A Colourful Generation from OPEN Media Hub. “This production was supported by OPEN Media Hub with funds provided by the European Union” In 2014, four young art enthusiasts collaborated to launch the first ballet school ‘Alwanat al-Minia’ in Upper Egypt as part of art and culture space in Minia governorate, located about 245 kilometers south of the capital, Cairo. ‘Alwanat’ is the home to the first art, music, theater and dance school outside of Egypt’s renowned cultural hubs; Cairo and Alexandria. The novelty of the quartet’s idea is the decentralization of art. “We have been deprived of something like this all our lives […] so the idea originated from the concept of deprivation,” Founder Marco Adel chuckles. Upper Egypt is known for its conservativeness particularly concerning gender roles and gender relations. Adel expresses how he and many others longed for an arts and culture space while growing up. However, no one tried to open up space prior to ‘Alwanat’ because they feared the backlash. Adel explains that Alwanat tackles the concept of “change through art.” He revealed that inciting societal change does not have to be vocal. “I do not…
‘Alwanat Al Minia’ Introduces New Cultures, Traditions Through Art in Upper Egypt
January 31, 2018
