Dubai, UAE: 29 July 2007 Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the British Council's Edinburgh Showcase welcomes to Scotland two theatre specialists from the UAE as part of its largest ever delegation of more than 25 theatre professionals from the Middle East.

From 20-25 August 2007, Ms Samira Ahmed and Dr Habib Al Attar will visit the biennial event, which takes place alongside the Edinburgh Festival; the world's biggest festival of performing arts.

Alongside other Middle East delegates from Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen, the UAE delegates will see a diverse mix of contemporary UK performance and take part in panel discussions on Arab theatre. Ranging from the experimental to the established, many of the 30 productions programmed by the British Council ask pertinent questions about individual, national and cultural identities in an increasingly interconnected world.

The Middle East delegation comes to Edinburgh as part of the British Council's effort to increase opportunities for creative dialogue between people in this part of the world and the UK. It coincides with the launch of the British Council's first comprehensive theatre programme in the Gulf region, building on previous successful projects in other parts of the Middle East, and working with local partners to develop a programme of tours, capacity building and collaborations.

In an Edinburgh Showcase first, Kuwaiti delegate and writer/director Sulayman Al-Bassam will collaborate with acclaimed UK playwright, Mark Ravenhill. They will work together over 24 hours to produce a brand new play for performance at the Traverse Theatre, in collaboration with award-winning theatre company Paines Plough.

British Council Director of Drama and Dance, Sally Cowling, commented:"Over the last 10 years the Edinburgh Showcase has provided an important marketplace for British theatre makers looking to build an international profile for their work, and an exciting gathering point for theatre presenters from all over the world. We are delighted to welcome our largest ever delegation from the Middle East this year and for many delegates, particularly from the Gulf region, it will be the first real engagement with contemporary UK theatre. Against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the enduring spirit of the Edinburgh Showcase is to inspire, challenge and foster debate about the very nature of theatre and the world we live in. I am sure this year will be no exception."

She added: "We look forward to beginning fruitful partnerships with theatre professionals from the Middle East who will be coming to Edinburgh for the first time."

Ms Yara Moualla, Arts Project Manager at the British Council UAE, commented: "The British Council in the UAE is focusing on arts to build bridges between different cultures. The Edinburgh Showcase is a good example, highlighting the exciting potential of the theatre in bringing together the rich cultures of the society in which we live. Theatre is a powerful medium which allows us to gain a deeper understanding of culture and creates new insights into various facets of our society "

Actress Samira Ahmed added: "The Edinburgh Showcase is very important and offers the opportunity to meet British artists and actors, and become more familiar with their work and experiences. This event will introduce us to unique British theatrical productions and understand the art, whilst meeting actors and theatre colleagues from all over the world."

Dr. Habib Attar, Senior Director of Theatre at the UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth commented: "I and my colleague Samira are honoured to represent the United Arab Emirates in this great forum, and we thank the British Council for inviting us. We will do our best to introduce the theatre movement taking place in the UAE, and meet other artists and actors from all over the world, as well. We will try to understand the standard of the theatre in other countries, not to forget the importance of the English theatre, which is very close to our own Arabic theatre. It is essential that we familiarise ourselves with this new work and meet the creative people behind it." 

Since the inaugural Edinburgh Showcase in 1997, the British Council has presented more than 150 productions to an invited audience of international theatre promoters with 90 per cent going on to tour globally as a result.

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Notes to Editors:
Dr. Habib Al Attar: Holder of PhD of Theatre (Effect of oil boom in the Gulf theatre) from Manchester University, holder of Masters Degree (Women as actresses in the Gulf Theatre). He is a renowned actor and Director of the Theatre Admin at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

Samira Ahmed: Actress started playing roles in 1980. She participated in many Arabic events and festivals. She won number of prizes for the roles she played.

For further information about the Edinburgh Showcase and to download our Edinburgh Showcase 10th Anniversary brochure visit www.britishcouncil.org/edinburghshowcaseEdinburgh Showcase 2007 is supported by the Scottish Arts Council, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Wales Arts International. Theatre professionals from more than 50 countries will attend the British Council's 2007 Edinburgh Showcase. 

In the Middle East region (Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen) the British Council's arts programme aims to promote a shared understanding of British and Arab culture through events including exhibitions, seminars and workshops which aim to foster dialogue and inspire collaborative working .

The British Council works in 110 countries worldwide to build intercultural understanding between the UK and other countries through the arts, education and training, science and technology, sport, good governance and human rights. Our income in 2005/06 was 517m, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was 189m. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org

For further information, please contact:  
Yara Moualla,
Arts Project Manager
British Council
Tel: 04 3135545
Mob: 050 6151606 

Sheethal Rishi
Project Coordinator 
British Council
Tel: 04 3135548
Mob: 050 6249232
Website: www.edfringe.com

Press Release 2007