Mahmoud Aboudoma is the definition of calm. As his busy staff frantically circles him, pushing papers and phones in his direction, the director of the Creative Forum for Independent Theater Groups happily answers questions, breaking his stride only to sign the occasional paper or talk down a handset. His ability to remain so composed despite so much activity is impressive. Now in its sixth year, the forum's aim of bringing independent theater groups together from all over Europe and the Mediterranean is promoting inventiveness and multiculturalism in a city once, but no longer, renowned as a crossroads for creativity. A joint initiative of I-ACT (International Association for Creation and Training) and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the forum has gone from strength to strength seeing a significant rise of participating countries in addition to making it an important fixture in Alexandria's and Egypt's cultural calendar. Flicking through the beautifully designed program and witnessing the color and energy of performances on stage, it is easy to forget that motivation for the forum's foundation was largely political. Aboudoma recalls the fact that there were no theater festivals or initiatives in Alexandria prior to 2002 and none on the horizon after the events of 9/11 and the subsequent negative repercussions on Middle East and Mediterranean relations. He had noticed fanaticism creeping in more and more in the artistic field, restricting what little creativity remained. Using his experience as theater director of the Alternative Theater Group, Aboudoma started building a program that focused on the idea of Alexandria as a meeting place to encourage exchange, informal education and creativity; he wanted "to restore the soul of the city. Through forming partnerships with various organizations including the Arts Center in the then brand new Bibliotheca, the Creative Forum was born, holding its inaugural session in 2003. From the outset, Aboudoma was adamant that his project becomes a forum and not a festival; in fact, he goes as far as to describe it as "anti-festival. "Nobody has the right to judge people and their choice of expression he states, explaining that there are no competitions, instead a strong emphasis on exchange and development of creative ideas that come not only from performances but a wide range of theater-orientated activities. The forum organizes sessions on contemporary theater, real dialogue programs, training, education, exchange of experiences and information, and building joint artistic projects between artists from different generations and backgrounds. In addition, six plays written by female playwrights from Malta, Egypt, Belgium, France, Sweden and Germany have been published and distributed this year. The forum's success is clearly visible and has had tangible repercussion far beyond Egypt's shores. In 2003, the creative forum attracted participants from 11 countries, today there are representatives from 27. Many of the participants return to Alexandria and some, such as the Babylon Troupe, were even created from the forum's capacity in bringing artists together. The group, consisting of individuals from a diverse range of countries including Scotland, Jordan and Austria, was created through a partnership with the National Theater of Scotland, appearing now for a third consecutive year. Asked what needs to be done here in Egypt to encourage independent theater, Aboudoma highlights the lack of space as the number one restriction despite the high number of vacant and derelict buildings both in Alexandria and Cairo. With minimal fuss and not a great deal of money, some of these spaces could be used by theater and dance groups instead of being left idle to crumble and disappear. Then there is a need for the investment in youth and the encouragement of theater as a means of expression and development in schools and universities, something Aboudoma directly benefited from himself. He fears the endless administrative procedures, combined with the growing social pressures, are killing the spontaneity and creativity the country badly needs. Then there is the obvious lack of public funding for up and coming young theater makers, an obstacle by no means exclusive to Egypt. Unfortunately, like many other initiatives in the region, the forum has been affected by the current Gaza crisis. Palestinian participants were refused entry by Egyptian authorities, depriving the forum of a valued and important voice. Luckily their presence will be felt through the screening of a 12-minute message that will be seen by the hugely impressive cast of theater groups from various nations such as Syria, Croatia, Poland, Spain, Italy, Sweden and Serbia. Swedish company Angereds Theater/ Studio Oscuro will present a 50-minute performance for children entitled "The Penguin at the Small Theater, 11 am. The highlight of the day is a 55-minute performance by the internationally acclaimed Polish group Staniewski Center for Theater Practices entitled "Iphigenia at A... at the Great Hall, 6 pm. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Port Said St., El Shatby. Tel: (03) 483 9999.
