RABIAA KHREIS

ALGERIA– Women's theater in Algeria continues to entrench its presence within the cultural scene, through artistic experiences seeking to highlight women's contributions in various fields of theatrical work, from acting and writing to directing and production.

The city of Annabah has been gathering, since yesterday, Wednesday, 30 September, and until the fifth of October, an elite of Algerian female artists, playwrights, and creative women within the activities of the eighth edition of the National Festival for Women's Theatrical Production, which chose the slogan "Horizons" for this edition. Its program opens before a series of theatrical performances, intellectual meetings, training workshops, and cultural and artistic activities.

The opening ceremony witnessed a remarkable celebratory atmosphere, distinguished by the arrival of female artists and figures of the fourth art on the red carpet in front of the Regional Theater Azzedine Medjoubi, amid audience interaction, in a scene reflecting the growing presence of women's creativity in the Algerian theatrical arena.

The opening was not limited to the official aspect; its activities extended to a number of open spaces in Annabah city, where the old square known as "Place d'Armes," or 19 August 1956 Square, hosted various artistic performances, including "Breakdance" performances presented by a local troupe, followed by street theater performances, allowing direct interaction between artists and the audience.

The opening program also included an exhibition of old women's theatrical costumes, organized in coordination with the Algerian National Theater, through which the festival recovered part of the memory of Algerian theater and the experiences of previous generations of female artists, combining the specificity of theatrical costumes and the heritage of the Algerian stage.

The opening ceremony was attended by a number of artistic figures and officials in the cultural sector, including the Director of Culture and Arts for Annabah Province, Saliha Bergoug, and the coordinator and theater artist Faten Kessar. The distinguished artist Aida Kechoud also registered her presence, in an image reflecting the continuity of generations within the Algerian artistic and theatrical scene.

From Theatrical Performances to Supporting Project Holders

The eighth edition carries an orientation that goes beyond presenting theatrical performances, by allocating a larger space to support creative women and holders of artistic projects. The festival's curator, artist and director Tunis Ait Ali, explained that this edition seeks to transform the festival into an open and sustainable platform for accompanying women authors, directors, and project holders in the field of stage art.

She noted that the festival will witness the organization of specialized training workshops and project presentations before professional committees, allowing participants an opportunity to develop and introduce their works and open the field for their marketing and linking them with actors in the cultural sector. 37 creative women are participating in the program, reflecting the expansion of women's presence to include writing, authorship, directing, and production, alongside acting.

Among the most prominent stations of this edition is the "Forum of Creative Women," scheduled to be organized today, Thursday, the first of October, with the participation of directors of regional theaters, festival curators, and heads of cultural institutions. The forum aims to create a space for communication between creative women and project holders on the one hand, and actors and decision-makers in the artistic and cultural sector on the other.

12 Theatrical Performances and Critical Readings

According to Tunis Ait Ali, the theatrical program of this edition includes 12 performances, presenting different experiences in the field of women's theater, including "Camp of Secrets" by the Regional Theater of Guelma, directed by Mufida Aras, alongside "Houria," "Roman Carnival," and other programmed works.

Following up on these works is not limited to performances before the audience, as she explained, since the program includes 12 critical papers presented by academics and specialists, with the aim of reading the works and analyzing their contents and directorial and textual choices, adding a critical and intellectual dimension to the event.

She noted that the archaeological site of Hippo will host, today, Thursday, poetry readings in which a number of female poets will participate, including Nadia Nawaser and Lamis, in an event that combines poetry and historical space and opens another aspect of women's creative presence within the festival's program.

The activities of the edition are distributed across a number of spaces in Annabah city, including the Regional Theater Azzedine Medjoubi, the Revolution Square, and the archaeological site of Hippo, alongside other cultural and artistic spaces, making the festival present in more than one location within the city.

Women's Presence in Various Stages of Theatrical Production

This edition seeks to expand the concept of women's theatrical production, so that women's presence is not limited to acting on stage, but includes various stages of making the theatrical work, from authorship and directing to production and carrying projects.

The allocation of part of the program to projects, workshops, and professional meetings reflects an orientation toward supporting creative women and accompanying them in developing their works, alongside providing spaces for discussion, training, and communication with institutions and actors in the sector.

By combining theatrical performances, training and critical activities, and professional meetings, Annabah continues to host the National Festival for Women's Theatrical Production, which enters its eighth edition with a program seeking to enhance women's presence in various fields of theater, and open new spaces for women's experiences and projects in the Algerian cultural scene.