Festival founder and director Nabil Bahgat said the event is intended to reaffirm the richness of Arab and Egyptian theatrical heritage, highlighting indigenous artistic forms capable of expressing local identity without relying on imported theatrical traditions.
Bahgat described shadow theatre as one of the oldest forms of Arab theatre and the earliest attempt to create moving images through the use of light. He argued that it can be viewed as a precursor to cinema, demonstrating the imagination and creativity that have long characterized Arab-Islamic civilization and Egyptian society.
Day one: Heritage and artistic journeys
The opening day, titled "Shadow Theatre: Generations and Experiences," will begin at 7:30 pm on 22 July with a retrospective exhibition by the Wamda Troupe - an Egyptian folk arts group founded in 2003 by Bahgat - featuring both historical shadow puppets used over centuries and contemporary designs. Entitled "Wamda: Restoration," the exhibition explores the aesthetic traditions of Arab and Islamic design as reflected in shadow theatre and its relationship with the visual arts.
The exhibition will be followed by a panel discussion of the same title featuring Nabil Bahgat and pioneering shadow theatre practitioner Said Abu Raya.
The session will open with excerpts from Taif Al Khayal (The Shadow Spectre), directed by Alfred Mikhail, before examining Abu Raya's work, the legacy of the late artist Bahai Al Marghani, and the evolution of the Wamda Troupe.
The evening will conclude with a signing and discussion of Abu Raya's latest book, published by the Arab Theatre Authority.
Following the discussion, Wamda will stage The Crocodile, a classic folk shadow play passed down through generations and continually reinterpreted, highlighting the tradition's enduring ability to evolve. The programme will also feature The Roaring Treacherous Rooster, written by Palestinian playwright Ghannam Ghannam.
Day two: Imagination and children's theatre
The second day will also begin at 7:30 pm with a major symposium titled "Imagination and the Imaginary," examining the role of imagination in Arab culture and how shadow theatre shaped collective, intellectual, and Sufi understandings of the imagination from an early period in history. Members of the Wamda Troupe will present insights drawn from their own artistic practice.
The festival will conclude with Story Box, a children's theatre production promoting educational values such as cooperation and honesty, followed by excerpts from An Elephant in the City, adapted from a story by Kuwaiti author Huda Al Shawa, which follows an elephant's adventurous journey through an urban landscape.
Organizers say the festival aims to revive Egypt's visual memory while celebrating the depth of creativity embedded in the country's popular artistic heritage.
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