Talk at World Culture Festival discusses evolution of theatre in Qatar

On the 31st day of the World Culture Festival on Saturday, the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP), which has been hosting the festival, organised a session to discuss various cultural facets of Qatar

Titled ‘Qatar's Culture: Past, Present, and the Future’, the session featured discussions with Qatari Consul General Nayef Shahein R.M Al-Sulaiti , ACP President Muhammad Ahmed Shah, National Theatre Qatar President Abdulla AlKuwari, and National Theatre instructor Nasser AlHamadi.

The talk focused on Qatar's present culture, how it evolved in the past, and what were its future prospects. The ACP president expressed gratitude to Qatar's cultural minister and Consul General Al-Sulaiti for participating in the World Culture Festival.

He discussed the friendship between Qatar and Pakistan and announced his upcoming visit to Qatar.

The Qatari consul general expressed his happiness at being at the ACP and congratulated Shah on the success of the culture festival. He commended the significant work being undertaken by the ACP for the promotion of various forms of art and culture, and highlighted the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Qatar.

He said the talk aimed to introduce Qatar's culture to Pakistanis. The National Theatre Qatar president informed the session about the second phase of the theatre formation in Qatar. He noted that Qatar had produced many artistes and writers, and that the first phase of the theatre school in the country had commenced.

The event was told that the second phase of the Qatari theatre movement focused on promoting written texts and introducing new styles of theatre beyond traditional methods.

The first theatre group in Qatar, named Qatari Theatre Group, was established in 1972, followed by the Al-Sadd Theatre Group in 1973.

In 1974, the Arab Theatre Group was formed in collaboration with musical group Al-Adwa. These groups played a vital role in the development of theatre in Qatar, helping popular actors establish their identity and leading to the formation of Qatar's fourth theatre group. This movement helped generate new artistes and writers, and significantly contributed to expanding the theatre landscape, said AlKuwari.

At the end of the session, the ACP president presented flowers to the Qatari consul general, AlKuwari and AlHamadi.

Palestinian theatre

Friday was one of the most memorable days of the culture festival as it featured a performance by a Palestinian theatre group.

The play was titled ‘And Here I Am’. Written by Hassan Abdulrazzak and directed by Zoe Lafferty, it centered around the life of Palestinian actor Ahmed Tobasi.

The play was a powerful narrative reflecting the struggle of Palestinians, weaving together elements of reality and imagination, and tragedy and humour. The story chronicled Tobasi’s journey from youth to adulthood, exploring various facets of his life from the narrow streets of the Jenin refugee camp to the restrictions of an Israeli prison.

Through Tobasi's experiences, the play highlighted the hardships faced by Palestinian refugees, their search for identity and their paths to freedom, emphasising cultural resistance as a vital part of their liberation journey.

The production was not merely a story of survival as it represented the determination of a nation that had refused to bow down. The drama poignantly addressed the bitter effects of war, occupation and exile.

A large number of people attended the show who enthusiastically applauded the artistes from Palestine.

Workshops

Meanwhile, the ACP also held two workshops on Friday featuring theatre instructors from the United States and Russia.

The foreign instructors taught various theatre techniques to Pakistani drama students who participated in those workshops

American theatre artistes Dan Griffiths and Sierra Camille demonstrated innovative ways to use props like balls, ropes and umbrellas in mime performances. They emphasised the importance of facial expressions in conveying emotions.

In the other workshop, Russian artiste Lidia Kopina taught students the nuances of physical movement, demonstrating both slow- and fast-walking techniques. She highlighted how body language could enhance performance and help actors embody their characters.

The workshops attracted a large number of enthusiastic students.