Sheikh Sultan awarded Lifetime Achievement Award in Lebanon for supporting theatre and culture

The Lebanese National Theatre granted the "Lifetime Achievement Award" in its first edition to His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, in appreciation of his career and contributions to supporting theatre and culture, and preserving heritage and Arab identity.

This came at the opening of the 13th edition of the Lebanon International Theatre Festival in Beirut on Saturday evening.

The festival is organised by Tiro Association for Arts and Istanbouli Theatre and continues until September 22, with the participation of performances from Italy, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Greece, Palestine, Lebanon, and Japan.

Under the slogan "Theatre is a spectacle that carries society's concerns," the festival opened with a tribute to Sheikh Sultan for what he has provided to Arab theatre, as well as his founding of the Arab Theatre Institute and his important achievements in various fields.

The festival kicked off with a street carnival which included dance and folklore performances from Japan, Palestine, and Syria, followed by the screening of a documentary film about Sheikh Sultan, reviewing his passion for theatre and the most prominent milestones in his life supporting it.

The festival was opened by the UAE Ambassador to Lebanon, Fahad Salem Saeed Al Kaabi, and members of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Theatre Institute, Dr Habib Ghuloom (UAE) and Rafiq Ali Ahmed (Lebanon). Dr Ghuloom said: "This edition is dedicated as a tribute to the theatre lover and the carrier of the Arab concern and dream, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, who believes that theatre is a school for ethics and freedom."

Founder of the National Theatre Kassem Istanbouli emphasised that the goal of the festival is for the theatre to remain open to people in war and peace, noting that continuing cultural action constitutes a means to face the challenges of war.