Qatari culture minister opens Doha theatre festival

HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdul Aziz Al Kuwari on Friday opened Doha Theatre Festival at Katara Drama Theatre.In his opening speech, HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage said that many events in theatrical field will be held in the upcoming period, including workshops and an open contest in playwright, in addition to a forum for playwrights in Qatar which will be held in the last week of April every year.He added that work was underway to create an electronic library for theater documentation, and that admission to the theater studies program will be announced soon in collaboration with the Community College in Doha to give an applied science degree in the field of theater   HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage said that the Ministry’s future plans include a festival of children’s theater on the Universal Children’s Day, and the organization of the Qatar international theatre festival every two years in September or October, as well as the preparation for the issuance of a quarterly journal concerned with the theatrical art.He also highlighted the support given by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to cultural sector and its role in the development.HE Al Kuwari said that the Ministry had developed a set of plans and programs under the 2011 – 2016 national strategy to develop theater sector in the country through the establishment of youth’s theatre and children’s theater, in addition to opening an office in Doha for international theater body, which operates under the umbrella of the UNESCO to build bridges of communication between the Qatari playwrights and their counterparts in the world.