Khalid bin Hamad Theatre Festival to begin on October 4

Manama : Curtains will go up on ‘Khalid bin Hamad Theatre Festival For National Clubs, Youth Centres and People with Disability’ at Muharraq Model Youth Centre on October 4. 

Twelve plays will be staged during the 18-day long festival, which will conclude on October 21. Three additional shows will also be held on the sidelines of the festival. 

Twelve clubs from different parts of the Kingdom will take part in the festival.

Mariam Zaiman, actress and member of the Theatres Festival Jury, said that the Bahraini youth is longing for the festival, which serves the noble goals set by His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Athletics Association and Honourary President of the Bahrain Disabled Sports Federation.

She said the jury will spare no efforts to ensure that the best play is selected for the honour of the winning title.

Zaiman predicted strong competition among the 12 participating clubs, which are chosen from among 32 clubs that initially sought entry to the festival to perform before the audience and judges. 

‘Dialogue of a Butterfly’

Al-Naeem Youth Centre will stage “Dialogue of a Butterfly” at the festival. 

Rehearsals are being held to stage the play. Abdulla Al-Qattan, Director of the play, expressed the team’s gratitude and appreciation to HH Shaikh Khalid and the organisers for allowing the team to take part in the festival, which he said, will be a landmark in the acting career of the participants. Rehearsals are also being held to stage other plays participating in the festival.

Gulf University sponsor

Gulf University is one of the sponsors of the Festival this time. His Highness Shaikh Khalid said that Gulf University’s sponsorship is a great gain for the festival and the goals it set for the third edition.

HH Shaikh Khalid also praised Gulf University and its initiatives to support the youth.

Mohannad Ismail Al-Mashadani, Acting President of Gulf University, the Strategic Partner of the festival, affirmed that the university is keen on supporting the initiatives of HH Shaikh Khalid to empower the Bahraini youth, especially in the fields of theatre, art, culture, humanitarian and artistic fields.

He highlighted that the inclusion of people with disabilities in the festival reflects His Highness’s concern for physically challenged in the Bahraini society.

The festival, being organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and the Media Office of HH Shaikh Khalid comes within Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Initiatives to support the youth of the Kingdom and engage them with various events and activities.