After months of rehearsals and preparations, hundreds of students at Egyptian universities found themselves facing sudden decisions to cancel or indefinitely postpone theatrical festivals, as theaters and culture palaces were closed and training and performance spaces contracted under mounting financial and administrative pressures. While official bodies justify these measures by citing austerity considerations and the reprioritization of resources in the context of the economic crisis, artists, academics, and parliamentarians warn that the decline in theatrical and cultural activity does not simply disrupt artistic performances, but extends to weakening one of Egypt’s most historically significant tools of soft power and the discovery of young talent.
At the beginning of this June, the Faculty of Law at Al-Asima University (formerly Helwan) witnessed a crisis following the sudden cutting of sound and lighting during a performance of the play “Al-Dahdira,” despite students having rehearsed it for nearly four months. Following the controversy that ensued, the university administration referred the matter to an investigation and formed an official committee to reassess the performance, comprising Dr. Ashraf Zaki, head of the Actors Syndicate, and artist Ashraf Abdel Baky. The crisis ended in reconciliation and an official decision to resume the theatrical production.
The Al-Asima incident is no exception. Theatrical activity at many Egyptian universities faces serious challenges that led to the indefinite postponement of the university theater forum, an annual cultural and artistic event organized by the cultural and artistic activity administration at universities, during which each faculty presents a theatrical production competing for awards in directing, acting, and best production.
Kafr El-Sheikh University also announced last April the temporary postponement of theatrical activity within the framework of what it described as a developmental vision aimed at broadening student participation and raising the artistic level of activity within the university.
Theatrical activity at the university faces chronic challenges related to weak infrastructure and funding shortages, which force students to bear a significant portion of production costs from their own money, according to Ahmed Omar (a pseudonym), a member of the theater troupe at the Faculty of Pharmacy. He explains that performances are staged inside academic lecture halls that lack the basic theatrical equipment, such as professional lighting and sound systems and the technical equipment required for their execution, and theater troupes are forced to rent lighting and sound from outside the university, which consumes the largest portion of the budgets allocated to the activity.
He told Zawia3: “The financial allocations received by some troupes are insufficient to cover even the minimum requirements of theatrical production, including set design, costumes, accessories, and makeup alongside technical equipment. Troupe members contribute to the costs, while some directors or activity coordinators bear part of the expenses from their personal resources to see the productions through.”
He believes that some faculties within the university receive larger allocations than others, creating a clear disparity in opportunities to produce theatrical performances, adding that the amounts reaching troupes from the budgets allocated to theatrical activity undergo significant deductions under the heading of taxes and are disbursed at values lower than those declared in official documents.
He explains that the obstacles are not limited to financing alone, but extend to the administrative procedures associated with conducting the activity. Some troupes cannot begin rehearsals until official approvals tied to university festivals are issued, which reduces the time available for preparation and affects the quality of productions.
He notes that rehearsals are conducted in extremely limited spaces or in open areas within the campus due to the unavailability of equipped halls large enough for troupe members, and students therefore face restrictions related to hall usage schedules and training locations due to academic timetables and obligations.
He affirms that only a limited number of faculties within the university participate regularly in theatrical activities, while others are absent from participation due to weak support or a lack of interest in the activity, calling for the provision of budgets more appropriate to the nature of theatrical production, the availability of suitable venues for rehearsals and performances, the organization of regular student festivals, and the engagement of directors and specialists to train young talents.
The situation at Suez Canal University is little different. The university administration cancelled the theatrical festival before it was due to take place, then reversed the decision following student objections, before once again cancelling it approximately two weeks before its launch, according to students and members of the university’s theater troupe who confirmed this to Zawia3.
Reem Hosny (a pseudonym), a student at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, explains that preparations for the theatrical festival had begun as far back as February, with student troupes maintaining regular rehearsals, before receiving notification of the festival’s cancellation on the grounds of electricity consumption austerity and the unavailability of budget, within a decision said to encompass all universities.
Following this, students tried to persuade the university administration not to cancel the events, even expressing willingness to bear part of the expenses themselves, but the university insisted on the cancellation, bringing rehearsals across all faculties to a halt. The students did not give up, however, and launched posts and video clips on social media platforms demanding the reinstatement of the festival, which forced the university administration to reverse its decision and allow rehearsals to resume, with a draw held to determine performance schedules.
Reem told Zawia3 that the student troupes had returned to intensive training to make up for the period of stoppage, and most faculties had already completed the preparation of their theatrical productions. The festival had been scheduled to launch at the beginning of May, but students were surprised during a rehearsal on 29 April by a new notification announcing the postponement of the festival to July.
Zeidan Sayed (a pseudonym), a student at the Faculty of Nursing at Suez Canal University and a member of the faculty’s theater troupe, explains that the budget allocated for theatrical performances is extremely limited, not exceeding approximately 11,000 Egyptian pounds ($211.54) per production, covering set design, costumes, music, artistic materials, and wages, which drives students to bear a significant portion of the expenses themselves to ensure productions come out in an appropriate form.
He notes that theater troupe members have become accustomed to pooling financial contributions among themselves and forming a fund to support production, while some resort to borrowing to provide performance requirements before the official budget is disbursed, which is typically released only a short period of no more than two weeks before the festival, making reliance on it for carrying out preparations virtually impossible.
He told Zawia3: “The decision to cancel the festival after students had already spent on set designs and equipment inflicted financial losses on them. The director of the production I participated in had to cover the work costs from his own money in the hope of recovering them after the financial allocations were disbursed, but the cancellation of the festival prevented that.”
He points to the state of instability surrounding theatrical activity, where troupes invest considerable effort in preparation, training, and resource gathering, then face sudden decisions to cancel or postpone, which reflects negatively on students’ enthusiasm and continued participation in artistic activities within the university.
A youth welfare budget is allocated to support student activities by the Supreme Council for Youth and the Ministry of Higher Education as part of university budgets, distributed across student activities including sports, cultural, social, artistic, and scientific events. Specific percentages, generally reaching up to 80%, of activity fees are allocated to student unions to support their initiatives, while part of the budget is directed as solidarity funds to support students struggling to pay academic fees, alongside covering supervision costs, camp management, and youth welfare employee bonuses. The allocations for higher education and scientific research in the state budget for fiscal year 2025/2026 reached approximately 135 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.6 billion), of which 128 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.46 billion) were allocated to the higher education sector and 7 billion Egyptian pounds ($134.6 million) to scientific research.
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Austerity and Weak Budgets
Theatrical activity within Egyptian universities faces the challenges of weak budgets alongside administrative complications. Michel Sabry (a pseudonym), a member of the Menoufia University theater troupe, reveals that theater troupes within the university have been subjected to continuous restriction for years, noting that some troupes have already ceased operations due to the weak support provided by youth welfare administrations.
He explains that the crisis began with the implementation of austerity decisions in 2021, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, when students were informed of the cancellation of the theatrical festival and the prohibition on disbursing any budgets for activities. He notes that students offered to organize the festival with self-financing, but the administration informed them this was not possible due to the costs of organizing and adjudication committees, which students accepted at the time given their limited familiarity with the procedures and regulations governing activities.
However, theater troupe members were later surprised to find that festivals continued at other universities, prompting them to question why theirs had stopped, and when they tried to discuss the matter with university officials, they received no convincing explanations.
He told Zawia3: “Theatrical activity remained in a state of stagnation from August 2021 until December 2023, without a regular theatrical festival being held. During that time students were demanding the implementation of recommendations that had emerged from some adjudication committees and the development of theatrical activity, but these never materialized.”
He recalls that a small-scale festival was held in December 2023 through self-organized efforts, without any financial support, adding that he personally has yet to receive the financial dues he spent on one of the productions. In a further setback for support of artistic activities, the university theater team and the Faculty of Arts center were abolished, and despite student demands for their reinstatement, they received only repeated promises without any clear implementation steps. He considers that the crisis is not linked only to a shortage of financial resources, but to the absence of administrative will to develop theatrical activity and provide rehearsal spaces and the logistical support necessary for producing performances.
Mohamed Hassan (a pseudonym), a member of the theater troupe at the Faculty of Media at Ain Shams University, explains that theatrical activity within the faculty faces recurring problems due to the unavailability of sufficient budgets, even though the cost of theatrical performances is not high compared to the scale of other university activities, generally not exceeding 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($384.6 million).
He confirms to Zawia3 that organizing theatrical performances is done with great difficulty, with cases of postponement and cancellation recurring. Some theatrical events that students were accustomed to presenting were not organized this year, amid a state of uncertainty about completing performances or participating in university festivals.
While theatrical activity at Benha University faces obstacles related to the absence of an equipped theater that allows students to present their performances in suitable conditions, its administration decided to postpone the theatrical festival due to organizational circumstances that coincided with the examination period. Moamen Adel (a pseudonym), a member of the university’s theater troupe, recounts that his troupe was prevented from conducting rehearsals within the faculty, forcing them to search for alternative training locations such as cafes or open spaces in the streets.
He told Zawia3: “The halls that used to be allocated for rehearsals before examinations were only available for one or two days per week, citing complaints from some faculty members about the noise, which was insufficient for a troupe that includes students experiencing acting for the first time and needing more time for training and preparation.”
He notes that theater troupes face a shortage of technical and financial support, and bear the costs of sets and equipment from their own money in the absence of a clear budget for theatrical activities, explaining that the majority of performances were executed with extremely limited resources, relying on simple and available materials. Despite this, a decision was issued for the faculty not to participate in the festival due to its coincidence with the examination period, which provoked the students’ dissatisfaction.
According to theater director Ezzat Zein, Fayoum University students had prepared to participate in their university’s annual theatrical festival, but less than a week before it was due to take place, the university cancelled it entirely citing expenditure rationalization in accordance with government directives.
He adds in a post on his Facebook account that the cancellation was the result of an incorrect interpretation of the austerity decision, that no apology was made to students for the loss of their efforts, and asked why other universities are holding their festivals if these are government instructions.
This comes within the repercussions of the Egyptian government’s plan to rationalize consumption in the energy and water sectors and rationalize government spending to address the economic crisis. The measures include reducing travel and official events, cutting spending, obligating government buildings to comply with lighting controls, and applying strict controls on roadside advertisements to reduce consumption.
Dr. Rania Fathalah, Professor of Acting and Directing in the Theater Studies Department at the Faculty of Arts at Alexandria University, affirms that university theater represents the first real gateway to discovering theatrical art for most students, as the university provides actual engagement with the elements of theatrical work, from acting and directing to production and complete performances.
She affirms that the existence of university theater is an indispensable necessity within educational institutions, noting that this activity has for decades been one of the most important tributaries of the Egyptian theatrical movement. Despite the various challenges facing theatrical activity, she continues to place her confidence in students’ passion for theatrical art and the presence of professors who believe in the importance of theater.
She told Zawia3: “University theater continues to produce distinguished works at a high artistic level. I have previously served on adjudication committees at a number of university festivals and theatrical forums, and have witnessed remarkable productions in terms of their level of creativity and innovation.”
She considers that the fundamental challenge facing many young theatrical experiences is not linked solely to material resources, as many good productions are already produced on limited budgets. What young people need more is moral support, the spotlight on their work, and broader opportunities to publicize it through media and cultural institutions, to encourage them to continue working and creating.
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Culture Palaces Out of Service
The suffering of theater troupes from cancellations, postponements, and weak budgets has not been limited to theatrical activity within universities, but has extended to some culture palaces that were closed in Damietta Governorate, against the backdrop of decisions related to safety and civil protection procedures, following an accident in which a rigging structure (a wooden/metal frame) loaded with lighting and set equipment fell onto the stage of the Mansoura Culture Palace in Dakahlia in February 2024, resulting in three crew members sustaining serious injuries.
Theater director Mohamed Walid, who works with troupes of the General Authority for Culture Palaces, recounts that the first repercussion of that crisis was the prohibition of using the New Damietta Culture Palace theater for rehearsals and theatrical performances, forcing artistic troupes to search for alternative venues for training and performance outside the palace, whether in other halls unsuitable for theatrical work or in different governorates. Following the Mansoura Culture Palace incident, cultural and artistic activities, including theatrical activity, were suspended inside a number of culture palaces in Damietta Governorate for failure to meet civil protection requirements.
He told Zawia3: “The problem does not lie only in the closure of theaters, but in the absence of a clear vision for addressing the crisis or an announced timetable for reopening them. Those working in the cultural field have not received specific information regarding the steps required to resume activity or the expected duration of the closure, creating a state of ambiguity and anxiety among artistic troupes.”
He affirms that those working in the cultural field do not object to the application of safety and civil protection requirements, but are demanding the development of a clear and swift plan to address the technical problems and reopen culture palaces, in a way that allows the resumption of cultural and artistic activities and the restoration of their role in serving the local public.
He explains that some troupes have taken to producing theatrical performances and participating with them in festivals or competitions outside the governorate before adjudication committees only, without actually presenting them to the public for whom they were produced, noting that some troupes execute works at significant financial cost and then limit themselves to a single performance within the framework of official competitions, while the governorate’s public is deprived of seeing them. He asks about the point of spending production budgets on performances that do not reach the local audience.
The General Authority for Culture Palaces faces chronic challenges related to the weakness of the budget allocated to cultural activity, which does not exceed 87 million Egyptian pounds ($1.67 million) annually, in addition to a shortage of specialized personnel in cultural and artistic fields and the lack of basic infrastructure at many of its venues to enable them to receive the public, according to former Minister of Culture Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hano, during a speech delivered before the plenary session of the Senate in January 2024.
According to data from the Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center, the number of culture palaces and houses in Egypt reached 357 facilities by the end of 2023. According to a report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics issued in 2022, the number of culture palaces and houses declined from 594 venues in 2016 to only 347 by 2021, with 2017 recording the start of the sharp decline, when their number stood at only 336 venues.
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A Broader Context Linked to the Economic Crisis
In the same context, MP Dr. Doha Assi, a member of the Culture and Media Committee of the House of Representatives, considers that the decline in cultural and artistic activities in a number of educational and cultural institutions should not always be read as hostility toward culture and an attempt to marginalize it, because it comes within a broader context linked to the current economic crisis and the austerity policies approved by the government, which have been reflected across various sectors. The limitation of financial resources drives different bodies to reprioritize, which causes cultural and theatrical activities to recede in the hierarchy of concerns compared to basic services and more urgent needs, alongside bureaucracy, reactionary tendencies, and a collective mindset that considers culture a luxury.
Regarding the cancellation of theatrical performances or the postponement of theater festivals and forums at some universities, the MP explains that she submitted a parliamentary query regarding what was raised about the prohibition of a theatrical performance at Helwan University, with the aim of establishing the truth of the circulating events and holding the relevant bodies accountable for their causes, stressing the necessity of verifying all circumstances and not being satisfied with what circulates on social media.
She told Zawia3: “The problems associated with university theatrical activity stem from multiple factors, including weak funding, the prioritization of issues within institutions, and differing convictions among university administrations about the importance of cultural and artistic activity and its role in university life.”
She explains that cases of closure of some culture palaces are linked to financing crises or attempts at reform or the application of safety and civil protection requirements, as many suffer from problems related to civil protection requirements or renovation works, while funding shortages prevent the completion of required development works or the regularization of situations in accordance with approved codes.
The budget of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for fiscal year 2025/2026 reached approximately 3.635 billion Egyptian pounds ($69.9 million), with spending focused on the renovation and upgrading of cultural infrastructure and buildings, digitizing cultural services and protecting heritage, supporting visual identity projects for Egyptian cities, and covering the obligations of cultural institutions abroad.
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Suspension Instead of Development
MP Doha Assi also addresses the cancellation of the 42nd Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries, attributing the decision to the Higher Committee for Festivals having found a decline in the festival’s performance and impact in recent years, and consequently deeming its temporary suspension an opportunity to reassess management mechanisms and develop performance in a way that ensures the restoration of its standing.
She considers that the existence of specialized committees to evaluate the performance of cultural and artistic festivals represents a positive mechanism to ensure the quality of cultural events and continued support for effective ones, noting that established festivals, such as the Alexandria Film Festival with its 55 years of history, are part of Egypt’s soft power and must be preserved, with a way found to correct whatever decline may have occurred, so that the festival retains its strength and impact.
The Higher Committee for Festivals at the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, chaired by Dr. Jihan Zaki, had announced at the beginning of June the cancellation of the 42nd session of the Alexandria International Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries, which had been scheduled for the period from 26 to 30 September, against the backdrop of performance evaluation and internal disagreements within the organizing body, resulting in the session being suspended without a final decision on the festival’s fate. Following this, journalist Al-Amir Abaza announced his resignation from the presidency of the festival, to open the door to reorganization and course correction.
Art critic Faiza Hindawi affirms that the festival faced a number of administrative and artistic problems in recent years, but that addressing these problems should not be through cancelling or suspending the festival, but rather through the development of clear solutions and reform mechanisms that guarantee its development and the continuation of its cultural role. The Higher Committee for Festivals could have placed specific conditions and criteria before the organizing body and monitored their implementation to ensure a better outcome for the session, rather than suspending it.
Despite this, the critic does not see the coincidence between the debate surrounding theatrical activities at universities and the decision to suspend the Alexandria Festival session as necessarily reflecting a coordinated orientation to cancel cultural and artistic activities, as each file has its own particular causes. She notes that the Higher Committee for Festivals was not targeting a reduction in cultural activity, but adopted the view that temporarily suspending the festival might contribute to improving its level independently, a proposition with which she disagrees.
She told Zawia3: “The crisis of theatrical activity at universities is largely linked to the weak understanding of some university administrations of the importance of art and culture and their role in building students’ characters. University theater has historically played a pivotal role in discovering and producing generations of artists and creators, and has presented distinguished artistic works that won awards and achieved notable cultural impact.”
She acknowledges that the current economic crisis and austerity policies have contributed to the decline of interest in cultural activities among some bodies, as a result of viewing them as entertainment activities that can be dispensed with, even though budgets allocated to cultural and artistic activities in Egypt remain relatively limited compared to the scale of public spending. She points out that the cost of major cultural events does not represent a genuine burden on the state’s general budget, noting a mistaken perception that spending on artistic and cultural activities represents a form of extravagance or waste of resources, whereas investment in culture and the arts is an investment in building awareness and the mind and shaping human character. She stresses that art plays an important role in confronting extremist ideas and promoting values of enlightenment and openness, making it part of the framework of societal development rather than a marginal activity.
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Egypt’s Soft Power in Retreat
In the same context, MP Irene Saeed, head of the parliamentary bloc of the Reform and Development Party, considers that the decline of theatrical and cultural activities within universities, coinciding with the closure of a number of culture palaces and the faltering of some artistic events, represents a genuine loss for one of Egypt’s most important sources of soft power, warning of the long-term effects of this orientation on cultural and social life in the country.
She affirms that restricting the educational process to its academic dimension empties it of its creative and human dimensions, as artistic and cultural activities are a fundamental part of shaping the student’s character and developing their capacities, and curtailing them leads to the squandering of young people’s energies and deprives them of spaces for expression and release, increasing feelings of frustration, which reflects negatively on society.
She criticizes what she describes as the retreat of cultural institutions’ role in reaching the public, telling Zawia3: “Culture has become confined to a limited sphere instead of being widely available in schools, universities, and culture palaces, and the Ministry of Culture is called upon to return to its fundamental role of disseminating culture and supporting creative activities in various governorates and age groups.”
The MP attributes this decline to the government’s way of organizing general priorities, noting that countries seeking development place education and youth at the forefront of their concerns, given that investment in culture and the arts later reflects on the economy, development, and the international standing of the state.
She adds: “Cultural and artistic industries represent an important economic resource in many countries, whether through international festivals, artistic production, or cultural tourism. Soft power is not merely a moral value but an economic and strategic tool that can contribute to enhancing the state’s image and attracting investments and tourism.”
She stresses that culture and the arts play an important role in strengthening social cohesion and confronting manifestations of violence and extremism, affirming that providing spaces for creativity and expression for young people is part of the framework of social security and national security, and calling for a reconsideration of policies related to the support of culture and creative activities within educational and cultural institutions.
Between decisions to cancel and postpone, weak budgets, and the complexities of administrative procedures, thousands of students participating in theater troupes find themselves confronting a reality that threatens the continuity of one of Egypt’s oldest and most important platforms for discovering artistic talent. While official bodies see austerity measures as requiring reprioritization under economic pressures, artists, academics, and parliamentarians warn that the curtailment of cultural activities may leave consequences that extend far beyond the theater itself to the future of Egypt’s soft power.
