Amman, Aug. 8 (Petra) — The 20th edition of the Jordanian Children’s
Theater Festival concluded on Saturday at the Royal Cultural Center’s
main theater, organized by the Ministry of Culture.

The closing ceremony was attended by Ministry of Culture
Secretary-General Nidal Al-Ahmad, representing the minister of
culture; Jordanian Artists Association President Hani Al-Jarrah;
Theatre and Visual Arts Directorate Director and theater director
Ishaq Yassin; as well as artists, theater professionals,
participants, and their families.

Over the course of the festival, children and school students staged
a variety of theatrical performances covering diverse themes and
artistic forms. The performances showcased school and youth theater
experiences, allowing participants to perform on stage and develop
their skills in acting, performance, play-writing, directing, and
teamwork.

Speaking to reporters following the closing ceremony, Al-Ahmad
stressed the ministry’s role in supporting youth and theatrical
creativity, nurturing talent from an early age and providing
platforms for children and students to express their abilities and
discover their creative potential.

Investing in culture and the arts, he said, was an investment in
people and in the future of Jordan’s cultural and artistic movement.

He also highlighted the importance of children’s theater in shaping
children’s personalities, developing imagination and the ability to
express themselves and engage in dialogue, and strengthening
self-confidence, teamwork, and knowledge.

Nurturing such talents from childhood, he added, helps prepare
generations capable of continuing the country’s creative journey and
contributing to its cultural scene.

Al-Ahmad said theater also provides an important space for
strengthening the Jordanian narrative among children and young people
by presenting stories, values, and experiences linked to national
identity and collective memory in artistic forms accessible to
children, helping pass the narrative on to new generations in
creative and interactive ways.

He noted that the continuation of the Jordanian Children’s Theater
Festival through its 20th edition underscored the importance of such
events in the cultural scene and reflected the Ministry of Culture’s
commitment to expanding children’s and young people’s participation
in cultural life and supporting school and youth theater productions
as a key avenue for discovering talent and developing a new
generation of theater professionals and artists.

The jury, headed by actor Maher Khamash, announced that the play
“Land of Stories,” written and directed by Ahmad Al-Olaimat, had won
the festival’s award in recognition of its theatrical vision and its
ability to use storytelling to engage children and promote their
imagination and human and national values.

The jury recommended attracting a larger number of theatrical
productions, expanding incentive awards to cover more performances,
and encouraging theater groups in coordination with the Ministry of
Education.

It also stressed the importance of expanding the festival’s
geographical reach to include Arab participation.

The festival was held as part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to
support children’s theater, provide an environment conducive to
creativity, and strengthen partnerships between cultural and
educational institutions. These efforts aim to discover promising
talent, provide opportunities for young participants to gain
experience, and contribute to Jordan’s theatrical movement with new
creative talent.

The ceremony also honored the jury members actor Maher Khamash,
writer Mohammad Jamal Amr, and Ahmad Al-Dughaim as well as the
participating theater groups.

The four-day festival featured five plays performed by students from
schools across the kingdom.

//Petra// AF