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EDUCATION & CULTURE CONTINUED:
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Jerash
Festival for Culture and Arts |
The annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts is officially opened with the lighting of the torch by Her Majesty Queen Noor at the center of the historic Roman city. |
The Jerash
Festival traces its roots to the reign of Roman Emperor
Trajan (A.D. 98 - 117), who, according to an inscription
at Jerash (ancient Gerasa), inaugurated an annual
contest-festival held in the South Theater, then the most
splendid of its kind in the province. The inscription
alludes to the contest of the "sacred guild of the
ecumenical, victorious, crowned artists in the service of
Dionysus and of our Lord." Such festivals had long
been a feature of prominent cities across the Greco-Roman
world and gave stimulus to the patronage of the arts.
The Festival is the first of its kind to have two fully-functioning Roman theaters; the North Theater, which is referred to as an "Odeum" (a recital hall) and the South Theater.
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King Hussein (far right) and Queen Noor (center) at the Jerash Festival. |
The Festival is
a vibrant meeting point for Arab and international
performing artists and a dynamic catalyst for the
promotion of Arab and Jordanian culture and the arts. It
has also cultivated a large audience for opera, modern
dance, ballet, classical music and international theater
performances.
Its activities include the first Arab Sculptors’ Forum, an annual handicrafts exhibition, poetry recitals, book fairs, art exhibitions and special programs and events for children.
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The NHF’s National Music Conservatory orchestra performing in Jerash’s South Theater. |
The Jerash Festival supports Jordanian performers and artists by fostering their interaction with international artists. Jordanian performers have received invitations and scholarships from visiting troupes, while others have been invited to perform abroad. For more information on the Festival, see Web site.
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Queen Noor, flanked by Princess Rania Abdullah and Senator Leila Sharaf on the right and Princess Ghida Talal and Ms. Abir Muheisen on the left, at the opening of the annual Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts. |
National Music Conservatory
The National Music Conservatory was founded to encourage the development of accomplished musicians and to promote music appreciation in Jordan. It opened in 1986 with initial funding from private contributions and The Jordan Society in Washington, D.C.
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Members of the Arab Music Ensemble of the National Music Conservatory playing the "qanoun" and the "oud" at the Royal Cultural Center. |
The
Conservatory offers young Jordanians the opportunity to
develop their musical talents through individual and
group instruction on a range of string, woodwind and
brass instruments and traditional Arabic instruments.
Students are also offered courses in sight singing, ear
training, music appreciation and music theory and
history.
The Conservatory has the first and only children’s orchestra in Jordan, in addition to two other orchestras of different musical levels. Its annual program includes concerts and recitals featuring local and international musicians, workshops, classes and conferences, as well as performance and instruction by world-renowned artists and experts. Since 1986, the Conservatory students have appeared annually at the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts and have performed elsewhere in Jordan and abroad.
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Queen Noor attends one of the rehearsals of the children’s orchestra. |
The
Conservatory conducts teacher-training programs in
Jordan, and cooperates with the Ministry of Education in
developing music curricula for public schools. The
Conservatory administers music examinations in Jordan on
behalf of the British Associated Board of the Royal
Schools of Music. It also offers a three-year program for
students leading to the Licentiate of the Royal Schools
of Music diplomas. For more information
on the Conservatory's activities and programs, see Web
site.
The Performing Arts Center
The Performing Arts Center houses the Foundation’s projects in theater, dance and a training center for arts in education. One of its major components is the Theater-in-Education Program, which was launched in 1987 to enhance children’s learning experiences through drama and theater. The program combines classroom and stage techniques with the natural play instinct of the young to promote confidence, self-awareness, creative expression and self-learning. The Theater-in-Education program offers training courses and workshops for elementary school students, teachers and community college professionals in the utilization of drama and theater as modern educational tools. A number of musicals and plays have been produced applying different theater-in-education techniques.
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The Theater-in-Education program’s annual musical and theatrical productions have appeared in national and international theater festivals in the Arab world, Europe and the USA, and have received several awards for outstanding performances. |
The NHF’s Performing Arts Center, in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and the Spanish non-governmental organization CODESPA, developed a national "Education for Peace" Project to promote tolerance, reconciliation and understanding among the country’s youth. The project, which combines drama, music and performing arts, is implemented through the Foundation’s diverse educational and training programs, in all its comprehensive development projects and in schools located throughout the Kingdom.
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The Creative Conflict Resolution Skills Project (Kanafeesh) is a multi-media national program including theater performances, educational printed material for teachers, workshops and TV programs for children that promotes non-violence, tolerance and environmental and cross-cultural awareness. |
In addition to the production of teacher’s manuals and educational material, TV commercials will be aired to promote non-violence, tolerance and environmental and cross-cultural awareness. Since its implementation in September 1997, the project has reached over 7,000 children through Theater-in-Education workshops and educational plays. The "Education for Peace" project is funded jointly by Generalitat Valenciana and the European Union.
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Queen Noor with the members of Kanafeesh at the Performing Arts Center. |
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