Tuesday 07 / January / 2025
Muscat: 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 on Sunday, 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.
