On Al-Sharifain Street in Downtown Cairo, Lydia Suleiman, a young singer and student at the Academy of Arts, stood hesitantly before passersby.
Although she was accustomed to performing on stage, this was her first experience singing in the street, yet the audience’s reaction surprised her. From the very first moment, they welcomed her performance warmly, showing deep respect for her artistic presentation while engaging directly through applause and requests.
“The performance was truly delightful. When the audience surprised me by requesting a specific song whose lyrics I didn’t know, I picked up my phone to search for the words. But the listeners encouraged me to put the device away and continue singing with them, regardless of any mistakes,” Suleiman said.
“That inspiring moment revealed a completely different kind of audience to me. Instead of viewing slips as an obstacle, they urged me to keep going, proving that singing in this space was, above all, about sharing joy and art,” she added.
“The street audience sang entire songs with me with great enthusiasm, especially songs about Egypt, such as Dalida’s Helwa Ya Baladi. I was also surprised by the younger generation and students, who were familiar with the songs of Arab music icons from earlier generations such as Um Kolthoum, Nagat, and Fairouz,” Suleiman said.
“Traditional Arabic music was the most frequently requested kind of music and the genre that drew the strongest audience engagement. Singing for a street audience was also very different from performing for a theatre audience. In the street, the interaction was immediate and unmistakable, to the extent that I felt as though I was singing among family and friends, creating an experience where artistic performance blended with direct human connections.”
For decades, Downtown Cairo has occupied a special place in the Egyptian imagination as a destination for the arts. It has drawn audiences to its theatres and cinemas for decades as one of the city’s foremost centres of creative and cultural life.
Today, art is returning to the streets of the district once again, this time expanding beyond the walls of traditional performance venues. It fills public spaces with live showcases, engaging directly with the man and woman on the street and reviving the area’s historic identity.
As part of an initiative aimed at making art accessible to all, Al-Sharifain Street in Downtown Cairo has been dedicated as an open stage for a wide range of Egyptian and international art forms.
Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Nabila Hassan, president of the Academy of Arts, explained that the idea of Art Street emerged from the academy’s belief in the importance of direct interaction between arts students and their audiences.
The academy had long sought to achieve this objective through student training programmes. When the proposal to transform a street in Downtown Cairo into a dedicated arts venue was introduced, the academy viewed it as an ideal opportunity for its students to showcase their talents and artistic abilities to the public.
“We selected a diverse range of performances by academy students, including folk arts, Arabic music, Western music, and expressive dance. The programme also featured puppet shows, Aragoz performances, Rababa music, drumming displays, and contributions from visual artists exhibiting their work in the street. We have also sought to diversify the programme each week by introducing different performances, including circus acts and traditional musical instruments,” Hassan said.
“Before launching the initiative in Cairo, we conducted a pilot experience in Alexandria in front of the Graeco-Roman Museum. This allowed us to gauge public engagement with the artistic productions presented by the academy. The experience helped us develop a vision for organising Art Street in Downtown Cairo and selecting the participating performances.”
“The street was also curated in a way that allows visitors to encounter a variety of artistic presentations fluidly as they make their way through it.”
In addition to academy students, public institutions concerned with the arts and culture were also invited to participate. Independent artists and talented individuals could also apply through a QR code leading to a participation form.
The Al-Sawy Culturewheel in Zamalek has been responsible for selecting individual talents. Independent visual artists, as well as those affiliated with the Syndicate of Plastic Arts, have been able to exhibit their work under the syndicate’s umbrella.
EVENTS: Mostafa Hosny Elkotby, executive artistic director of Art Street, said the events take place from 6pm to 9pm every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday during the season, following schedules announced on the official Academy of Arts page.
To ensure a varied experience and prevent overlap, the street is managed through weekly plans that distribute simultaneous performances across dedicated operational zones. Under this system, visitors walking through the street can encounter a singer performing Arabic songs in one corner, musical recitals in another, and visual artists creating paintings in the middle section.
“Nevertheless, certain performance-based acts, such as folk arts shows, require larger spaces and greater audience focus. As a result, other activities are occasionally paused temporarily to grant these specific shows adequate space and public attention,” Elkotby said.
“Additionally, the schedule is arranged to allow audiences to experience all the different acts while providing the artists with sufficient breaks before presenting subsequent parts of their performances.”
“Each week introduces new and varied activities. During one week, the Academy of Arts launched a new initiative entitled ‘The Venting Box’ in cooperation with mental health specialist Rasha Al-Gendy. The initiative provides a safe space for visitors to express the thoughts, concerns, and questions weighing on their minds. They write down their feelings and place them in a designated box without including names or personal information, ensuring complete confidentiality and privacy,” he said.
“Al-Gendy then reads the messages and provides guidance tailored to each case, fostering a sense of psychological support and care. The initiative is based on the belief that expressing emotions helps ease psychological pressures and enables individuals to achieve greater balance and creativity.”
Since its launch, Art Street has received the support of Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli, Minister of Culture Jehan Zaki, and Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, all of whom attended the performances and expressed their support for the artists and participants.
The opening event attracted large crowds of Egyptians, Arabs, and foreign visitors. Audiences engaged enthusiastically with the diverse programme. The show featured international music and Arabic singing, alongside solo and group performances.
The programme also included traditional performances that celebrated Egyptian identity, such as the renowned Upper Egyptian tahteeb, a traditional stick-fighting display, and the tannoura (whirling dervish) dance.
At the same time, it showcased international art forms, including Russian ballet. Live workshops in painting, visual arts, and pottery making were also presented.
Madbouli expressed his appreciation for the Art Street initiative, stressing the importance of continuing such programmes because of their role in attracting tourists, expanding access to the arts among citizens, and preserving Egypt’s cultural identity.
Zaki affirmed that Art Street represents a significant step towards making the arts more accessible to the public and advancing cultural equality. It achieves this by taking artistic activities beyond enclosed venues and into public spaces, where they can engage directly with different segments of society, she said.
She also noted that the initiative reflects the state’s commitment to supporting culture and creativity, as well as discovering and nurturing young talent.
The Ministry of Culture is working to develop the initiative into a sustainable platform that strengthens Egyptian cultural identity, contributes to raising public awareness, and reinforces the values of beauty within society, she added.
For his part, Saber explained that the Art Street initiative aims to transform the capital’s streets and public squares into open stages that embrace creativity and provide citizens with high-quality artistic content free of charge.
He noted that the initiative contributes to enhancing public taste and reviving the character of the downtown area.
Cairo governorate is providing logistical, financial, and promotional support, secure event locations, and the necessary permits, Saber said. The Academy of Arts is responsible for artistic and academic supervision, designing programmes and activities, and selecting the participating talents and professionals. This aims to ensure the presentation of content that reflects Egypt’s cultural identity and heritage.
The Art Street initiative comes as part of broader efforts directed by the state towards reviving Downtown Cairo and preserving the architectural and urban character of this historic district.
Mohamed Abu Saada, head of the National Organisation for Urban Harmony, explained that the organisation has provided technical supervision, support, and design expertise throughout the project’s various phases in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Cairo governorate.
The first phase has included the redevelopment of Al-Sharifain Street through the restoration of building façades, the upgrading of pavements, and the transformation of the area into a pedestrian corridor.
This phase has been completed. The next phase will extend the improvement of pavements and building façades to the surrounding streets as part of the state’s plan to enhance the visual character of Downtown Cairo.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 2 July, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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