Arab participation includes Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine, Iraq, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, and Kuwait, through diverse theatrical performances directed at children, addressing educational, humanitarian, and national themes, and seeking to enhance the presence of theatre in a child's life and develop their imagination and creative abilities.
The festival will honor Syrian artist Mazen Al-Natour, writer Nisreen Al-Tawil from the United States of America, Jordanian artists Iman Hayel, Jamil Brahmeh, and Rabie Zaitoun, musician Nasr Al-Zoubi, director and media figure Samer Khader, and director Hossam Hajjawi, in appreciation of their artistic and cultural contributions.
The festival's jury, headed by Dr. Omar Al-Jasser, Secretary-General of the General Union of Arab Artists from Saudi Arabia, includes director Alia Al-Balushi from the Sultanate of Oman, director Wasef Dalaleh, director Dalal Fayyad, and musician Murad Demirjian from Jordan.
The supreme committee of the festival consists of Dr. Ehab Bali as president, Sami Al-Majali as festival director, and membership of Zarqa Director of Culture Mohammad Al-Zoubi, directors Naeem Haddadinos and Nidal Jamous, artist Abdul Rahman Khader, President of the Cultural Child Club Association Hanan Suleiman, and Association Secretary Jihan Marjan.
The program includes, alongside theatrical performances, interactive workshops in acting, drawing, and expressive arts, a heritage exhibition of handicrafts, as well as honoring artistic figures who have contributed to enriching Arab child theatre.
The festival aims to establish the position of child theatre as a tributary in building the child's personality, developing their imagination and creativity, and promoting aesthetic values and national belonging, amidst the expanding presence of the digital world and electronic games. It also seeks to provide an Arab platform for exchanging theatrical expertise and developing performances that address the child's mind and emotions.
The opening ceremony is expected to witness an official, cultural, and artistic attendance, with the participation of Arab delegations and festival guests.
