Sharjah Children Reading Festival

Sandro Cleuzo inspires next-gen illustrators with his winningsecrets behind expressive characters at SAC 2025

Acclaimed animator guides participants through expressions, poses and shape theory, offering a rare glimpse into the process of crafting memorable characters

Sharjah, May 2, 2025 

The opening day of the 3rd Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC 2025) lit up with the creative spark and seasoned insights of Disney veteran Sandro Cleuzo, at his workshop, “Character Design Essentials: From Concept to Final Illustration”.

Addressing a full house, the acclaimed animator, known for his work in Mary Poppins Returns (2018), The Iron Giant (1999) and Nimona (2023), shared a masterful breakdown-technique of his character creation process. “Designing characters is like directing actors – you have to know who they are, how they move, and what they’re feeling”. 

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Education

Sharjah explores cooperation with Guinean cities in higher education and civil aviation

During a delegation visit led by the Guinean Ambassador to the Department of Government Relations

Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi: Sharjah is committed to sustainable development partnerships with African nations


Sharjah, May 2, 2025,

The Sharjah Department of Government Relations (DGR) explored avenues for strengthening cooperation in higher education, civil aviation, and cultural exchange with a high-level Guinean delegation led by His Excellency Sekou Cherifke Camara, Ambassador of Guinea to the United Arab Emirates.

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Sharjah Children Reading Festival

AI could help rebalance global storytelling in children’s media: Experts at Sharjah Animation Conference

Creators from Africa to France discussed how artificial intelligence could rebalance the storytelling ecosystem – if used ethically, thoughtfully, and locally

Sharjah, May 2, 2025

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the future of children’s content and empower storytellers from underrepresented regions, said leading global creators who gathered at the 3rd annual Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC 2025) for a panel discussion ‘The Future of Kids’ Content and AI’, on Thursday.

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Events

DWTC Unveils Action-Packed Events Calendar for May

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2 May 2025: Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is set to host a diverse line up of international exhibitions and conferences this May across key industries including interior design, travel and hospitality, media and entertainment, and payments and e-commerce.

With a range of events and conferences taking place across the month, highlights include long-running exhibitions such as GISEC Global, INDEX Dubai and The Hotel Show, major digital economy platforms like Seamless Middle East, as well as industry gatherings including CABSAT, Integrate Middle East, and SatExpo.

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Sharjah Children Reading Festival

Exclusive workshop with Disney’s Tony Bancroft unlocks the secrets of animated comedy at SAC 2025

Bancroft explores running gags, freeze-frames, and the universal language of laughter during Sharjah Animation Conference masterclass

Sharjah, May 2, 2025

The Sharjah Animation Conference 2025 (SAC 2025) has commenced on its opening day with a resounding response, as Disney legend Tony Bancroft; the animator behind iconic characters like The Lion King’s ‘Pumbaa’ and the hilarious parrot, ‘Iago’ from Aladdin; led an exclusive workshop titled “Animating Comedy: Mastering Character Posing & Timing.”

Continue reading Exclusive workshop with Disney’s Tony Bancroft unlocks the secrets of animated comedy at SAC 2025 →