From December 22 to 29, aficionados and fans of children’s theater will gather in Nabeul and Yasmine-Hammamet for the 37th edition of the International Néapolis Children’s Theater Festival. This year, the festival features 50 national and international performances, along with various workshops and conferences.
La Presse — In a festive and joyful atmosphere, the residents of the Cité des Potiers experienced the rhythm of the carnival on Sunday, marking the opening of the 37th edition of the International Néapolis Children’s Theater Festival.
The parade started at around 2:30 PM in front of the Nabeul International Fair with a grand procession involving foreign delegations from countries such as Russia and Algeria, as well as the iconic « Essaf » troupe from Nabeul, a group practicing « stambali » (an Afro-Tunisian cult of possession, where officiants are descendants of former black slaves from sub-Saharan Africa), a majorette collective, a group of young percussionists named « Tempo, » a host of giant puppets, and a liturgical chant troupe, « soulamiya. » This edition, focused on urgency and hope, carries the theme « Save the Earth, » a call to action and an ode to the preservation of our planet through art and children’s imagination.
« Environmental education, ecological dimension » « For this 73rd edition, the festival focuses on environmental education and ecological awareness, » says the festival’s general coordinator, Atef Hajri. « We’ve scheduled a special workshop to teach children how to make puppets and dolls using recycled materials, » he adds. After parading under a threatening sky and a shy sun, the carnival participants, along with the performers and event staff, passed by the timeless Nabeul Jar, continuing along Habib-Bourguiba Avenue, and eventually turning onto Hédi-Chaker Avenue to reach Nabeul’s iconic House of Culture.
Photo ©La Presse/ Abdel Aziz HALI
In addition to the environmental focus, the organizers have scheduled three conferences on December 24 at the Khayam Garden Hotel in Nabeul. These will address climate change and its impact on Tunisia’s coastline, particularly in Nabeul (a city that has seen its beach shrink significantly), as well as ecological theater methodologies. A Palestinian conference on « School Theater: Between the Past and Present » is also planned.
Digital culture serving miniature theater and shadow puppetry « The festival also places great importance on digital culture and the impact of technology through workshops targeting miniature theater arts, shadow puppetry, and mask-making, » highlights Atef Hajri.
This year’s program includes about 50 theatrical performances—both indoor (in theaters) and outdoor (ranging from circus performances to street theater)—with troupes from 14 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, China, Egypt, Spain, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Morocco, Palestine, Russia, and Tunisia. In addition to the performances in Yasmine-Hammamet, Bizerte, Kairouan, and Sfax, three venues in Nabeul will host the festival: the House of Culture, the Néapolis Center, and the private cultural center « Dar Jeelen, » where a special program dedicated to storytelling art will be organized from December 23 to 28, adding a cultural heritage touch to the event. According to Mr. Hajri, the performances include various artistic forms: narrative theater, puppet theater, street theater, and lyrical theater for children.
« One of the highlights of this 37th edition is the proud inclusion of the first performance in Tunisia of ‘Barbie la Belle’ from the Russian Federation, scheduled for December 25 at the Hannibal Hall in Yasmine-Hammamet, » concludes the festival’s general coordinator.
