Egypt’s theaters to resume work during July with 25% of its capacity

CAIRO – 1 July 2020: Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem revealed the timetable for resuming activity of the ministry's various sectors and resuming cultural, intellectual and artistic activities at all cultural venues during the month of July.

Abdel Dayem emphasized that the time plan for the resumption of the Egyptian creative movement aims to revive the cultural and artistic sites and entities, as the soft forces are an effective means to build humans and raise awareness.

It is worth mentioning that the first stage of resuming activities will begin on July 5, with the opening of 16 libraries in 10 governorates, including 12 libraries affiliated with the General Egyptian Book Organization, including the International Book Center and 26th of July Library in Cairo.

This is in addition to opening the libraries of Giza, Minya, Assiut, Aswan, Tanta, Mahalla, Damanhur, Ismailia, Port Fouad and Mansoura, as well as operating the sales outlets of the General Egyptian Book Organization over two shifts to prevent overcrowding.

Also, activities at the Literature Hall of the Children Literature Center; the Literacy Hall of the General Authority of the National Book and Documentation House; the Greater Cairo Library of the Cultural Production Sector; and the translator library at the National Center for Translation will resume. Egypt's public libraries will resume work on July 15.

Moreover, work will resume in the national museums of the Fine Arts Sector as of July 7. It begins with the Alexandria Fine Art Museums - Mohamed Nagy - Mahmoud Mokhtar. The second stage will include the museums of Taha Hussein - Gamal Abdel Nasser - Mustafa Kamel, as of July 14.

Work at the cultural development museums and theaters will resume as of July 7; this includes the Umm Kulthum Museum in El-Manasterly Palace, the permanent exhibition in Prince Taz Palace and the products of the Luxor International Forum.

Naguib Mahfouz Museum will reopen on August 2, and Open theaters will operate at the Manasterly Palace and the Talaat Harb Cultural Center in Sayeda Nafisa starting from July 15. This is in addition to the resumption of the Egyptian industrial initiative at the Traditional Crafts Center in Fustat and the House of Oud Beit el-Harrawi as of July 15.

Additionally, the Supreme Council of Culture will resume its activities starting from July 6, by holding intellectual, literary and scientific seminars and lectures as a first stage. The second stage will begin on July 12.

As for the General Authority of Culture Palaces headed by Ahmed Awad, activities will start as of July 15 in the governorates of Sharm El-Sheikh - South Sinai - Marsa Matrouh - Red Sea. And the second stage will start on July 22, by operating cultural palaces in all governorates of Upper Egypt.

The third phase, which starts on July 29, will witness the resumption of activities in the cultural palaces in Greater Cairo - Delta - Canal cities.

Furthermore, the Egyptian Opera House, headed by Magdy Saber, will start presenting its activities as of July 9, where the Grand Fountain Theater will be operated, followed by the Open Theater and the Sayed Darwish Theater in Alexandria’s Opera on July 10.

Work will also begin in the theaters of the Artistic Theater House starting from July 15 in the Al-Hanager Theater.

The plan includes resuming activities at the Balloon Theater on July 10, Mohamed Abdel Wahab’s Theater in Alexandria on July 16, and National Circus on July 9. Meanwhile, the National theater, Talea Theater, Al-Ghad Theater, Youth Theater, Opera Malek, Floating Theater, Puppet Theater, Bairam el-Tunsi Theater, Metropol Theater and the Children’s National Theater will all reopen on July 17.

Classes of talent development centers will continue to receive students, as individual training will resume on July 10.