April 2025
Children's theater serves as a formative educational tool to develop a child's intellectual, cultural, and artistic levels. In recognition of the importance of this formation and under the slogan "With the Path of Hussein (peace be upon him), We Build Generations," the Department of Care and Development of Childhood at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussein is pleased to announce the 9th International Alhusayni Alsagheer Festival for Children's Theater — Birds of Gaza Edition, set to commence in April 2025. The deadline for submissions is
(In the light of Imam Hussains teachings, we build our future generations)
1) The submitted theatrical work must not have participated in any of the previous editions of the festival.
2) All performances must be in standard Arabic, ensuring linguistic accuracy, except for foreign productions.
3) The performances should target the age group of 6 to 12 years .
4) The performance duration must not exceed 60 minutes and should be no less than 30 minutes.
5) The festival will accept both live actor performances and puppet shows under the following categories, with the group free to choose:
a)Hussein-themed Works : The theatrical pieces should draw upon the lessons and wisdom from the life of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), from his birth to his martyrdom, presented in a modern artistic style.
b) Educational Works : The performances should focus on moral, ethical, and humanitarian themes from daily life, especially in relation to the events in Gaza, Palestine.
6) Participating groups are required to present multiple performances throughout the festival as per the organizers' schedule.
7) The organizing body reserves the right to reject any work without providing justification .
8) The organizing body retains the right to record the performances, archive them, and broadcast them through its media channels and social media platforms.
9) Groups applying for participation must submit passport photos of all members involved in the theatrical production. These passports must be valid until at least November 1, 2025, along with a personal photo measuring 51 x 51 mm with a white background .
Additional Notes
1) The festival organizers will cover food, accommodation, and internal transportation for the duration of the festival only.
2) The organizers will host up to 10 members of the theatrical team. Any additional members will need to be accommodated at the group’s own expense .
3) For puppet show teams, the organizers will host up to 5 members. Additional participants will need to be accommodated at the group’s own expense .
Participating groups will compete for the following prizes:
• Best Overall Production (4,500,000 dinars)
• Best Puppet Show (3,000,000 dinars)
• Best script (1,500,000 dinars)
• Best director (1,500,000 dinars)
• Best acting (1,000,000 dinars)
• Best scenography (1,000,000 dinars)
• Best puppeteer (1,000,000 dinars)
• Best Theatrical effects (1,000,000 dinars)