Min. of culture reveals ministry’s plan for 2019

CAIRO – 17 January 2019: In celebration of the Egyptian presidency of the African Union and announcing Aswan the capital of the youth of the continent, Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem revealed the ministry's plan for 2019.

The plan aims to emphasize the support of cultural and artistic ties between Egypt and Africa. It includes 110 events distributed over several festivals and events organized by the ministry's different sectors throughout the year.

In addition, the ministry decided to treat African visitors of art and national museums of the ministry as locals in terms of ticket prices.

Moreover, the ministry plans to issue10 translated works of the most prominent African writers and thinkers, in addition to an Encyclopedia of Africa's history, in line with a seminar for Nigerian writer Mohamed Mamdany. African communities in Egypt are invited to attend and participate in various performances staged on several national theaters.

Furthermore, the ministry will provide scholarships in the institutes of the Academy of Arts for African innovators, in addition to providing a one-year course to teach non-Arabic speakers the Arabic language.

Abdel Dayem pointed out that the celebrations also include the intensive participation of African countries in the golden jubilee of the Cairo International Book Exhibition and the declaration of Senegal as the guest of honor of the exhibition’s 51st edition in 2020.

The minister also referred to an intensive African participation in Aswan International Festival for Culture and Arts, Cairo International Animation Forum, African Music Festival at the Academy of Arts, and Luxor African Film Festival, among other events across the country.

A number of Egyptian cultural events will be held in Sudan, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana, Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Lesotho and Southern Sudan. Additionally, Egypt will host a collection of fine art exhibitions by African artists.