Muscat – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MCSY) has launched the third edition of its Summer of Arts programme, offering 18 specialised training courses aimed at developing artistic and creative skills among school students and youngsters during the summer holiday.

Scheduled to run from June 22 to August 18, the programme targets participants aged eight to 18, offering training opportunities across a broad spectrum of artistic disciplines while encouraging productive use of the vacation period.

It includes workshops in playwriting and acting, Arabic calligraphy, digital arts, photography, artistic content creation, drawing, painting, sculpture and other visual arts. Participants will also have access to training in instruments such as piano, violin and oud, alongside interactive sessions exploring the use of artificial intelligence in music.

As part of the programme, the ministry will organise a competition called ‘Stars of the Future’ for students aged 11 to 17 under the theme ‘My Summer, My Way’. The contest seeks to identify promising young filmmakers and encourage students to express their ideas through short-film production and visual storytelling.

H E Sayyid Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Culture, described the programme as a reflection of the ministry’s commitment to investing in the skills of young people and supporting the goals of the Cultural Strategy 2021–2040.

He noted that this edition has been designed to address evolving training needs in the cultural sector and includes new areas such as cinema, sound and lighting technologies, and the application of artificial intelligence in artistic fields.

The undersecretary added that the ministry aims to foster an environment that encourages creativity and innovation while providing participants with practical skills that strengthen their engagement in the sultanate’s cultural and creative sectors.

The ministry stated that it will continue enhancing its summer programmes by introducing activities that respond to emerging trends and provide learning and training opportunities for participants across a range of artistic disciplines.