The 36th Regional Theatre Festival for theatrical clubs, held at the Assad Ben Ferat Cultural Complex in Kairouan on September 26-27, 2026, concluded with the crowning of five theatrical works. These works will participate in the regional finals to be held in Kairouan, with the ultimate goal of advancing to the national stage in December in Tunis.
According to Heba Al-Dimassi, head of the department of cultural institutions at the Kairouan Regional Commission for Cultural Affairs, the festival saw the participation of 15 theatrical performances distributed across various competitions. These performances were presented by theatrical clubs affiliated with cultural centers, youth centers, and the University Cultural Center in Barga.
The festival included five main competitions: collective works for youth and adults, collective works for children, alternative spaces, puppet theater, and individual performance. The winning works in the regional stage were: "The Box of Stories" from the Assad Ben Ferat Cultural Complex, which won in the category of collective works for children; "The Last Copy" from the same complex, which won in the individual performance category; "The Melody of Life" from the Nasrallah Cultural Center, which won in the puppet theater category.
Additionally, "Two in One" from the Model Youth Center in Mansoura won in the alternative spaces category, and "Bonichat" from the Assad Ben Ferat Cultural Complex won in the category of collective works for youth and adults. These works were evaluated by a jury of three members: Fatma Al-Salmi, Omar Bouzbis, and Hassan Al-Salami, based on specific artistic criteria for each specialty and competition.
The festival aims to discover theatrical talents, mentor children, youth, and adults, and develop their abilities in theatrical expression. It also provides an opportunity for participants to meet, exchange experiences, and benefit from the guidance of mentors and jury members.
In addition to the competition prizes, the festival included individual awards for best promising actor, best promising actress, best mentor, best script, and best scenography. These awards aim to encourage participants and mentors to continue their theatrical activities within the cultural clubs in the region.
The crowning of these works and the organization of the festival reflect the ongoing efforts to support and develop theatrical activity in Tunisia, and to promote the country's rich cultural scene. The festival's success highlights the importance of such events in fostering creativity and innovation in the arts.
Key points
- Five theatrical works were crowned at the 36th Regional Theatre Festival in Kairouan, Tunisia.
- The festival aims to discover theatrical talents and develop their abilities in theatrical expression.
- The winning works will participate in the regional finals and potentially advance to the national stage in December.
