This June, Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi hosted the 2025 Middle East and India Performing Arts Festival (MEIPAF). It was a significant moment for our school and for the growing community of young performers across the region.
Held over three days, MEIPAF brought together Nord Anglia students from the region for a programme of intensive workshops, rehearsals, and performances, all led by working professionals from the West End stage. These artists brought with them a wealth of experience, with credits in productions such as Hamilton, Wicked, Mamma Mia! and Harry Potter, offering our students a rare and valuable opportunity to learn directly from those at the top of their field.
Alongside them, we welcomed musicians and educators from New York University and the International Music Institute, who supported sessions in orchestral training, pop and rock performance, and piano. Several of our own teachers led workshops as well, reinforcing the strength of our in-house expertise and our belief in collaborative, hands-on learning.
The festival culminated in The NASpectacular, a performance that reflected not just what the students had learned, but how they had grown. The weekend challenged students to take creative risks, to listen and respond to one another, and to approach their work with discipline and care. Many left with a clearer sense of themselves, not only as performers, but as learners and collaborators.
This was one of several opportunities we’ve created this year to place the performing arts at the centre of school life. From our Winter Concerts, which involved every student from Early Years to Key Stage 4, to our major school production of Aladdin – Journey to Agrabah, we’ve built a culture where performance is not a one-off event, but part of an ongoing journey.
We’ve also continued our tradition of the ‘Friday Busking’, our regular informal platform where students can perform in front of peers, staff, and families in a relaxed setting. These sessions, though small in scale, are often where we see the greatest personal growth, from a child who dares to sing in public for the first time to a student who tries a new instrument or composition.
Hosting MEIPAF was a natural extension of this work. It allowed us to bring the wider Nord Anglia community into our space and to offer our students access to high-calibre instruction and insight. But more than that, it affirmed the importance of making the arts visible, rigorous, and deeply valued within education.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to strengthening our position as a regional hub for performing arts. That means continuing to bring in professionals, creating meaningful performance opportunities, and ensuring that every student has the chance to engage with the arts in a way that’s purposeful and authentic.
To learn more about our Performing Arts programme or upcoming events, contact our admissions team at admissions@nasabudhabi.ae or call +971 (0)2 699 3333.
