By HUBERT VAZ
With a penchant for costuming, theatrics, and ‘putting on a show’ Ali Al Zadjali, Head of Marketing & Events, ABQ Azzan Bin Qais International School, says he grabbed every opportunity that came his way to turn school events into a full experience for students to capture and cherish memories of their early life. ‘Costumes bring on the first smile, they give a relatable feel for young children,’ he tells Hubert Vaz in a free-wheeling chat
From a passion for theatre to a school-wide initiative, how did your idea of wearing costumes for school activities first take shape?
I wanted to be a drama teacher growing up, it was my favourite subject at school and I was always hanging out somewhere near the stage or the drama classroom. Between that and my admiration of Lady Gaga’s aesthetic and commitment to theatrics, I’ve sort of always found myself emphasising the importance of a look, whether it’s to go watch a movie, going to dinner or running an event… Style is very important and style can mean the correct pairing of your everyday look, but at the same time, it’s what message you want to present and for school events the message is commitment, it’s that every experience is thought out and planned.
You say your intention is to create an ‘experience’ rather than simply organise an event. How do costumes change the way students engage with school activities?
Costumes bring on the first smile, the first interaction. You will have balloons, you will have a backdrop, you’ll have the music playing, you’ll have the bubble and fog machines running but costumes give that relatable feel, especially if it’s a fun character that the kids can be positively distracted by on arrival.
As a staff member, you have an advantage in connecting with students through these characters. How do younger students, in particular, respond when they see a familiar face transformed into a superhero?
Because I’m fortunate enough to have a more ‘fun’ position, you always know I’m up to something if I’m not in my office. I’m either planning an event, setting up an event or simply trying to ensure that it’s something that the entire community will enjoy by interacting and getting ideas and feedback. So, on event days, the students know that that I’m going to be making rounds as head of marketing to get some footage but they get just as excited to see what I’m dressed up as to do so, and trust me, if it’s not a fully realised look, they will make it very clear. That’s what I love because the younger students can’t control their reactions. It’s the most genuine feedback you can get, so I definitely enjoy when I’m wearing my work uniform and I hear, ‘Mr Ali you’re the costume guy, what’s your next costume?’
From the school’s own superhero character to the medal-covered outfit for Athletics Day – What goes into conceptualising a costume?
That’s the best part, some of the best looks come at a whim. Specifically those two, they were late night thoughts that came to mind and I got up and quickly sketched out the idea and started bringing it to life with my tailor during the following week, after sourcing the materials.
What has been your most challenging costume project?
I know it sounds superficial but the most challenging project is always the next one. The greatest satisfaction will always be seeing it come to fruition.
Your costumes have ranged from Arabian-inspired attire for Ramadan to characters such as Genie and Simba for productions and concerts. How do you choose characters that resonate with students?
You have to understand three elements – your event, your attendees, and functionality. With a costume like Genie, it’s actually one of the first costumes I created and it was more about the ‘extravaganza’ school concert, thinking of what’s a character that plays to my strength is entertaining but will resonate with students and parents alike. With Simba, it was a bit easier because it was for the play itself but it was important to me to curate a costume that’s unique, doesn’t take away from the student that is portraying Simba or any of the student cast members while being uniquely mine. I’m also very fortunate of the friends I have because a friend of mine is actually the artist which hand drew the detailed artwork of the outfit for me.
You also create opportunities for students/parents to take photographs at events. Have these made a real difference?
I’m friends with a few of the parents as we would have gone to school or university together or reconnected running into each other. The day I knew it’s making a real difference was when I went over to a friend’s house for dinner and saw a picture on the fridge that includes me and the student and that’s when I knew the impact of going the extra mile.
One of my closest friends who I’ve met in recent years would be another example. We ran into each other at a dinner before knowing each other and he brought that up. He specifically recognised me because of a character I was in when I emceed a ceremony where his nephew was featured in. From that conversation, I have now gained one of my closest friends.
After nearly nine years of experimenting with costumes and themed appearances, what new characters, ideas or experiences would you like to introduce?
I am fortunate to work in an environment that constantly supports the ideas I come up with, within reason. There are some exciting ideas, event themes and characters coming to life and I’m happy to be in an environment that supports it.
I am also fortunate to have had a remarkable weight loss recently and not all the costumes are easy to take in without damaging them so that’s been another motivation to come up with new characters and ideas because I can’t re-use all the costumes I’ve made before.
That’s me…
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