Oman to Host 15th Edition of Arab Theatre Festival

Muscat, 5
Jan (ONA) — Represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, the
Sultanate of Oman will host the 15th edition of the Arab Theatre Festival from 9
to 15 January 2025. The festival will be organized in cooperation with the Arab
Theatre Institute and Oman Theatre Society.

The
festival will feature 15 sensational theatrical performances from Oman and abroad. The performances will be staged in three
theatres, those of Al Bustan Palace, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (Al
Irfan) and the College of Banking Studies.

Sayyid Said
bin Sultan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Youth for Culture, Chairman of the Main Committee of the 15th Arab
Theatre Festival, said, “The festival constitutes a forum that brings together
an elite group of outstanding Arab artists, theatre specialists, writers and
directors, who will consider ways of enhancing the role of theatre in supporting
culture and innovation in the Arab world.”

Speaking at
a press conference at Oman Society for Arts in Ghala today, Al Busaidi said
that more than 500 Arab artists would take part in staging the 15 theatrical performances and accompanying activities.

Al Busaidi
pointed out that activities of the forthcoming festival include an exhibition
of Omani handicrafts, an art exhibition and 30 press conferences, in addition
to a scholarly workshop that would elaborate on various aspects of theatre, artificial
intelligence (AI) and innovation.

He added
that the event would see 33 book signing sessions that would highlight publications
on Omani, GCC and Arab theatre arts. The sessions, which will take place at the
pavilion of the Arab Theatre Institution, include the launching of 9 new books
on Omani theatre.

A key event would be the message
of the Arab Theatre Day, which will be presented by Palestinian artist Fat’hi Abdul-Rahman
on 10 January.

Al Busaidi said
that the festival reflects Arab shared values, notably member states’ approaches to enhancing cultural communication, exchanging experiences, establishing partnerships and consolidating integration with global institutions.

He explained
that the main 15 theatrical performances will be presented by 13 Arab countries and that 11 of those performances would contest the “Award for the Best Arab
Theatrical Performance”, a prize sponsored by Sheikh Dr. Sultan Mohammad Al
Qasimi. This is in addition to the contribution of participants from other Arab
countries.

The festival seeks to promote Arab culture in general, with
emphasis on Arab theatre. It envisages the realization of objectives of the
Arab Strategy for Theatre Development. It also aims to open vistas for developing innovation in
the Arab theatre, showcase Arab theatrical products and enhance research and writings
addressing all segments of society.

— Ends/Bishara/AH