Homs, March 28 (SANA) – The Homs Directorate of Culture held an event on Saturday marking World Theatre Day at the Culture Palace Theater, with the participation of artists, theater enthusiasts and students from cultural institutes.
The event included the announcement of results of a playwriting competition and the awarding of certificates to winners, in addition to honoring trainees from a workshop on independent documentary filmmaking and participants in activities dedicated to Arabic calligraphy, painting and visual arts.
Assistant director of Homs Culture Directorate Youssef Othman said the celebration reflects the important role theater plays in building awareness and strengthening dialogue within society, noting the directorate’s commitment to supporting young talents and providing platforms for artistic expression.
Theater director Abdul Karim Omrayen, director of the Homs Theatre Festival, said theater remains a space for freedom and creativity and a platform that reflects people’s concerns and social issues.
For her part, writer and novelist Dr. Lin Ghrir, a member of the jury for the playwriting competition, said 27 scripts were submitted, of which 14 met the required standards and were evaluated by the panel.
She said the first prize was withheld due to the overall level of submissions, while second place was shared by the plays “The Shared Wall” by Mohammad Nour al-Khdeir and “The Hidden One” by Raed Suhail al-Hallaq. Third place went jointly to “Work Contract” by Ghaida Darwish and “Diaries of Mutab al-Raji” by Mohammad al-Hafri.
The event concluded with a musical performance presented by the Doha al-Mimas Club.
World Theatre Day is observed annually on March 27, an initiative launched by the International Theatre Institute in 1961 to promote the role of theater and encourage cultural exchange worldwide.
Kh.A
