The second edition of the International Festival for Youth Theatre opened on 1 April at Sharm El Sheikh and will continue until 9 April. Presided over by Mazen El-Gharabawy, along with director Wafaa El-Hakim and honorary president Samiha Ayoub, the festival was inaugurated by culture minister Helmy El-Namnam and nine honoured theatre artists from Egypt and the Arab World. The festival will feature 30 countries presenting theatre plays, theatre workshops, seminars, etc. The troupes participating consist of young actors and theatre makers under the age of 40, working in universities and cultural spaces in Egypt and internationally. The festival's executive director Engy El-Bestawy told Ahram Online that “youth is the main focus of this festival, including amateurs and college students. The festival hosts over 350 young theatre artists and amateurs coming from Egyptian governorates and from abroad.” The international performances include Shakf (Tunisia/ Canada), Love in a Glass of Water (Russia), Media (France), Ramad (Morocco), and the Flower (South Korea), among others. Egypt will showcase two theatre performances including Street Theatre and the Good Human. As part of the festival's initiative, the cultural exchange protocol will be signed between Egypt and Russia and Spain. In its second year, the festival introduced new awards, including Best Theatre Character in 2016, given to an actor or actress based on 200,000 votes submitted online. "The winner will be announced during the closing ceremony and offered EGP 15,000 provided by Youth and Sports Ministry,” El-Bestawy explained. Another award introduced this year is for the Best Theatre Performance chosen by the young critics online as well as the Best Music Score for a play. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
