JEDDAH: A drama therapy workshop was recently organized under the theme: “In drama we find the power to express, and in expression we find the power to heal,” at Cinema Al-Balad in Jeddah.

Led by Lujain Faqerah, senior psychologist and creative arts supervisor, in collaboration with actor and screenwriter Abdul Al-Shareef, the workshop explored the use of drama therapy in daily life and creative work.

Participants, including therapists, creatives, and others, learned how drama can support emotional awareness, healing, and connection.

The workshop showed how drama-based therapeutic techniques can help people access unconscious behaviors, foster self-expression, and improve creative practices such as screenwriting and acting.

Faqerah told Arab News: “Drama is integrated naturally in our daily responses and situations. In a therapeutic setting, it helps us observe these interactions and reflect on a deeper level of our unconscious body gestures and movements that might reveal a lot about our personalities.”

She made it clear that drama therapy is not about performing but about expressing what lies beneath — emotions, memories, or internal conflicts.

Faqerah said: “The word drama has a negative connotation to the extent that people reject it before trying. Drama therapy does not depend on acting skills or previous experience, but more on your self-expression and the challenges you experience.”

Her discovery of drama therapy was transformative. “It surprised me with the appearance of a hidden part of me that is more bold and confident. When this part emerged and I saw the benefits myself, I started incorporating it in my profession.”

Al-Shareef brought a creative perspective as an actor and screenwriter new to drama therapy but interested in its techniques.

“As an actor and a writer, I found this experiment with drama supervision and therapy fascinating. It’s a tool that I am willing to explore and learn more about to enhance my life and practice,” he said.

“Some people may think drama therapy is exclusively for artists, but it’s not. The techniques can be integrated into everyday routines, varying from person to person depending on their challenges.”

DUBAI: US Palestinian Dutch supermodel Gigi Hadid has unveiled a new campaign with Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas.

The model, who launched a line with the flip flop label, stars in a vintage-inspired series of photographs. In the shots, she shows off slippers from her collection with the brand and is seen wearing retro outfits on a beach.

 

 

 

 

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Hadid celebrated the launch at a party in Altro Paradiso in New York last week.  At the event, she wore flip flops paired with a white tweed Marc Jacobs minidress, featuring vibrant scattered crystals.

The model is no stranger to making creative decisions and is also the founder of her own cashmere brand, Guest in Residence.

She launched her clothing label, which features soft, colorful knitwear, in September 2022.

“Over the last handful of years, I didn’t want to be backed into starting my own line just because there was an offer on the table or a deal to be made,” she wrote to her followers on Instagram at the time.

“The earliest days of Guest in Residence came about when I started to question the cashmere market, and those answers gave me a path,” she wrote.

“I believe that because of its sustainable qualities — natural and made to cherish and to pass down — cashmere is a luxury that should be more accessible.”

Earlier this year, Hadid celebrated her birthday party at Le Chalet in New York City.

Hadid entered the venue with her partner, Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper on April 25, and met up with her sister Bella Hadid, mother Yolanda Hadid, father Mohamed Hadid, Russian media personality Keni Silva and US actress Anne Hathaway, among others.

Gigi’s birthday was on April 23, and the internet was abuzz with celebrities, designers, family and friends who sent birthday wishes to the supermodel as she turned 30.