Cultural groups seek to increase number of events

By Saleh Zaitoun in Amman
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-03-18

[KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP/Getty Images] King Abdullah (C) and Queen Rania pose for a photo with a Jordanian dance troupe.

Since the Amman Arab Capital of Culture festivities ended in 2002, the Jordanian capital hasn't hosted the same volume of cultural activities, from festivals to evening receptions to lectures and exhibitions.

Cultural activities in Jordan are usually distributed across several entities in addition to the Ministry of Culture, which is enduring severe financial hardship and cannot undertake all the required activities in a satisfactory manner.

Therefore, other entities have assumed responsibility for implementing cultural activities in the country, notably the Shoman Foundation, funded by the Arab Bank, the Municipality of Greater Amman, the Jordanian Writers Association, the Jordanian Fine Artists Association and the Jordanian Artists Association. Cultural activities also occur on the campuses of various Jordanian universities.

The University of Jordan restructured its cultural department and entrusted it to Mohannad Mubaidin, a scholar and writer. He told Al-Shorfa, "The creation of this department came as the university approaches its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2012 (Golden Jubilee), and this helps restore the importance of culture and raises its status."

He added that the cultural department will devote its efforts to following up on cultural activities on campus, undertaking strategic planning of cultural programs and events, developing new activities including writers' exhibitions, cultural weeks and seasons and preparing studies on serious cultural work and the role of the university on the national cultural scene.

"The university will reorganise cultural work through the establishment of six divisions encompassing all cultural areas and cultural activities, conferences, specialized cultural forums, cultural agreements, cultural awards and tributes to creative and media professionals, along with a division of theatre and music, which includes drama and music," Mubaidin said.

In this regard, he noted the university's endeavour to establish a theatre troupe drawing on a number of specialists.

The preparatory committee for the Sixth National Cultural Conference organised by the Cultural Department at the University of Jordan is developing the themes for the event, scheduled to take place May 2-6, 2011.

The conference will address the place in national culture of such elements as the novel, short story, poetry, biography, memoir, travel and geographical literature, and literary criticism, as well as the place of women's creative work.

Jordan also held the eighth session of the Amman Heritage Days event. Participants included select Jordanian and Arab artists, such as musician Rami Khaled and his band, musicians Ghazlan, Bayan Fares and Shaden Al-Abaddi, the Hanuna Heritage Folk Ensemble, Maan Folk Arts Ensemble, Voice of Jordan Ensemble and Jamil Salama and his band; poets Alian Al-Adwan, Hassan Al-Naimi, Saddam Al-Khawaldeh and Taghrid Al-Zawahreh; and the Blind Society Heritage Ensemble.

The director of the celebration, artist Abdelhafed Al-Khawaldeh, told Al-Shorfa that the importance of celebrating the Jordanian heritage and traditions is something they must plan for every now and then.

"Jordanian singing exists but it needs support to stay competitive with Arab singing, and this means preserving the spirit of the song in terms of words, music and performance stemming from the Jordanian environment," he said. "This also requires combined efforts and continued support to raise the profile of such singing, bringing it out of its limited local environment and into the wider Arab world."

Foremost among those honoured in the celebration are UAE artist Huda Khatib, Syrian artist Waha Rahab, Syrian director Maamoun Al-Buni and a group of Jordanian artists.

Artist Waha Rahab said she is pleased by the Jordanian tribute. "By giving such festivals an Arab dimension, it lends heritage a much deeper dimension than keeping it local," noting that, "Arabic heritage in general is similar, despite geographical distance and local differences in details."

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