Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the "Visa for Music" festival decided to come back in a virtual event on November18-21, with a special program including intellectual seminars, workshops, and conferences respecting the preventive measures.
The event organizers said this year's edition will be a "confined version," noting that six years passed on the debut of this ticket-less festival that hosted artists, professionals, and a loyal audience.
They also explained that as the current health conditions have prevented the organization of live concerts, the festival suggested recording shows featuring 20 musical bands in Morocco, and including intellectual conferences, and workshops in Rabat like in the past editions.
"The crisis dominating the world today is pushing artists and cultural activists to think of new creative methods, and find other means to stay connected with the audience, which is a real transformation," they added.
The "Visa for Music" festival organized by ANYA, an independent cultural organization, aspires to "maintain its contribution in shaping the music industry and developing it, in addition to promoting the cultural and innovative industries, and enhancing the value of artists by organizing an edition that fits the current situation and resists the hard conditions we are living today through a 'confined event' that respects the precautionary measures."
The upcoming edition will be dedicated to native and expatriate artists and professionals, who have submitted their applications since February. The approved artists will be hosted in Rabat to record a musical piece directed by the festival, to meet the fundamental goal of the event aiming at supporting Moroccan artists living abroad.
In order to keep its position as a top professional gathering and a musical festival in Africa and the Middle East, "Visa for Music" will organize three-day seminars to discuss the economic and social role played by the creative and cultural industries.
The seminars will host Moroccan and foreign figures, and will be digitally streamed to allow others to take part in the event from around the world.
The organizers affirmed that the festival will maintain its role and commitment towards the young generation, cultural activists, and artists in Morocco by organizing regular workshops and seminars with limited seats, aimed at developing and empowering their capacities and facilitating their integration, in addition to encouraging them on investments in the cultural field.
They said the "Visa for Music" forum adopts a qualitative approach when it comes to choosing artists, both professionals and beginners, as well as in the selection of participants in the different organized seminars. The festival is also keen to select participants from different Moroccan regions.
