Children in Taiz filled the stage with music, poetry, paintings and traditional performances in December 2019 as the city hosted its first Creative Growth festival, offering young participants a space to express their talents and share messages of peace.
Organized by the Cultural Office in Taiz under the sponsorship of Tawakkol Karman Foundation, the festival was held as part of the Art for Peace program under the slogan “Peace creations by children of Taiz.”
The event featured recreational and artistic activities designed to help children communicate messages of peace through singing, music, visual arts, folklore, poetry and creative performances. An artistic and musical ensemble affiliated with the Cultural Office in Taiz accompanied several of the presentations.
The festival drew a large audience of children, families and community members. Attendees included Abdul-Khaliq Saif, director general of the Cultural Office in Taiz; poet Nabil Al-Hakimi, head of the Yemeni Writers Union’s Taiz branch; and Mamoun Al-Maqtari, director general of Taawon Park.
Saif said the festival gave children an opportunity to showcase their creativity and talents as a way of confronting the violence and war affecting their city.
“The festival demonstrated the importance of creating spaces where children can express themselves and promote peace through their talents,” he said.
Saif added that the event had laid the groundwork for future activities centered on children and their interests, helping them cope with the psychological and social consequences of conflict.
He also thanked Tawakkol Karman Foundation for supporting the festival and recognizing talented participants, including through cash awards of 20,000 Yemeni rials presented during the closing ceremony.
Students from several schools across Taiz took part in the festival, contributing to a diverse program of artistic, musical and cultural performances that reflected their hopes for a more peaceful future.
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