With less than a year to go for Expo 2020 Dubai, authorities announced niche training project  ‘Atelier 2020’ to augment UAE’s arts scene. The Expo 2020 will help establish world-class training courses in make-up and costume design.

The first of its kind to be conducted in the region, Atelier 2020 project will be conducted alongside the UAE’s first opera, Al Wasl. An agreement was signed between Expo 2020 and London College of Make-up and the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation, DIDI, to create specialised courses for students in the UAE.

Atelier 2020 is now open for applications and will offer top-class qualifications, creating opportunities for the UAE’s youth to embark on behind-the-scenes careers in the theatre and movie industry.

Three Atelier 2020 make-up courses, run by the Dubai-based London College of Make-up, will focus on special effects, theatre and stage, and fashion and media make-up. The eight-week courses start in 2020 and prospective students can find out more at the London College of Make-up website.

DIDI’s costume design for theatre courses will form part of the DIDI Bachelor of Design, and will teach students visual literacy and the required technological skills, based on a collaboration and sustainable approach.

The courses were designed by the team at Al Wasl, the Expo 2020-commissioned opera composed by Emirati artists Mohamed Fairouz and Maha Gargash. Performed in both Arabic and English, Al Wasl will tell the rich cultural story of the UAE, including its achievements and future aspirations, and forms a key part of Expo 2020 Dubai’s cultural programming.