Dubai, United Arab Emirates April 14, 2007: Students at Al-Mizhar American Academy for Girls (AAG) completed their hand-painted falcon sculpture as part of the public art project in Dubai. The project, known as "Flight of the Falcons," pays tribute to one of the most esteemed creatures of the desert and is the final installment of the "Desert Trilogy" which also included sculptures of horses and camels. 

AAG high school students Roudha Al Sakit and Bhavika Belani submitted a unique design for the falcon which caught the attention of the project's sponsors. The students' design was chosen because it "Combined both the tradition and reality of Dubai," explained Roudha. "We decided to give the falcon a silver cape with a henna design because henna is truly a part of the Emirati culture," she continued.

The project aims to allow all artists to participate in public art and the beautification of Dubai while raising money for charity. Many schools participated in this project and their falcons are displayed in prominent locations in Dubai and will be auctioned at a gala event attended by sponsors and high profile entrepreneurs.

"Community is really the core theme behind the Desert Trilogy series. Some of the most memorable pieces in these collections were done by schoolchildren, or social or national groups that come together to contribute and create original art and show their support for charity in the UAE," explains Patricia Palmer, Director of ArtWorks, the organization behind the project.

While the falcon was an art project for the high school students at Al-Mizhar American Academy for Girls, it was a writing competition in the elementary. The elementary school students had the opportunity to create a name and an imaginary persona for the falcon in a series of poems and fictional stories. The AAG falcon, otherwise known as "Glimmering Grace," is now on display on Jumeirah Beach Road.

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About Beacon Education
Beacon Education was established to address the growing need for high quality schools in the Middle East. Dubai is the platform from which Beacon Education launched its initial projects, with four schools that opened in September 2005. Beacon Education is financed by Taaleem, a unique Private Joint Stock company that over the next six to eight years will invest over AED 1 billion in educational ventures across the region.

With quality at the forefront, Beacon Education will tailor each project to answer the specific educational needs of families by offering a comprehensive choice of outstanding international curricula from American to British to the International Baccalaureate. The following schools fall under the Beacon Education banner: Al-Mizhar, American Academy for Girls, The Children's Garden, Dubai British School, Raha International School, and Uptown Primary.

For more information, please contact:
Alice Markson
Beacon Education
Tel: +971 43498806
Fax: +971 43498807
E-mail: amarkson@beacon.ae
Website: www.beacon.ae

© Press Release 2007