A couple of months ago, the family behind Dubai's performing arts centre and improvisation theatre, The Courtyard Playhouse, was afraid their business wouldn't survive the pandemic.
Like many training institutions, it ceased operations in early March and they were concerned the temporary shutdown could translate to a permanent one.
"We live based on the bookings we have every month," owner and founder Kemsley Dickinson told The National at the time. "There are no bookings now, for the foreseeable future."
The family were forced to get creative, selling merchandise online and offering virtual improv classes in the meantime to make ends meet.
But now it seems things are looking up, as the team announced on Sunday that the theatre is reopening, offering select in-house programmes for anyone over the age of 12 and under 60.
The reopening is in alignment with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority's stipulations. This includes limited classes sizes (a maximum of eight will be allowed), plus the stringent health and safety measures.
All participants and instructors must be two metres apart at all times, everyone must have their temperature checked on arrival, and wear masks and gloves.
Sanitisation stations have been put in place and the Al Quoz premises were fully disinfected before reopening.
On top of that, no more than 80 people can be on site at any one time.
The team's first official day back at work was Sunday, June 7, with in-house courses set to commence from Sunday, July 5.
This includes a junior improv summer camp for 12 to 16 year olds, plus an introduction to improvisation course for adults.
For a full list of available programmes, click here. All online courses and activities will also continue.
A statement about evening programmes will reportedly be made later this month.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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