Doha - Several

problems still face the Qatari drama, which has a long history and remarkable achievements on the Gulf and Arab arenas, but its return to the great success that things were in the past needs a strategy that keeps pace with the current development.

This was confirmed by the participants in a discussion entitled "Qatari Drama: Reality and Challenges", within the cultural events hosted by the 31st Doha International Book Fair. past years.

The discussion, which was attended by the Qatari Minister of Culture Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al Thani, also shed light on the history of Qatari drama, its achievements and the most important challenges it faced, with the participation of Qatari writer and theater director Hamad Al Rumaihi, Qatari artist Faleh Fayez, and director Saad Al Burshid.

Saad Al-Borshid confirms that Qatari drama had a distinguished history (Al-Jazeera)

The nobility of Qatari drama

In the beginning, director Saad Al-Borshid said that Qatari drama has a distinguished history, and its first indications began at the end of the forties and the beginning of the fifties of the last century, with old clubs such as Al-Wahda, Liberation, An-Najah, Al-Ahly and other clubs, to develop after that, and the presence of simple scenes began on stage from During the scouting camps, and after that, the real creativity of Qatari drama appeared with the Al-Talia Club, which succeeded in presenting the first Qatari play in 1969.

Al-Borshid presented some old Qatari artists, such as author Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Saleh Al-Sulaiti, director Dr. Ali bin Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Muhammad Youssef Al-Aali and Ali Sultan Ali, noting that Qatari drama has a distinguished history thanks to the efforts of professors at that stage and the Arab competencies that were present in local schools, and were focused on Arts, literature, culture and plays.

The Qatari director also touched on the importance of theater in raising the awareness of the public at that time, pointing to the role of private theater groups, and then folk groups and the musical fire brigade that emerged in the art of music and also in the art of theater.

Al-Burshid explained that these groups and the dramatic and theatrical movement were strengthened by issuing the decision to establish the first Qatari theater group 50 years ago, and it was the Qatari theater group, and then the establishment of radio and television, where the actual framing of the drama in Qatar was.

He asked: Where is the Qatari drama that reflects the culture, customs and traditions?

He stressed that drama should carry a message directed to the audience, and that art can only succeed with freedom, especially since all artists have become self-censored, and they have grabbed many prizes in many of the festivals in which they participated.

Big dip

At the end of his speech, Saad Al-Borshid stressed that the nobility of the dramatic movement in Qatar and its achievements are not insignificant, and indeed there is a training program supported by the Ministry of Culture at the Community College, and annually graduates 4 batches in the field of directing, decoration, as well as theater management, and management of cultural facilities, describing The program is the academic arm of the cultural movement in Qatar, expressing its optimism about the future of theater, and the creativity it will contain.

Faleh Fayez calls for a policy for Qatari drama (Al-Jazeera)

For his part, director, actor and producer Faleh Fayez spoke about the Qatari theater, its strong beginnings, and the testimonies that the Qatari theater received from Arab artists, noting that they were competing with the Arabs and the Gulf, and they attended most festivals, and the Qatari work was distinguished by its strong participation.

Fayez pointed out that Qatari drama began to decline since 1999, and began to disappear, until there was no participation in festivals or external participations, and the matter became limited to the local festival, and this embarrassed them.

In his speech, Faleh Fayez also addressed the affairs of theater and the current challenges and difficulties in it. He said, "For a period of time, we have become accustomed to the theater department managing the theatrical movement, and through it we presented many plays in several countries that made us compete in Gulf and Arab festivals," stressing the presence of cadres from Specialized Qatari artists and academics can play their part in devising a strategy for the advancement of Qatari drama.

advancement strategy

Fayez called on Qatari officials and artists to draw up a policy for Qatari drama, and referred to the issue of nationalizing jobs in Qatar TV, and called for the development of theater and the development of a strategy for the development of theatrical movement.

Al-Rumaihi believes that artists bear the bulk of the reasons for the decline of Qatari drama (Al-Jazeera)

As for the playwright and television writer and theater director Hamad Al-Rumaihi, he addressed the question: Why did Qatari drama decline?

He said that the Qatari artist bears approximately 80% of the reasons for the decline, and the rest is up to the officials.

He added that the Qatari artist is primarily responsible for the Qatari drama, as well as the lack of strategic policies for the development and manufacture of Qatari stars.

Al-Rumaihi continued, "We have been calling for the lifting of censorship for years, especially since we have witnessed a stage of maturity, and art is a message and reform, and therefore I hope to develop a strategy for the advancement of Qatari drama and not leave it to the whims of either the artist or the official."

He noted that there are some works that have achieved success in the history of drama, such as the work of "Fayez Al-Tush", which is one of the comedic works that many Gulf works have followed, and "therefore, it is worth standing to benefit from our ancient history and work to develop it."