H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA), witnessed, on Sunday, the graduation ceremony of the second batch of SPAA students. During a speech at the ceremony, H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah announced the opening of the College of Music of SPAA, which will welcome students from the next academic year.

H.H. considered it a valuable opportunity for those with artistic talents to join this college and learn all kinds of music, including Arabic music.

H.H. congratulated the male and female students from the class of 2024 from the SPAA on their graduation, pointing out that this day is not the end of the road, but rather the road is open for all graduates to follow in the future, noting that they will not be alone after graduation, but everyone stands by them and supports them.

H.H. spoke about the first batch of the academy’s students, which numbered 13 male and female students, pointing out that the small number was due to a lack of talent and not a lack of demand from students, as only those with outstanding talent were accepted.

He stated that the current batch is 49 male and female students, and this is an indication of the increase in the number of talents applying to the academy.

H.H. wished all the students success during their future journey and that they would be keen to pass on the knowledge they have acquired.

The graduation ceremony, which was held at the academy’s theatre, began with the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates, followed by a speech by Dr. Peter Barlow, Executive Director of the SPAA, in which he extended thanks and appreciation to the Ruler of Sharjah for his efforts in establishing the academy, proving the effectiveness of the idea of establishing it in terms of professional training and education that is much needed in the region.

During his speech, he announced the readiness to launch the Master of Fine Arts programme and the start of construction of the new College of Music next September. The academy will also host the “World Stage Design” event, which is a prominent international event held for the first time in an Arab country.

He discussed the artist’s mission and his role in society, which has been expressed by many great playwrights and writers throughout the ages due to its importance, especially in times of crisis. The artist's voice must be raised to show the features of virtue and values in society because he is concerned with the basic characteristics of imagination, creativity, awareness, love of language, appreciation of knowledge, bias toward society, the ability to empathise with all the details of the human condition and social discipline, improving public behaviour, showing the complexity of human life, and having the skill to produce permanent art, citing the words of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, in which he said: “Theatre has an important role in serving societal issues, and attention must be paid to serious theatre, which constitutes a national push and alerts to the dangers besetting the nation.”

He concluded his speech by offering advice to the graduates, urging them to adhere to values and ethics and work to be true artists, saying: “When you leave us, take control of the world and change it. Be good citizens, using your art and make us - the theatre people - able to raise our theatrical mirror that shows the meaning of life in the world.”

H.H. Ruler of Sharjah distributed certificates to the male and female graduates, amid great joy from their families, with His Highness taking a group photo with the graduates.