21st International Traditional and Ritual Theater Festival closes

The theatrical groups that participated in the festival, veteran artists and general managers of culture and Islamic guidance of the five host provinces were honored at the closing ceremony.

The closing ceremony was held with the presence of Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili (Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance), Ali Mohammad Zanganeh (Governor of Golestan), Mahmoud Salari (Deputy of Arts Affairs of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance), Kazem Nazari (Director General of Dramatic Arts), Esrafil Farajollahi (CEO of the Dramatic Arts Association), Mohammad Ra’yat (Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Golestan) and a large number of artists from all over the country in Fakhroddin Asadgorgani Hall in Gorgan city.

Ahmad Joulaie, the artistic director of the 21st Traditional and Ritual Theater Festival presented a report about holding the festival: Artists participated in the festival tried to keep the festival exciting in the best possible way. While we were facing a lot of time constraints to hold this edition, good things happened in the festival with the efforts of all my colleagues. Ritual, tradition, national capital were the most important keywords that we tried to realize.

Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, said in this ceremony: I believe that the experience of holding International Traditional and Ritual Theater Festival has become a new experience that they accomplished an important task with the support of different provinces and the efforts of local and foreign artists. Undoubtedly, such actions are worthy of special gratitude, for which all festival officials should be thanked. The effective presence of the Governor of Golestan, the representatives of the people of this province in the Islamic Council, the deputy of artistic affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and the General Directorate of Performing Arts were able to provide a very effective role in holding the festival as well as possible.

He continued: We have to pay attention to the various subtleties of art. Our policy is to expand the culture and art of the country, but the policy of the opponent is to silence this field.