The creativity of Maghreb students is in the spotlight on the occasion of the first edition of the Maghreb University Forum of Arts, which will be kicked off today at the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco (BNRM) in Rabat, in the presence of national authorities, academics, men of letters and arts, as well as students.

Exhibitions, music shows, theatre, poetry readings, film and documentary screenings, conferences, and colloquiums, i.e., eleven events open to the public, are on the programme of this travelling cultural event that the cities of Rabat, El Jadida, and Casablanca will host from 22 to 26 April.

A week of cultural festivities rich in discoveries that will reveal "the inexhaustible creativity of the young generations from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia," the organisers emphasise, specifying that 65 artistic projects will be presented on the sidelines of this event.

Organised at the initiative of Cristina Robalo Cordeiro, director of the Maghreb Office of the AUF (Agence universitaire de la Francophonie), this meeting will see the participation of 300 young talents whose "forum gives a glimpse of the momentum of idealism that is found today in all Maghreb youth, aware of the historical moment experienced in this region of the world," it is rejoiced.

Regarding the theme of utopia chosen for this first edition, Cristina R.C explains herself in these terms: "What else is Utopia, if not this joy given by the idea that everything is possible and that freedom is creative?"

It should be noted that the programme of this inaugural day proposes in the morning a conference on "Francophone utopia", hosted by Marc Quaghebeur at the National Library of the Kingdom, followed by the opening of exhibition I, which will be held until the 25th in the hall of the Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Agdal.

The participants will then meet in the hall of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Souissi, where they will attend in the afternoon the opening, this time, of exhibition II, open until 25 April.

The day will be closed by an intercultural show at the Mohammed V National Theatre.

Note that a film screening session and a theatre and music show are planned for Wednesday 25 at the Mohammadia School of Engineers, Mohammed V University-Agdal.

It should be noted that as part of this event, the city of El Jadida will host tomorrow, Tuesday 23, a music and theatre show at the Municipal Theatre of El Jadida. While Casablanca will host, two days later, a reading session (Poetic Parenthesis) in Bouznika, Moulay Rachid Complex for Youth and Childhood, and in the afternoon a show (theatre, dance, music) at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences Ben M’Sik.

Finally, this first edition of the forum will end on Friday 26 with the organisation of a "Utopia" colloquium at the Institute of Hispano-Lusophone Studies.

Programme of the day:

9:30: Official speeches

Conference "Francophone utopia" by Mr. Marc Quaghebeur

(National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco)

11:00-13:00: Opening of Exhibition I (Hall of the Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University - Agdal)

15:00-17:00: Opening of Exhibition II (Hall of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University - Souissi)

19:00: Intercultural show (Mohammed V Theatre).