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Curtains down on Int’l Theater Festival for Children and Youth
Stage art event conveys values to Iran’s next generation
Mohammad-Reza Javadi, head of the Culture Ministry’s Hamedan office, said in a video message that the festival offers an “valuable opportunity” for theater groups to convey moral and educational themes to young audiences through “creative, appealing and effective” performances, ILNA reported.
He said one of the festival’s core missions is to boost joy, hope and a sense of responsibility among children and teenagers.
Mohammad-Mehdi Ahmadi, the culture minister’s senior adviser and acting arts deputy, attended the ceremony at the Avicenna Cultural Center, where the festival named winners in six categories. This year, 63 troupes staged 193 shows in 16 indoor venues and several outdoor and street sites across the city, drawing more than 70,000 spectators.
Hamid-Reza Haji-Babai, deputy speaker of parliament and Hamedan’s representative, said the city has held on to the festival for 30 years and intends to secure it permanently.
He recalled that Hamedan once hosted Iran’s children’s film festival but “lost it due to neglect.” He noted that Iran’s Supreme Leader, during a 2004 visit, said a historic city like Hamedan remains “active in a way unmatched elsewhere,” a remark that later led to its designation as Iran’s capital of history and civilization.
Haji-Babai said officials are drawing up a formal charter to register the event as a permanent national festival so it can run each year “without ambiguity.”
He argued that Hamedan’s archeological heritage, local artistic talent and its transport and academic hubs make it the natural host.
Festival director Azadeh Ansari said in a video message that this year’s theme, “today’s child, a new narrative, tomorrow’s stage”, came to life in shows filled with color, sound and “hope.”
She said young spectators responded with attentive silences and bursts of applause, showing how sharply they observe the world. She thanked the judges, crews and residents of Hamedan for supporting the event, adding that preparations for next year’s 31st edition will begin immediately.