The UAE Ministry of Education Hosts the Final Round of the BIC® Interschool Puppet Show Competition

Iconic stationery brand encourages creativity in children in the UAE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, January 21st 2014 [ME NewsWire]
Reaching out to schools across the UAE, BIC, the creator of the BIC® Cristal® iconic ball point pen, announced the winners of the BIC® Interschool Puppet Show Competition.

Seven schools emerged as finalists, out of twenty participating schools. The Far Eastern Private School, Sharjah, was judged to be the overall winners, with the JSS Private School, Al-Safa, Dubai, clinching the second prize and The Kindergarten Starters, Dubai, third, in a ceremony held at the UAE Ministry of Education's theatre in Al-Qusais.

The organizers had initially canvassed over 62 schools throughout the UAE, meeting over 80 thousand students over three months.

BIC used ‘art’ as a platform to help children enhance their communications skills, educating them through play sessions in which they learned how to make a puppet using BIC® products with a special focus on BIC®  4 ColoursTM, BIC® Cristal® & BIC® EvolutionTM ECOlutionTM Graphite products. They then participated in a show, where the ‘BIC Boy’ puppet character was the end hero.

The competition’s judging panel included prominent academic figures, headed by Ms. Sharifa Mousa Hassan, Director of Student Activities & Scientific Competitions at the UAE Ministry of Education, alongside Mr. Saleh Al-Ustad, Head of Cultural and Artistic Activities at the Ministry and Mrs. Uma Rale, the former head of Fine Arts and Theatre at the Indian High School.

“We strongly encourage initiatives such as this one, as they are an important part of the development of children's potential and enhance their artistic skills. The aim of projects as this competition by BIC is in line with our vision, whereby children craft creative scenarios based on popular stories that reflect positive moral outcomes”, said Ms. Sharifa Mousa Hassan. She also expressed that the strong participation in this event, as well as the enthusiasm shown by pupils, confirmed the necessity for educators to invest in the creativity of children, as evidenced by the warm welcome of this form of puppet theatre, in which fun and knowledge were merged.

“We strongly believe that fostering creative abilities in children should begin at an early age, and what better way to begin than when they are at school. Creating these puppets is a way to engage the children in a healthy competition, which enhances social skills, communication and self-expression”, said Rob Maddock, BIC General Manager, Middle East & South Asia.

Notes to the Editors

About BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, shavers and promotional products. For more than 60 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands in the world. BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world. In 2012, BIC recorded net sales of 1,898.7 million euros. The Company is listed on “Euronext Paris” and is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes. BIC is also part of the following SRI indexes: FTSE4Good Europe, Euronext Vigeo Europe 120, Euronext Vigeo France 20, Ethibel Excellence Europe, Gaia Index and Stoxx Global ESG Index.

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