Theatre as part of the sustainable development movement: Sharm El Sheikh Festival for Youth

Theatre as part of the sustainable development movement: Sharm El Sheikh Festival for Youth

A forum was held on Wednesday as part of the ongoing Sharm El-Sheikh International Theatre Festival for Youth (SITFY) to discuss the importance of theatre in the sustainable development of society.

Titled 'Youth Theatre, a Cultural Industry for Sustainable Development,' the discussion was divided into two sessions moderated by actor Mustafa Selim.

The first session comprised a panel including Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Culture Hisham Azmi and president of the festival Mazen El-Gharabawy. The second session featured theatre directors and academics Mohamed Abdel-Rahman El-Shafei and Islam Imam.

The first session shed light on the concept of cultural industries and the role they play in the economies of countries around the world. As Azmi explained, the concept of sustainable development and the culture field is an important component of the Egyptian government's Sustainable Development Strategy and Egypt Vision 2030, which includes the activities initiated by the culture ministry across all of its sectors.

Azmi discussed the thousands of years of Egyptian culture up till modern times, highlighting the Khedivial (Royal) Opera House, which was inaugurated in 1869 and was the first of its kind in the Middle East.

"Egypt launched the first radio and television broadcasts in