Dubai Culture & Arts Authority Announces School of Life Programme

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority has announced the February 2026 programme for its School of Life initiative, with more than 34 workshops and interactive sessions taking place across Dubai Public Libraries throughout the month. Delivered under the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy, the programme is positioned as part of Dubai Culture’s work to turn public libraries into active learning spaces and community hubs. Activities will run at several locations across the city, including Al Rashidiya, Al Twar, Al Mankhool, Al Safa Art & Design, Umm Suqeim, and Hatta.
The programme is organised across multiple tracks. The Life Skills track includes science, innovation, and personal development sessions such as Little Scientists in Action at Al Rashidiya with Wonder Minds, Nature Inspired Art led by Lara Shevaun, Moving Paper Robots at Al Mankhool with Ashleigh Wilmot, and 3D Pen Projects at Al Twar with Science Xplorers. Al Safa Art & Design Library will also host The Future We Inherit, a session led by Rufina Fakhridi exploring identity, ambition, and cultural futures.
The Visual Arts track is centred at Al Safa Art & Design Library and includes Fabric Block Printing in collaboration with Regal Fabrics, where participants create a 1.5 metre scarf or stole using Jaipuri hand printing, plus My Future with AI led by Sara Ali for children using design and AI tools to turn ideas into printed images. Other sessions include Pop Art and Innovation by Abeer Al Edani, Islamic Tiles Making in partnership with Tashkeel, and Origami Pop-up Book Binding focused on bookmaking techniques. Medaf Creative Studio will deliver Circuit Carnival Craft on basic electrical circuits, Art That Moves on building simple automata, and Futuristic Robot Collage using cardboard and craft materials. Al Rashidiya will host Art on Hair Brush with Brushly Art Hub, inviting participants to transform everyday objects into personalised artworks. Al Mankhool will host Baybayin in Digital Typography and Modern Baybayin Posters with Gino Banola, with participants required to bring laptops with Adobe Photoshop, and Japan in Arabia will lead Japanese Writing on Uchiwa, introducing Japanese calligraphy on paper fans.
The Literature track includes storytelling sessions such as Billy Bear’s Brown Hair with Dina Nasr at Al Safa Art & Design Library and The Library Monster with Mohamed AlNabilsi at Umm Suqeim. Al Safa will also host two creative writing workshops from Sahab Collective and facilitator Louis Garratt, Reimagining the Short Story and Breaking Narrative Rules, focusing on unconventional structure, voice, and time. The Languages track at Al Twar will include two sessions by Arabically, Arabic in Nature Innovative Architecture and Arabic in Nature Eco-Friendly Materials, guiding children to draw from local heritage and calligraphy while exploring contemporary design and sustainability.
The Health and Nutrition track includes Cake Jar at Hatta with Nada Qattan, Chocolate Bar Decoration at Al Rashidiya for families, and Matcha Preparation at Al Mankhool with Japan in Arabia, including a tasting experience. In the Music and Performing Arts track, Al Safa Art & Design Library will host Choral in Arabic Ramadan in collaboration with Cordon. Across multiple sessions, children will train in vocal warm-ups, breath control, pitch, pronunciation, and simple theatrical movement while rehearsing a medley of Ramadan Gana and Aqbal Qamark, ending with a final performance and group reflection.