Culture and Art: Launch of the Lebanese International Theatre Festival for Women’s Monodrama in its third edition

The Tiro Association for Arts and the Istanbouli Theatre announced the third edition of the Lebanese International Theatre Festival of Monodrama for Women at the Lebanese National Theatre in Tyre and Tripoli, with the participation of theatrical performances from Spain, Portugal, Chile, Tunisia, Romania, and Lebanon, under the slogan “Women are a force for change” and within the activities of Tripoli as the capital of Arab culture. The festival comes in celebration of femininity and womanhood in the language of theater and artistic expression to honor women and their strengths and struggles in various fields. This event will be held in partnership with the Swiss Drosos Foundation and in cooperation with the Spanish Embassy in Lebanon. Kassem Istanbouli, actor-director, and founder of the Lebanese National Theater stated: “The continuation of festivals and free film screenings and training workshops despite all the crises around us is an important opportunity to meet and an opportunity for the public to learn about different cultures of the world so that art is always a right for everyone with the secrets of young volunteers to work for art.”
 
The Lebanese International Theatre Festival for Women’s Monodrama is held annually to celebrate women and their theatrical and artistic work for equality, freedom, social justice, and empowerment in society. The first edition of the festival was launched in 2019 and paid tribute to the late actress and director Siham Nasser with the participation of eight theatrical performances from Arab and foreign countries. The first Lebanese Theater Conference was held within the festival, which discussed the issue of the theater crisis in Lebanon and the importance of breaking the cultural centrality and the role of cultural centers outside the capital. The second edition was held in 2021 and the list of honors included: René Dick, Watfaa Hammadi, Fadwa Hashim, Randa Kaadi, and Bernadette Hadeeb with the participation of local, Arab and foreign theater performances that competed within the official competition for the best actress, best text, best scenography, costumes, best directing, best-integrated work, and the jury award.

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