Saudi Culture Ministry Participates in Jordan’s Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts

Saudi Culture Ministry Participates in Jordan’s Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts
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Saudi Culture Ministry Participates in Jordan’s Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts

Saudi Culture Ministry Participates in Jordan’s Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts

The Saudi Ministry of Culture is participating in the 38th Jerash Festival in Jordan’s ancient city of Jerash from July 24 to August 3.
The ministry will present a variety of cultural activities through three cultural agencies, reflecting the rich cultural and artistic diversity of the Kingdom, SPA reported.

The Theater and Performing Arts Commission will participate with performing-arts groups from several Saudi regions, showcasing traditional arts such as Al-Hajini, Al-Dahha, Al-Samri, Al-Khamari, and Al-Rabash on the festival's main stage.
The Heritage Commission will have a specialized pavilion for "Year of the Camel 2024," a digital photo exhibition showcasing the prominent UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia, and another exhibition showcasing the Kingdom's architectural heritage sites through virtual-reality technologies. The pavilion will also display traditional crafts by a group of Saudi artisans using innovative methods, including palm crafts, pottery, Asiri weaving, bead making, jewelry crafting, and woodworking.
The Music Commission will participate with a pavilion at the international exhibition site, introducing the Saudi "Turooq" initiative to preserve traditional Saudi performing music and the Saudi Music Memory initiative through interactive screens. The commission will also organize a cultural exchange show titled "Turooq Meets the World" at the Sound and Light Theater of the festival. The show will feature musical performances that blend Saudi musical heritage with the musical traditions of participating countries.
The Ministry of Culture's participation in the iconic cultural festival is part of its efforts to highlight Saudi Arabia's cultural renaissance on regional and global levels, promote the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Kingdom, and strengthen frameworks for cooperation and cultural exchange between Saudi Arabia and countries worldwide, in line with the targets of the National Cultural Strategy derived from the ambitious Vision 2030.



Colombian Bullfighters Decry New Ban on Centuries-old Tradition

Photos of bullfighters decorate the walls of the bullring in Choachi, Colombia, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Photos of bullfighters decorate the walls of the bullring in Choachi, Colombia, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
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Colombian Bullfighters Decry New Ban on Centuries-old Tradition

Photos of bullfighters decorate the walls of the bullring in Choachi, Colombia, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Photos of bullfighters decorate the walls of the bullring in Choachi, Colombia, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Sebastián Caqueza says a new law to ban bullfighting in Colombia by 2028 will not dampen his passion for the sport that he has been practicing since has was a small boy.

Caqueza became a professional matador five years ago by taunting a fully grown bull for about 20 minutes and killing it with his sword, in a ceremony known as the Alternativa. Now, the 33-year-old says he will struggle to make a living as a bullfighter, but vows to do his best to stay in the centuries-old tradition.

“I will continue to participate in bullfights outside of Colombia,” said Caqueza. “And once bullfights are illegal in Colombia, we will stage them here anyway, because this is our passion and our life.”

“I will die a bullfighter” The AP quoted Caqueza as saying.

The legislation signed Monday by President Gustavo Petro places restrictions on bullfighting for a three-year transitional period and then imposes a full ban by 2028. It also orders the government to turn more than a dozen bullfighting arenas into concert halls and exhibition venues.

The bill was approved earlier this year by Colombia’s Congress after a heated debate. It removes Colombia from the short list of countries where bullfighting is still legal, including Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru, although the bill does not spell out sanctions for those who continue to stage bullfights.

Recent polls conducted across Colombia indicate bullfighting has lost popularity in the South American country, and animal rights activists have widely celebrated the government’s efforts to end an endeavor they describe as cruel and out of touch with modern values.

Bullfighting aficionados, and those who make a living from the sport, argue the government is threatening the cultural freedoms of minorities.

The bill has especially worried matadors, their assistants and cattle ranchers who specialize in rearing fighting bulls, whose future is now uncertain.