The festival is a theatrical competition where students, guided by their teachers, will perform plays in front of a jury made up of professionals and experts in artistic education.
Marrakech – A series of artistic training workshops kicked off on Tuesday, organized by the Regional Academy of Education and Training (AREF) of Casablanca-Settat, benefiting 160 preschool and primary school teachers.
These sessions, held in collaboration with the Fondation des Arts Vivants, the Casablanca-Settat region, and the Fondation ZaKoura, will run until next Thursday as part of preparations for the 2nd edition of the National School Theater Festival, under the theme “Nkhdem Bladi” (serving my country.)
Over the course of three days, the teachers will participate in workshops led by experts in the artistic field, focusing on various aspects such as staging, improvisation, scenography, set design, costumes, and performance techniques.
The aim is to enhance the skills of these educators, who will later mentor and develop the artistic talents of nearly 5,000 students across the region.
On this occasion, Abdelmoumen Taleb, director of AREF Casablanca-Settat, highlighted the increased number of participants this year, both in terms of the teachers receiving training and the students who will take part in the upcoming festival.
The 2nd edition of the National School Theater Festival is scheduled for December 17-18 at the Anfa Cultural Center.
Taleb explained that this festival aligns with the implementation of the 2022-2026 roadmap for reforming the national education system.
This initiative emphasizes the importance of incorporating diverse extracurricular activities to foster student development and aims to create opportunities for young people to refine their talents in a creative and expressive environment.
Noureddine Ayouch, president of the Fondation des Arts Vivants, echoed this sentiment, noting that the success of the previous edition of the festival has paved the way for this year’s event.
He also expressed hope that similar initiatives will spread to other regions in Morocco.
Ayouch, also a founding member of the Fondation Zakoura, emphasized that theater plays a vital role in child development, enabling students to flourish and build their personalities with openness and confidence.
Abdellatif Maâzouz, president of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, also underscored the council’s commitment to cultural development.
He stressed that the organization and participation in this festival are part of the agreement between the council and the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication.
The preliminary selections will take place from December 2-7, 2024, across the provinces and municipalities of the Casablanca-Settat region, with 16 theater troupes being chosen from each provincial direction.
