puma, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,950m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Stakes Listed (TB) Dh500,000 1,950m; Winner: Mark Of Approval, Patrick Cosgrave, Mahmood Hussain.
4pm: Conditions (TB) Dh125,000 1,400m; Winner: Dead-heat Raakez, Jim Crowley, Nicholas Bachalard/Attribution, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Jebel Ali Sprint (TB) Dh500,000 1,000m; Winner: AlKaraama, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
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No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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