• Successful pilot of a specially adapted programme for schools catering to people of determination and a masterclass for educators
  • Post-masterclass survey highlights strong interest in implementing diverse strategies focused on AI applications, art integration, students merging art with psychology, and creative education approaches.
  • 2025 plans reveal further expansion of the programme

Dubai, UAE: The 2024 edition of the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme celebrates its remarkable achievements, reaching more than 15,000 students from over 100 schools across the seven emirates. This includes the successful pilot of a specially adapted programme for schools catering to people of determination and a masterclass for educators. This year's success saw a 67% increase in participants, underscoring the programme's potential for empowering the next generation through innovative cultural initiatives.

Over its four editions, the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme, a partnership between Art Dubai, the leading international art fair in the Middle East, and A.R.M. Holding, a leading private investment firm in Dubai, has engaged over 30,000 children from 340 schools across the Emirates, fostering imagination, creativity, and innovative thinking through bespoke workshops. The programme has evolved into the largest cultural education initiative in the country, bringing together artists, designers, and local schools to deliver ambitious programming that nurtures cognitive skills, community collaboration, and cultural awareness among the next generation.

Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director of Art Dubai, added: "The response to the expanded A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme from schools across the UAE reflects increased demand and underscores the strength of our united and engaged community in supporting innovative arts education. We have seen schools eagerly participating and sharing their experiences on social media. This collaboration exemplifies how partnerships can drive meaningful change more efficiently and effectively. We applaud A.R.M. Holding for its patronage and commitment to nurturing young talents through artistic and cultural initiatives. This programme signals an opportunity to transform arts education in our schools, highlighting the essential role of creativity in fostering well-rounded children. It is our hope to continue working together to inspire and empower the next generation, ensuring that the UAE remains at the forefront of cultural innovation."

Fatma Almulla, Marketing Manager at A.R.M. Holding, commented: "As patron of the arts and a key influencer in Dubai's cultural landscape, A.R.M. Holding is deeply committed to its social responsibility of community building and cultural development. Our collaboration with Art Dubai through the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme is a testament to our dedication to youth empowerment. By bringing together artists and designers to collaborate closely with local schools, we aim to enrich students' understanding of the arts, fostering innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. Bringing a renowned international artist to the A.R.M. Children’s Programme inspires and encourages children to pursue art as a profession. Being surrounded by the artist during the workshop creates a unique and immersive experience that goes beyond a typical art class, adding excitement and fostering creativity among the students.

We also extended this programme internationally to Malupo Elementary School in rural Philippines, engaging 135 students in enriching workshops. In 2025, we aim to bring this programme to more schools abroad, making a meaningful impact both internationally and locally.

Since the Programme’s launch in 2021, this initiative has nurtured young talent and reinforced Dubai's position as a global capital of culture and innovation. We believe that by investing in dynamic, hands-on learning experiences, we can inspire the next generation and contribute to their overall well-being."

Success of the 2024 edition

The 2024 programme features Goa-based artist Sahil Naik's "Worlds in a Box" concept, which explores creation using dioramas, memory, and the built environment as sources of inspiration. The second phase of the programme, which commenced in April, has received enthusiastic feedback from participating schools, with many expressing keen interest in future editions. The teachers highlighted the initiative's value, noting significant enhancements in students' creativity and innovation, with some suggesting integrating the programme as an elective or merging it with existing subjects to maximise its impact within the standard curriculum. Favourite aspects of the programme included meeting the artist and engaging in hands-on projects. Teachers also reported that the involvement of artists brought new perspectives to the classroom, adding significant value to the educational experience.

Isabel Miller, an art teacher at the Kings' School in Nad Al Sheba, among the schools that participated in the programme, said: "Arts education is important within schools. It allows children to express themselves fully, to be free, and to think critically about the world around them. It also allows them to develop new ways of thinking and seeing the world and to be able to put that together in a visual way. Within our curriculum at King's, we very much expect that the children try lots of different materials, (we) expose them to as many artists as they can throughout history. They're also looking to Emirati and local artists who play an important part in the history and culture. We want the children to develop this and create their own visual narrative. These workshops are absolutely fantastic for getting students together who may not ordinarily socialise together. It's nice to be given something they normally wouldn't be exposed to and see an artist work in real life."

This year's edition also featured an engaging special masterclass for teachers designed to enhance their teaching capabilities. Conducted by Dr Zinka Bejtic, Head of the Department of Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah and an expert in the cognitive pedagogy of experiential education, the masterclass was well received and attended by 85 educators, the majority of whom were general and art teachers, with a few holding leadership positions.

A post-masterclass survey revealed a strong inclination among participants to implement the shared strategies. Notably, there was significant interest in diverse and practical topics aimed at enhancing teaching methods and classroom engagement, including artificial Intelligence applications, art-specific content and integrating art into core subjects, understanding different student psychologies, integrating national identity and creativity in education, and information about films and photography classes in universities, among others.

Lisa Johnson, Principal of the American Academy for Girls and one of the participants, said: "Dr. Zinka Bejtic's Art Dubai Masterclass, 'Understanding and Cultivating Creativity,' was incredibly insightful, with the trainer being very knowledgeable and the content highly relevant for anyone working with children at home or school. This game-changing topic for education deserves much more attention, as it holds the potential to revolutionise how we nurture creativity in our children."

2025 plans

Looking ahead, the first phase of the new programme will begin in 2025 in the schools, creating the foundations for a year-round programme. The next edition of Art Dubai, scheduled from 18 to 20 April 2025 at Madinat Jumeirah, will continue the journey of the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme, where workshops will conclude with tours of the fair's gallery halls. This allows children to extend their learning beyond the workshop space, engaging with works by some of the world's top visual artists. This event will also mark the announcement of the collaborating artist for the next edition of the programme.

In the second phase, these artist-led workshops will be brought directly to classrooms, and the adapted programme for schools catering to people of determination and a masterclass for educators will further expand, maintaining the programme's commitment to making arts education accessible and dynamic.

Art Dubai remains dedicated to championing arts education, nurturing artistic scholarship, and fostering critical discourse, especially through the voices of the Global South. Its year-round education and professional development programmes, in collaboration with local and regional partners, ensure that Art Dubai continues to deliver ambitious cultural programming, inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers and leaders.

For more information on the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme and future initiatives, visit www.artdubai.ae/a-r-m-holding-childrens-programme-2024

-Ends-

Media Contacts – Art Dubai
International: David Field | david@davidbfield.com
UAE / MENA:
Daniela Gorini | daniela.gorini@secnewgate.ae
Ihab Yousef | ihab.yousef@secnewgate.ae

About A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme

The A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme is a pioneering educational initiative launched in 2021, born from a partnership between Dubai-based private investment firm A.R.M. Holding and the leading international art fair in the Middle East, Art Dubai. Since its inception, the programme has been a cornerstone of Art Dubai's extensive year-round education programme, working closely with A.R.M. Holding to deliver ambitious cultural programming across the UAE.

The initiative aims to empower the next generation by cultivating their interest and understanding of the arts through dynamic, hands-on learning experiences. The programme is implemented in two phases: specially curated workshops during Art Dubai in spring, followed by in-classroom activities in schools across the UAE. Each edition commences at Art Dubai, where workshops conclude with tours of the fair, allowing children to engage with works by some of the world's top visual artists and announcing the collaborating artist for the upcoming edition.

Over the years, the programme has seen remarkable growth and impact:

  • 2021: Featured design studio Studio Sain and gathered over 1,800 children from 70 schools in the UAE for a week-long Noom Project, allowing them to create an alternative living habitat on a fictitious moon.
  • 2022: Led by Kenyan artist Cyrus Kabiru, over 4,500 children created sustainable works of art using everyday materials during the 16 Art of Recycle workshops conducted at the fair and in 80 schools over six weeks.
  • 2023: Impacted over 9,000 students across 90 schools with Swedish artist Jacob Dahlgren's Flag Project, where children used everyday materials to design and create collaborative tapestries and flags, fostering creativity and teamwork.
  • 2024: The largest edition to date expands the programme further, offering bespoke workshops for children, masterclasses for educators to enhance their teaching capabilities, and a pioneering adapted programme for people of determination. The programme reached over 15,000 students of all abilities in 105 private and government educational institutions across the seven emirates. Featuring Goa-based artist Sahil Naik, the "Worlds in a Box" programme explores creation using dioramas, memory, and the built environment as sources of inspiration.
  • 2025: The upcoming 5th edition of the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme will take place at Art Dubai, held at Madinat Jumeirah from 18-20 April 2025, continuing its mission to inspire and nurture the next generation of creative thinkers and leaders.

More information about the A.R.M. Holding Children's Programme can be viewed here.

About A.R.M. Holding

A.R.M. Holding is a private investment firm and multi-focused economic enabler that creates synergies and opportunities through local, regional and global investments. At the core of the company's business strategy is its commitment to impactful investments, actively employing its resources to advance society and empower its players to pursue innovative solutions and inspire a better future. It collaborates with like-minded organisations and leverages its network and partnerships to create meaningful relationships and growth opportunities.

A.R.M. Holding's investments are focused on tech-enabled industries and sophisticated technologies around the world that demonstrate strong potential for long-term positive social impact. It also holds equity stakes in some of Dubai's foremost companies in a variety of sectors including Banking, Telecom, FMCG, Real Estate, and Hospitality.

A.R.M. Holding has contributed to society with significant investments in numerous industries and versatile projects. In 2021, it became the first corporate patron of the Dubai Collection, the first institutional art collection in the emirate of Dubai.

To   learn   more   about   A.R.M.   Holding's   cultural   activities, visit https://armholding.ae/en/socresp/

To learn more about A.R.M. Holding, please visit: www.armholding.ae

About Art Dubai

Founded in 2007, Art Dubai is the most significant global art gathering in the Middle East. A catalyst for the rapid growth of the region’s art scene and creative economy, it provides an important gateway for discovery, learning and exchange, championing galleries and artists from less-represented geographies.

Each year Art Dubai spotlights around 120 contemporary, modern and digital galleries from over 40 countries. The gallery programme is accompanied by artist commissions, an ambitious education programme and the most extensive talks and conference programming of any international art fair, including Global Art Forum  and an annual Digital Summit.

Art Dubai works in partnership with government and business to develop and deliver ambitious long-term initiatives to support the growth of the UAE’s cultural sector. These include Dubai Collection – the first institutional art collection for the city of Dubai; Dubai Public Art, a multi-year and city-wide public realm commissioning programme; the most extensive cultural education programmes in UAE schools, developed in partnership with A.R.M. Holding, and Campus Art Dubai, which supports the next generation of cultural leaders through professional development, training and mentoring.