Message ofMinister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to 21st Hamedan International Children and Young Adult Theatre Festival

Iran Theatre-In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

In order for an art to become amusing and popular for children, the artist should fully appreciate children’s language and moods and enter their inner world. Theater, a creativity-developing art with a long history has such a great capacity to represent deep ethical and traditional concepts in a language comprehensible for children and youth. Theater practically originated from the moment human being started talking and tried communicating with others; therefore, it has always had close interactions with human’s inner concerns and their social life’s necessities.

This art is both old and capable of creative representation of the most influential factors of the cultural life and intellectual and educational system of different human generations; this art can picture what it is and what it should be and show us all that happens in the constant battle of light and darkness. In the vast capacities of theater we can find necessary subtleties for children and youth’s theater production of which the innovative artists of this field are not negligent.

The importance of theater for children and youth is mostly known to those who have an insightful view of imaginative works with religious, traditional and educational messages, those whose criteria of evaluating artistic works are value-oriented virtues and norms.

Given that, the 21^stTheater Festival for Children and Youth, gives special prominence and emphasis to selecting works helping to improve our country’s culture and supporting productions inspired with ethical and educational principles, and is therefore both a delightful opportunity to plant authentic and fruitful trees in the productive soil of dramatic arts and a hopeful season to pause in the colorful world of children and youth. The holy prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him) also loved children’s beauty and innocence and used to say when talking and playing with children, speak their own language.

I wish all the artists and contributors to this great event of showing theater’s ethical capacities ever greater achievements and honor.

Ali Jannati

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance