The 3rd edition of the Meknes Theatre Festival opened on Wednesday evening under the theme "Meknes, stage of the world's theatres".
The festival, organised by the Chamat troupe, paid tribute during the opening ceremony to a group of actors and directors from the Ismaili city, in particular Driss Rokh, the actress Wassila Sobhi and the actor Abdelhak Belmjahed.
The festival director, Bousselham Daef, told MAP that this cultural event constitutes a platform for dialogue between theatre professionals, through performances in several iconic spaces of this centuries-old city.
He added that "the challenge is not to create theatrical and cultural entertainment, but rather to rehabilitate the city of Meknes" and offer a platform for training young people in the field of theatre and for meetings between theatre enthusiasts in Europe, Africa and the rest of the world.
Thus, the public will discover theatrical experiences from Burkina Faso, France, Spain, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, in addition to Morocco.
The programme also includes training workshops in theatre and stage arts, in addition to open meetings, including those with the writer and novelist Rachid Ben Zein and the Iraqi director Kadem Nasser.
The opening ceremony of the festival, organised in partnership with the Meknes commune, the Meknes prefectural council and the Fez-Meknes regional council, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, was marked by several artistic performances and the presentation of the play Jidar by the Terre de Chaouen des cultures troupe.
In statements on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, the actor Belmjahed expressed his joy at being present at this festival, stressing that Meknes remains the city of theatre par excellence.
He added that the tribute paid to him will enrich his artistic career.
Driss Rokh, for his part, affirmed that this festival is a true recognition for the inhabitants of the city of Meknes, adding that this city "provides the world with a great artistic and creative map in all fields".
The actress Wissal Sobhi said she was "very happy" with this tribute during the opening ceremony of the Meknes International Festival, noting that it is a "great responsibility" for the artist who is called upon to work hard to earn the respect of the public.
