Haya Cultural Centre partners with British Council to bring puppet theatre to Jordan

AMMAN — Haya Cultural Centre and the British Council on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish strategic partnerships between the centre and puppet theatres for children in the UK.

Under the memo, UK theatres will transfer their expertise to the Haya Cultural Centre theatre team to boost their skills and offer them necessary training.

During the signing ceremony, the centre's general manager, Diala Khamra, said the partnership with the British Council has been active for a long time and that previous projects related to theatre work were implemented in which experts from the UK delivered workshops to children and artists at the centre. 

She told reporters that art for children should be encouraged, thanking the council for its support.

May Abuhamdia, deputy director of the British Council in Jordan, said art supports societies and that puppet theatres are "something that will transcend generations", adding that everyone loves puppet shows.  

She called for this art to be preserved for younger generations because it is not only about entertainment, but also a means of education and expression.

"We are very happy that there are many avenues for collaboration between Haya Cultural Centre and the UK. The UK is going through the same things that Jordan and every other country is going through — how do we engage audiences, how people connect with each other and understand differences, celebrate differences," Abuhamdia said.

"This is what cultural exchange is all about — how do [we] celebrate the fact that cultures are different, and there are a lot of things that we take from our culture to another."

The official noted that the partnership between Haya Cultural Centre and the British Council is not only about reaching out to the UK for expertise, but also an opportunity for British artists to come to the Kingdom and see the "valuable cultural heritage" preserved by the centre. 

Employees of the non-profit centre, which aims to develop children's artistic and cultural skills, and the British Council toured an art shop where children were making puppets. 

The tour also included viewing the set-up of a stage at the Haya Cultural Centre's theatre, where "Tartoush", the centre's "first puppet show", will be performed this year. 

Dina Abu Hamdan, director of the theatre and of "Tartoush", said the performance will address the subject of preserving water.