The Kingdom of Jordan launched the thirty-eighth session of the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, on Wednesday, by lighting the festival’s flame to announce the launch of a special version of the cultural and artistic demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The torch of the new session was lit by Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh, in the presence of Tiatsolukiani, Minister of Culture of Georgia, Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture of Egypt, a number of Arab diplomats, and Firas Al-Faour, Governor of Jerash.
The session, which extends until August 3, will be held under the slogan (The Promise Continues) as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein assuming the rule of the country.
Jordanian Minister of Culture Haifa Al-Najjar said at the opening, “Because we cannot deny life, and we believe that art can only be a carrier of the message of beauty and goodness, and a space for the cause of the Palestinian intellectual in the face of evil and aggression, this year’s festival program came as an expression of our national position that seeks “In expressing the nation’s vitality and its ability to create its creativity and express its dreams.”
The festival administration had announced that a portion of the value of entry tickets would be directed to the Jordanian Hashemite Charitable Organization, in addition to allocating the price of the paintings that will be sold in the fine art exhibition accompanying the festival to support relief efforts in the Gaza Strip.
The festival's artistic program relies on Jordanian talents such as Youssef Kiwan, Tony Qattan, Raghad Hijazi, Bashar Al-Hassan, Yahya Sweis, and Makadi Nahhas, after the festival canceled the Southern Theater concerts that hosted major stars in previous editions.
But the program maintained its diversity by inviting some artists from outside Jordan, such as the Syrian Faya Younan, the Egyptian Reham Abdel Hakim, the Lebanese Heba Tawji, and the Palestinian Sanaa Musa.
The opening ceremony was performed by Omar Al-Abdullat, Diana Karazon, Nidaa Sharara, and Rami Shafiq with the Raf Performing Arts Band and the National Conservatory of Music Orchestra, led by Maestro Muhammad Othman Siddiq.
The festival will host, among its activities, the Monodrama Theater Festival in its second session, from July 27 to August 1. The National Exhibition for Creative Cultural Industries will also be held on the sidelines of the activities.
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