Tunis – Tuesday (11) will see the opening of the 55th Carthage International Festival (FIC), in Tunisia. The event will continue until August 20 at the Carthage Amphitheater near Tunis, featuring music, dance and performing arts attractions. Russia’s Saint Petersburg Ballet will kick off the event with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. “The Carthage Amphitheater will be the first theater in Africa to welcome the Russian Ballet,” news outlet TAP quoted festival director Mokhtar Rassaa as saying.
Japan’s Awa dance will be featured on Wednesday (12). On Monday (15), there’ll be performances by artists in different styles, from countries including Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Ecuador, United States, China and France. The closing act will be Tunisian singer-songwriter Saber Rebai.
There will be 32 performances, including ballet, theater, comedy, concerts and attractions for kids. Ticket prices range from TND 20-80 (USD 6.70-26.80), depending on the event and seat location. Check out the full program here.
“The audience represents crucial financial support to the Carthage International Festival, since our government budget has been stripped down and Tunisia’s dinar is weak,” said Rassaa. According to him, the budget for this year is TND 5 million (USD 1.67 million), TND 2 million (USD 670,000) of which are provided by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Revenue is expected to hit TND 2 million, up from TND 1.85 million in (USD 620,000) in 2018 (pictured at beginning of story).
At a press conference, the director called on the media to diversify their cultural programming in order to “arouse the public’s intellectual curiosity” and encourage them to experience new art genres.
The Carthage Amphitheater was built in the 2nd century AD and destroyed by the Vandals in the 5th century. Its ruins were discovered in the 19th century. The landmark site has since been restored and boasts capacity for 10,000 people.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
