The activities of the inaugural Syriac Theatre Festival were launched in Ankawa district on Thursday 14 December 2023, in the presence of a large group of Iraqi, Kurdish and Syriac artists and playwrights, at the hall of the Chaldean Culture Society in Ankawa.
The opening ceremony began its activities with a segment performed by the Syriac Barmaya Ensemble that had come from the Syrian city of Qamishli, titled “Bakhdida’s Pain.” The enthusiasm the ensemble revived through its folkloric dances, simulating the tragedy of the Bakhdida Fire, made the audience interact with applause and encouragement.
This was followed by a speech from the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts, delivered by its General Director Kaldo Ramzi Oghanna, in which he stressed that, “the Directorate seeks to advance Syriac theatre by activating its activities and working to reactivate its role through supporting our people’s talented young playwrights,” noting that, “the Syriacs are the pioneers of the theatrical movement in the homeland, and they are credited with the presentation of the first theatrical performance in Iraq, in the city of Mosul in 1890.”
In his speech, Oghanna praised the role of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the person of its President, Mr. Masrour Barzani, for their continued support of Syriac creators, as well as their cultural and artistic activities.
At the conclusion of his speech, Oghanna pointed out that the directorate seeks with this step to, “extend a strong bridge between the Syriac theatrical scene and the Kurdish and Iraqi scenes,” explaining that, “our festival is a starting point for future theatrical activities and events.”
Then, the Regional Government’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth, Arian Salah al-Din, delivered the ministry’s speech in which he praised the directorate’s work and the activities it organises, followed by the viewing of a short film about the history of Syriac theatre and the stages it has gone through.
Then the head of the festival, theatre critic and novelist Sabah Hormuz al-Shani, took the stage to announce the launch of the festival’s activities, introducing the members of the jury that was chosen, headed by Dr. Ahmad Hasan Musa, with Dr. Mansur Numan Najm, Dr. Balqis al-Doski, artist Rafiq Nuri, and theatre critic Hama Siwar Aziz as members.
During the ceremony, five of our people’s theatre pioneers, from various regions in Iraq, were honoured. These were led by the great expatriate artist Romeo Yousif, who sent an audio speech in which he addressed the audience, congratulating this great artistic festival, as well as the efforts made to hold it. In addition, the artists Ikhlas Matti, the late Dinha Buya, Basil Shamaya, and Zuhair ‘Abd al-Masih Abdoka were honoured for their efforts, contributions, and artistic and creative offerings in the field of theatre.
During its activities, the festival also honoured the great Syrian Syriac artist Iskandar Aziz Qulinj, who hails from the Syrian city of Qamishli, for his efforts, contributions, long journey, and distinguished artistic contributions in the field of theatre.
The festival organisers did not forget to honour Dr. Ahmad Hasan Musa for his role in blending Iraqi cultures and arts, as well as building bridges between Arab and Syriac theatre. He was also chosen as Chairman of the Festival’s jury due to the important innovations he presented during his work as General Director of the Cinema and Theatre Department and President of the Baghdad International Theatre Festival for several terms.
At the conclusion of the honouring activities, the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts additionally honoured the management of the Chaldean Culture Society for hosting the First Syriac Theatre Festival’s activities.
The first day concluded its activities with a theatrical performance by the Shimsha Theatre Ensemble titled: “Zuwagha Kharaya.”
It is worth noting that the inaugural Syriac Theatre Festival, organised by the General Directorate of Syriac Culture and Arts in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region during the period 14 to 16 December, included a number of theatrical events and discussion panels in which an elite group of artists and academics interested in theatrical affairs participated.
