Amman: The 20th edition of the Jordanian Children's Theater Festival concluded on Saturday at the Royal Cultural Center's main theater, organized by the Ministry of Culture. The closing ceremony was attended by Ministry of Culture Secretary-General Nidal Al-Ahmad, representing the minister of culture; Jordanian Artists Association President Hani Al-Jarrah; Theatre and Visual Arts Directorate Director and theater director Ishaq Yassin; as well as artists, theater professionals, participants, and their families.
According to Jordan News Agency, over the course of the festival, children and school students staged a variety of theatrical performances covering diverse themes and artistic forms. The performances showcased school and youth theater experiences, allowing participants to perform on stage and develop their skills in acting, performance, play-writing, directing, and teamwork.
Speaking to reporters following the closing ceremony, Al-Ahmad stressed the ministry's role in supporting youth and theatrical creativity, nurturing talent from an early age, and providing platforms for children and students to express their abilities and discover their creative potential. Investing in culture and the arts, he said, was an investment in people and in the future of Jordan's cultural and artistic movement.
He also highlighted the importance of children's theater in shaping children's personalities, developing imagination and the ability to express themselves and engage in dialogue, and strengthening self-confidence, teamwork, and knowledge. Nurturing such talents from childhood, he added, helps prepare generations capable of continuing the country's creative journey and contributing to its cultural scene.
Al-Ahmad said theater also provides an important space for strengthening the Jordanian narrative among children and young people by presenting stories, values, and experiences linked to national identity and collective memory in artistic forms accessible to children, helping pass the narrative on to new generations in creative and interactive ways.
He noted that the continuation of the Jordanian Children's Theater Festival through its 20th edition underscored the importance of such events in the cultural scene and reflected the Ministry of Culture's commitment to expanding children's and young people's participation in cultural life and supporting school and youth theater productions as a key avenue for discovering talent and developing a new generation of theater professionals and artists.
The jury, headed by actor Maher Khamash, announced that the play "Land of Stories," written and directed by Ahmad Al-Olaimat, had won the festival's award in recognition of its theatrical vision and its ability to use storytelling to engage children and promote their imagination and human and national values. The jury recommended attracting a larger number of theatrical productions, expanding incentive awards to cover more performances, and encouraging theater groups in coordination with the Ministry of Education.
It also stressed the importance of expanding the festival's geographical reach to include Arab participation. The festival was held as part of the Ministry of Culture's efforts to support children's theater, provide an environment conducive to creativity, and strengthen partnerships between cultural and educational institutions. These efforts aim to discover promising talent, provide opportunities for young participants to gain experience, and contribute to Jordan's theatrical movement with new creative talent.
The ceremony also honored the jury members actor Maher Khamash, writer Mohammad Jamal Amr, and Ahmad Al-Dughaim as well as the participating theater groups. The four-day festival featured five plays performed by students from schools across the kingdom.