The Egyptian Ministry of Culture has announced that its mobile theatre tours began this week, with the first stop being in Cairo's Al-Asmarat district.

The performance staged in the underprivileged neighbourhood was accompanied by a ceremony marking the launch of the initiative, which will see the mobile theatres move across many districts in Cairo and other governorates.

The event was attended by Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, head of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces Hisham Atwa, and head of the Central Department for Artistic Affairs in the same organisation Ahmed El-Shafei.

Al-Asmarat is a low-cost housing project in Cairo's Muqattam neighbourhood.

According to the culture ministry, the mobile theatres will continue their tours with visits planned in various cities in five governorates.

Six vehicles will circulate around Greater Cairo, northern Upper Egypt, southern Upper Egypt, the western Delta, the eastern Delta, the Suez Canal, and Sinai.

The vehicles carry fully equipped theatres with electricity, water services, control panels, sound and light equipment, air-conditioned control rooms, and four tents designed as changing rooms for artists. The mobile theatre is capable of creating a 37.5 square metres stage for a variety of activities.

The project is aligned with Egypt Vision 2030, which focuses on improving the quality of life of Egyptian citizens across the whole country.

The mobile theatres were implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and Military Production and Helwan Diesel Engines Company, Factory 909.

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