LABA Graduates First Urdang Acting Class in Kuwait and the Region
In a new milestone in the development of technical education in Kuwait, LAPA Academy for Performing Arts celebrated the graduation of its first cohort from the Urdang program in acting and stage performance. Nine participants successfully passed the final examination and received accredited British qualifications, marking the first fruits of the Urdang curriculum accreditation agreement announced in Kuwait in late 2025.
This achievement opens a new pathway for local talents in the performing arts, offering training based on a specialized British curriculum and preparing students for professional examinations that lead to recognized acting and stage performance qualifications.
LAPA implemented the program, while trainer and director Shirin Hajji oversaw the participants’ training and the application of the curriculum through a series of practical workshops focused on developing acting tools, character building, performance and expression techniques, improvisation, and work on scripts and stage performance.
Trainer Dalal Jamman also participated in the program, leading specialized workshops on stage movement. These sessions focused on body language, stage presence, movement awareness, and the development of actors’ physical performance. The integration of performance training with movement components created a comprehensive experience that prepared participants for the final examination according to the program’s requirements and standards.
The examination was attended by Jacqueline Hadlow-Moore, Director and Chief Examiner at Urdang International. She observed the participants’ performances and reviewed their artistic output, praising the high level demonstrated by LAPA students. She expressed her delight at being the first examiner to have the opportunity to watch the academy’s students, noting that the course featured a diverse range of works, including contemporary theatrical monologues, Shakespearean pieces, mime, and poetry, reflecting the variety of talents and performance levels among the participants. She also expressed her anticipation for following the growth and development of this pathway in the coming stages.
For her part, trainer and director Shirin Hajji expressed her happiness with the experience, emphasizing that the program represented an important milestone for the participants. She noted that the final examination was conducted in English, which posed an additional challenge for some, particularly since most participants were not academically specialized in acting, and their practical experience in the field was still in its early stages.
Hajji clarified that most participants had previously attended foundational courses with LAPA before qualifying for the examination. She pointed out that the next phase will see the continued qualification of participants wishing to develop their skills and advance to higher levels, enabling them to build a gradual training and examination pathway according to the Urdang curriculum.
With the success of the first cohort, LAPA continues to accept registration applications for future batches of the Urdang acting program, providing more talents with the opportunity to undergo international training within Kuwait, develop their artistic tools according to a global curriculum, and prepare to obtain a British qualification upon meeting the program’s requirements and passing the final examination.
