Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, reports Reham El-Adawi, announced the “Stay at Home: Culture in Your Hands” initiative, which will be broadcasting portions of the archives of national, contemporary and traditional arts through the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Culture and its social media accounts. She pointed out that she is calling for the implementation of the precautionary measures aimed at preserving public health and safety by staying at home while the novel Coronavirus pandemic lasts.

The initiative will bring to online viewers theatre performances, concerts and other cultural events to help make up for the current shutdown of theatres, cinemas and concert halls all over the country. A free service, it  started on Tuesday 24 March at 9 pm and is being regularly updated.

Abdel-Dayem announced that the broadcast would begin with the first concert held using hologram technology, on 6 March, at the Opera House, and include Umm Kolthoum's wonderful song “You Confused My Heart” as well as a number of her other songs performed by the powerful voices Riham Abdel-Hakim and Maye Farouk.

Broadcasting, she said, would continue on a daily basis with various creative materials that include theatrical performances, Arab and classical concerts, ballets such as The Nutcracker, Zorba, Swan Lake, Carmen, short film and documentary screenings, and many more. The ministry’s official website also provides vital information.

The Ministry of Culture website is at http://www.moc.gov.eg

Its YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8McPibRT36QSjnt4eGucNw

And its Facebook account is EgyptianMOC

*A version of this article appears in print in the  26 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly