News & Event

The Ministry of Education, represented by the Directorate-General of Scouts, Guides and Student Activities, Department of Cultural, Social and Scientific Activities, celebrated the kick-off of the eleventh School Theater Festival, “Established Values… Creative Generation,” with the participation of (8) theatrical performances from various educational directorates in the governorates.

The opening ceremony was patronized by HE Eng. Ibrahim bin Said Al-Kharusi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Heritage, and in the presence of HE Dr. Intisar bint Abdullah Al-Ambosaidi, Undersecretary of Educational Support Programs, Advisors, Directors-General, schools, stars of theatrical art in the Sultanate of Oman, the Gulf countries and the Arab world, faculty members and students, at the Directorate-General of Education’s Theater in the Governorate of Muscat (Doha Al-Adab School).

The ceremony began with a rendition of the Royal Anthem, followed by musical pieces performed by the scout bands. After that, the esteemed artist Talib bin Mohammed Al-Balushi, the festival's guest of honor, presented his inspiring artistic journey (My Journey with the Theater). The patronage of the ceremony then honored the Directorate-General of Education in the Governorate of Muscat, the guest of honor, the pioneers of school theater, and the contributing companies. After that, the first performance of the Little Storyteller Competition for the Directorate-General of Education in the Governorate of Al-Dakhiliyah began, presented by the student Maan Al-Julandani from Al-Fayha School in Al-Dakhiliyah Governorate.

The first theatrical performance entitled “The City of the Painter” was then presented by students of the Directorate-General of Education in the Governorate of Muscat. It was written by Mohammed Al-Hinai and directed by Said Al-Abdali. The performance embodied an educational aspect that illuminated the journey of talent in school activities, as its events took place in a city besieged by pirates, who symbolize the restrictions that try to besiege creativity and limit its launch. The play revolves around talent, which, no matter how narrow the paths become, remains capable of enduring when it finds someone who believes in it. The events unfold, leading to a conflict between the pirates and the painter Jamil, who seeks to prove his talent in drawing. His talent develops into modern three-dimensional (3D) drawing, making it a force with which he triumphs over the pirates and liberates his city from their shackles. At the end of the play, the people of the city appreciate this talent by honoring the painter Jamil, in a scene that embodies what happens in our schools in terms of celebrating and nurturing talents until they flourish and create.

In the evening, the second theatrical performance, entitled "Individualization," was presented by students of the Directorate-General of Education in the North Al Batinah Governorate, written, and directed by Rashid Al-Buraiki. The performance included the journey of the student Farida, who feels confused, because she can't learn in the traditional way like her classmates. Farida embarks on a school trip to a dazzling educational circus where learning transforms into fun experiences filled with color, music, and movement. In this intellectual circus, Farida encounters different learning styles, discovering four main approaches: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and imaginative. With each experience, she discovers a new method that helps her understand and remember, boosting her self-confidence and making her realize that every mind has its own unique way of learning. The theatrical performance presented the idea of ​​individualized learning in an entertaining theatrical style that combined comedy, songs, and interactive movement, emphasizing that differences in learning styles are not weaknesses, but rather the secret to excellence and creativity.

The festival aims to continuously elevate the level of school theater as an educational tool that fosters the holistic development of young people, promotes human values, national identity, and intellectual culture, and showcases diverse artistic and literary talents. Through participation in theatrical performances, the students themselves are the spirit, thought, and effort, and the festival's educational message embodies noble values. It facilitates the exchange of experiences, skills, and knowledge, broadening students' horizons and understanding by bringing specialists and students together in one place. This contributes effectively to the intellectual enrichment of both those supervising theatrical activities and the students themselves.

The festival also aims to raise the artistic level of school theater performance, making theatrical productions more integrated and mature in terms of script, direction, acting, and various theatrical elements. Furthermore, it opens direct channels of communication with the creative community by allowing parents to attend and witness their children's creative endeavors in various aspects of the nation's contemporary cultural heritage. Finally, it showcases the Ministry's efforts in nurturing student talent, particularly in theatrical culture—a mirror of the people—and provides a platform for students to demonstrate their creative skills, The in turn opens up broader opportunities for them to support their future talents; developing school theater, and supplying the cultural and artistic theatrical movement in the Sultanate of Oman with a group of creative elements, which will represent the wheels of movement and building blocks for the cultural and theatrical movement in the Sultanate of Oman, and providing an integrated educational experience that combines visual arts, musical skills and theater; to enhance students’ awareness of the historical and cultural heritage of the Sultanate of Oman.