KUWAIT: Minister of Information and Culture Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said that the Kuwait Theatre Festival, whose 23rd edition kicked off Wednesday, has been a beacon of culture and art in the Arab world since its launching in 1989. Speaking at the opening ceremony at the Abdulhussain Abdulredha Theatre in Salmiya, Al-Mutairi, the festival’s sponsor, said since its inception, the Kuwaiti festival has formed its identity and continued its march toward excellence and the dissemination of the culture of diversity. The minister added that the festival has also become a platform for developing the theatrical movement in the country.

This year’s edition coincides with Kuwait’s national days’ celebrations and the 50th anniversary of founding the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL), he said. “We work at the NCCAL on implementing the directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah on backing and encouraging culture and arts in Kuwait,” the minister elaborated.

This is done through the NCCAL’s strategy to boost intellectual production and the theatrical movement and create an environment that encourages theatrical creativity, he noted. The pioneers of Kuwait’s theatrical movement have left a rich legacy for generations in order to cement the role of theater in society-building, he stated. He voiced delight at naming CEO of the Saudi Theater and Performing Arts Commission Sultan Al-Bazie as the festival’s guest and Kuwaiti artist Saad Al-Faraj as the personality of this year’s edition, honoring them as well as other dignitaries and artists. In another development, the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters organized on Thursday an artistic workshop (free studio) marking the 63rd anniversary of National Day and the 33rd anniversary of Liberation Day, with the participation of formative artists from Kuwait and other GCC countries. Sara Khalaf, in charge of the studio and the organizer of the workshop, said in remarks to KUNA that the three-day, annual activity was organized to “express our joy with the celebrations of the beloved homeland,” noting that a number of renowned artists from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are taking part in the workshop.

Nasser Nasrallah, of the UAE, expressed pleasure in partaking in the workshop that coincided with the Kuwaiti national days, noting that his works depict traditional ships, the Kuwaiti woman, and the national flag. His Saudi peer, Hussein Daqqas, said one of his paintings were inspired from the colors of the Kuwaiti flag. — KUNA