QF students step into the spotlight as school musical’s story hits the screen

The creativity and artistic talent of students from Qatar Foundation (QF) schools who are bringing back a performing arts tradition after a 10-year hiatus is to be showcased to Qatar’s community this week.

SHOWTIME! – a Broadway-style musical – has been in the making for 14 months, with production continuing even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

And now a documentary telling the story of how it was made is about to receive its virtual premiere, as students and staff from schools under QF Pre-University Education perform a string of favorites from classic shows, including Mary Poppins and Matilda, against the backdrop of locations around Education City.

The documentary – highlighting the journey and purpose of SHOWTIME! and featuring some of its musical numbers – will be screened at www.qf.org.qa/showtime-premiere at 6.30pm on Wednesday and will be available on QF’s YouTube channel afterward.

Meanwhile, the QF Schools Productions team is already looking at how to build on the success of this musical with further initiatives that will focus on showcasing the performing arts in the Arabic language.

“At QF, we believe that learning flows both within and beyond the classroom, and that giving young learners the opportunity to explore their creativity nurtures skills and mindsets that benefit them both academically and personally,” said Buthaina Ali Al Nuaimi, President of Pre-University Education at QF.

“By reviving the rich tradition of a performing arts program at QF which dates back two decades, our students have spread their wings and broadened their minds by learning about self-expression, concentration, and teamwork, growing in confidence, and showing the resilience required to reach a goal as the production of SHOWTIME! was adapted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The documentary premiere is free to view on Wednesday. The full production is intended to be performed to an audience at a later date, as public health guidelines allow.