A recent conference on Egypt's independent theatre ended with calls for the state to increase its support for what has been a flourishing movement, writes Osama Kamal Like old warriors exchanging wartime tales, theatre artists attending "Twenty Years of Independent Theatre in Egypt," a recent conference held in Cairo, traded anecdotes about art and life, government and show business. The history of independent theatre in Egypt largely began in 1990, when the ministry of culture called off the Third Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. However, theatre people, wanting to perform their plays anyway, rebelled and formed 22 independent troupes, each owning its shows and finding its own source of finance. These troupes then went ahead in organising a first independent theatre gathering with no support from the government. This "Gathering of the Independent Theatre" commanded the respect of the critics and fired the imagination of theatre enthusiasts. It was followed by similar gatherings, and before long the country had 64 independent theatre troupes dedicated to alternative and experimental theatre. The response from the ministry was at first uncertain, but when the third Independent Theatre Gathering drew both media interest and critical acclaim in 1993, Farouk Hosni, the minister of culture, decided to take the independent theatre under the ministry's wing, allowing access to the Hanager Centre run by open-minded French literature professor Hoda Wasfi. The Hanager became a haven for those working in the independent theatre sector, allowing them access to new audiences, financial flexibility, and a break from governmental censorship. The Hanager offered artists a chance to relax and to be themselves, and before long a lot of plays had premiered in the venue. These vanguard experiences drew their inspiration from the daring practices of the late 1980s, as well as from experimentation that had taken place outside the official theatrical realm, as in the case of directors Hasan al-Gritly, Mohsen Helmi and Bahaei al-Mirghani. Ahmad Ismail's experimentation with peasant theatre was also alive in the minds of the new generation of theatre artists. The developing alternative theatre scene also drew on the experience of international theatre, brought to Cairo during runs of the Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre that started in 1988. The festival was instrumental in raising the awareness of young artists and putting them in touch with European trends. Modern technology and its applications in the visual arts also helped broaden the perspective of the younger generation of theatre artists, and Egyptian theatre began experimenting with video art, folklore, poetry and social criticism. By 1994, Egypt had no fewer than 84 independent theatre groups, according to the minister, who asked parliament to earmark funds to support this revival in Egyptian theatre. Farouk Hosni announced plans to support 12 of the groups, though it seems that none have actually received governmental help to date. Later, the enthusiasm of the independent theatre sector began to ebb, and the number of independent troupes had fallen to 12 by1998. However, another wave of optimism began with the Independent Theatre Gathering held at the Russian Cultural Centre in 2001. With the old groups hanging on, and new groups coming onto the scene, a total of nearly 120 troupes surfaced, though many of these were start-ups with little hope of survival without government help. With cooperation between the independent theatre sector and the state shaky at best, several groups decided to form the Society for Study and Training of the Free Theatre Groups (SSTFTG) in 2003, and since then the Society has organised several events in which newly created troupes have performed along with older ones. In 2007, a newly-formed association, the Independent Young Artists (IYA), organised 80 shows in cooperation with the Hanager. It is against this background that the recent conference on independent theatre, held as a result of an initiative from the IYA and the SSTFTG, with the help of the Supreme Council for Culture, met to document and analyse the course of independent theatre over the last 20 years. The conference, featuring roundtable discussions and the presentation of research, was part of an effort to breathe new life into the independent theatre movement, with the organisers including well-known theatre artists and critics such as Mohammad Abdel-Khaleq, Abir Ali, Azza al-Hoseini, Sayyed Foudad, Rasha Abdel-Monem and Amani Samir. Among the recommendations made by the conference was that a special theatre be set aside for independent artists. This would be called the "House of Independent Theatre," and it would be run entirely by independent artists. Other recommendations were that a percentage of the ministry of culture's budget should be used to subsidise independent theatre and that independent theatre should be allowed to perform at state-run venues, if only for matinee shows. The four-day conference ended with the experts and artists present agreeing on the need for the government and independent troupes to cooperate, the argument being that the independent theatre is also not for profit and thus deserves a certain degree of support from the state. Keynote speeches were delivered by prominent figures in the state sector, including Emadeddin Abu Ghazi, secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Culture, and Hoda Wasfi, manager of the Hanager Theatre in its golden days. Theatre director Azza al-Hoseini and writer- director Rasha Abdel-Monem also spoke, each urging closer partnership between the independents and the government. Many independent theatre troupes had become landmarks of the modern Egyptian theatre, the speakers said, among them Al-Warsha (The Workshop) set up by director Hasan al-Gritli, Al-Ghagar (Gypsies), directed by Azza al-Hoseini, Al-Mesahharati (Ramadan Drummers), set up by Abir Ali, Al-Shazia Wal-Iqtirab (Shrapnel and Proximity), directed by Mohammad Abul-Suoud and Hani al-Metnawi, Al-Daw (Light), directed by Tareq Said, Al-Haraka (Movement), directed by Khaled al-Sawi, La Musica, directed by Nura Amin, and the Atelier Al-Masrah (Theatre Workshop), directed by Mohammad Abdel-Khaleq. The conference was an attempt by independent troupes to get the government on their side and to encourage it to be an active supporter of free artistic expression. Whether it will succeed is, however, another question, since such attempts have been made before, the participants said.
