Dubai Libraries to Host Workshops Inspired by the Flame Tree

This June, as part of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority's School of Life programme, 33 workshops will take over Dubai Public Libraries and Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children, transforming reading rooms into spaces for pottery, painting, coffee brewing, storytelling, matcha-making, embroidery, music and even cupcake decoration. Inspired by the Flame Tree, whose vivid orange blossoms have become a seasonal symbol across Dubai, the programme invites children and adults alike to explore everything from arts and crafts to food, wellness and language. At Al Safa Art & Design Library, visitors can get their hands dirty during a Flame Tree planting workshop with Dubai Municipality, experiment with brewing techniques during the Art of Brewed Coffee session, or dive into visual storytelling through a comic creation series. Those looking for something more tactile can head to Al Rashidiya Library, where pottery workshops, fabric printing and embroidery sessions draw inspiration from summer motifs and the Flame Tree's signature colours. Meanwhile, Al Twar Public Library introduces younger visitors to STEM through hands-on toy-building workshops, while Um Suqeim Public Library uses storytelling to explore themes of kindness, empathy and teamwork. Food lovers are also well catered for. Hatta Public Library hosts a Summer Salads workshop led by nutrition specialists, while Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children explores Emirati culinary traditions through snack-making sessions and colourful cupcake decoration inspired by the Flame Tree itself. Over at Al Mankhool Library, participants can learn the art of preparing Japanese matcha and kakigori, a refreshing shaved-ice dessert popular during Japan's warmer months. Elsewhere, workshops in paper quilling, soap making, floral design, glass decoupage, clay modelling and ceramic shaping offer plenty of opportunities for creative expression, while language enthusiasts can pick up basic Emirati dialect phrases or discover Baybayin, the traditional script of the Philippines. For younger performers, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children rounds out the programme with choir workshops and summer-themed musical activities designed to build confidence, creativity and teamwork. Running throughout the entire month, School of Life offers a reminder that some of the city's most interesting summer activities aren't happening inside malls or cinemas, but among the shelves of its public libraries.