Artist Ali Olayan called for transforming the outcomes of the Amman Cultural Forum into practical and sustainable projects that enhance the presence of culture in daily life and give the arts a greater role in shaping the city's identity and future, proposing the revival of old and abandoned cinemas in downtown Amman and finding forms of cooperation with their owners to invest in and operate them in collaboration with active theatrical troupes.
In a statement to Alrai regarding his participation in the Amman Cultural Forum, organized by the Greater Amman Municipality, Olayan said that the importance of the forum lies in presenting a vision that treats the city as an integrated space for urbanism, knowledge, and creativity, not just a physical structure, but an environment that contributes to shaping collective consciousness and building individuals capable of understanding their society's transformations and anticipating its future.
He emphasized that the municipality's civilizational role goes beyond developing infrastructure and the urban landscape to investing in the cultural and emotional fabric of society by supporting the arts and expanding spaces for creative expression, pointing out that old cinemas in downtown Amman represent part of the city's cultural memory and can be repurposed to allow active theatrical troupes to present their works, bringing these spaces back to cultural and social life.
Olayan noted that the forum provided a space for dialogue and the exchange of visions among those working in artistic and cultural fields, and opened the way for discussing future directions for the municipality's work in this area, in a way that enhances the transition from sporadic initiatives to an integrated institutional vision based on cultural planning, the accumulation of experience, and the integration of roles between institutions and creators.
He valued the interest of the forum's organizers in the participants' recommendations, each according to their specialization and experience, emphasizing that the true value of these meetings does not stop at the limits of dialogue, but is embodied in transforming ideas into implementable programs and recommendations into sustainable projects.
He stressed that culture should be a key partner in urban decision-making and an active element in sustainable development and the enhancement of national identity and belonging to the city, leading to an Amman that embraces art, thought, and creativity in its public spaces, institutions, and cultural facilities.
