As-Suwayda-Sana
Proceeding from preserving cultural identity and in support of its distinctive forms of preserving the Syrian intangible heritage, the Syrian Trust for Development announced the launch of an integrated training program in As-Suwayda Governorate entitled “The Art of Shadow Theater as an Element of the Syrian Intangible Heritage.”
The training program, as explained by the supervisor of the project of reviving and developing the shadow theater in the Living Heritage Program of the Syrian Trust for Development, Sherine Naddaf, aims to attract new “imaginatives” with the aim of training in the art of shadow theater and graduating the second team of trainees after the graduation of the “Zhalal” team in Damascus, which contributes to Preserving this ancient heritage and ensuring its continuity and transmission for generations.
According to Nadaf, the program targets 20 young men and women with qualitative training that focuses on transferring knowledge in an accurate and specific manner that makes each person a professional practitioner, noting that the conditions for applying to the program include the applicant’s possession of vocal abilities and control of voice layers in addition to a sense of humor and movement and the presence of a knowledge background in drawing and design, and that ranges between Age between 20 and 40 years.
The training program, which will be held at the National Museum in the city of As-Suwayda, for 150 training hours within a month, is divided into theoretical and introductory training on shadow theater and training on how to manufacture characters in terms of (cutting, perforating, pressing, coloring, decoration, etc.) Presenting performances and personal experiences, under the supervision of specialized professors, including Fadi Attia in the field of sound, Suhail Al-Jabai in the field of acting, Muwaffaq Masoud in the field of story, Ammar Hassan in the field of production and performance, and Farhan Raydan in the field of theoretical research.
Naddaf pointed out that it is possible to apply for the program by filling out the subscription forms electronically, which are located on the secretariat’s website, with the possibility of inquiring for more information on a mobile number. Applicants for training have two examination stages under the supervision of a specialized committee.
It is noteworthy that the Syrian Shadow Khayal, or what is known as “Karakoz and Awaz”, was included by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations “UNESCO” in 2018 on the List of Heritage in Need of Urgent Preservation as a result of a diligent “civil and governmental” effort to preserve The identity of a Syrian cultural heritage component and ensuring its continuity.
The Syrian Trust for Development, since the inclusion of Shadow's Shadow in the Urgent Preservation List of UNESCO and through the Living Heritage Program, has started to preserve this art as an intangible cultural heritage by training people to become professional imaginaries within the framework of transmitting this component through future generations through an integrated training program that took place in the Sulaymaniyah Hospital in Damascus and crowned With the establishment of the first team for the Syrian shadow fiction from various Syrian governorates, it was launched in the celebration of (Syrian Mikhailoun) last March.
Ghassan Khiou
