Dubai Culture Welcomes Summer with 18 Creative and Enriching ‘School of Life’ Sessions

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is launching a fresh season of community workshops through its ‘School of Life’ project, part of Dubai’s Quality of Life Strategy. Under the theme ‘Hello Summer’, 18 interactive sessions will be held in June across the programme’s Impact Track and creative clubs. These activities invite Dubai Public Library visitors to develop new skills and enjoy a vibrant calendar of summer events.

Next month, Al Mankhool Public Library will host the Japanese Kakigori workshop, where attendees can learn how to prepare kakigōri, the soft Japanese shaved ice dessert, using seasonal flavours and homemade syrups. This hands-on experience also offers a window into Japanese culture, making it a memorable summer treat. As part of the Calligraphy Club, the library will feature the ‘Baybayin Calligraphy on Shell’ class, led by Gino Banola, who will introduce Filipino heritage and the art of painting on shells using the ancient Baybayin script. Meanwhile, Hatta Public Library will present a ‘Fruit Carving Workshop’ with Nada Saeed Kattan, under the Health & Nutrition Club, teaching participants how to transform fruit into playful shapes and edible works of art.

Al Safa Art & Design Library will host Art Club activities for adults and children. In ‘From Idea to Creation: An Artistic Journey in Colour’, Benedicte Gimonnet guides learners through the process of starting an art project, including how to select colours that capture their vision. In ‘Painting on Tote Bags,’  Abeer Al Edani helps attendees turn personal memories into unique keepsakes by decorating tote bags. Medaf Creative Studio will offer two sessions for kids: one focused on designing their own fishbowls, and another on painting with gold leaves. The Book Club’s ‘Travelling Memoirs’ will invite visitors to explore how journeys, whether real or imagined, can serve as a means of escape, self-discovery, and personal transformation through a discussion of travel memoirs, road trip fiction, and stories of change.

As part of the Impact Track’s Calligraphy Club, Mohammad Altamimi will lead Ruq’ah classes, focusing on mastering Arabic letter formation using traditional tools, covering characters such as Meem (م), Ya (ي), Hamzah (ء), Ayn (ع), and Haa (ح). The Photography Club wraps up the month with practical training on presenting images professionally and building confidence in sharing work, culminating in a public exhibition of participants’ photographs.