Assilah Forum Foundation organizes autumn session 46th Assilah International Cultural Moussem

ASSILAH - the Assilah Forum Foundation is organizing the autumn session of the 46th Assilah International Cultural Moussem from September 26 to October 12.

The Moussem is organized under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication and the of the Assilah Municipality, with the participation of over 350 figures from the worlds of diplomacy, thought, culture, art, and media.

This year's autumn session will feature the symposium "Mohamed Benaissa: The Statesman and Cultural Icon" within the framework of the "Creativity Tent." It will be dedicated to honouring the spirit and legacy of the Forum's founder, the late Foreign Minister, recalling his efforts in service of thought and creativity, and his continuous contributions to promoting the dialogue of civilizations and cultures.

This opening symposium will be held on September 26, 27, and 28, with the participation of a selection of the late minister's friends and colleagues, including politicians, thinkers, researchers, and media figures from within Morocco and abroad.

A symposium on the topic of "The Atlantic Initiative: Towards an Integrated African Vision for the Atlantic Space" will also be organized in cooperation with the Policy Center for the New South (on September 30). Additionally, two symposia on visual arts will be held: the first on "Art and the Power of Technology" (October 3-4), and the second on "The Artistic Institution: Concept and Achievement" (October 10-11). There will also be a tribute symposium for Moroccan visual artist Abdelkarim Ouazzani (on October 5).

In the field of literature and poetry, the winner of the thirteenth Felix Tchicaya U Tam'si Prize for African Poetry will be announced during this season. A special symposium to celebrate the winner will be organized on Thursday, October 9.

Furthermore, this session will feature book signings for literary publications by Mauritanian journalist Abdullah Ould Mohammedi (September 28), the writer, former Minister, and former Ambassador Mohamed Saad El Alami (October 4), and the Moroccan novelist and anthropologist Mohamed El Mozzouz (October 11).

The autumn session of this year will also host several events in the visual arts (engraving, painting, lithography), with the participation of 32 artists from Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Morocco. This is alongside the organization of a children's talent workshop, a children's writing and creativity workshop, and a theater and self-development workshop.

At the exhibition hall of the Hassan II International Meeting Center, an exhibition of works by visual artists Lubna Al Amin (Bahrain) and Khaled Al Saai (Syria) will be held, along with a tribute exhibition for artist Abdelkarim Ouazzani (Morocco) and an exhibition of publications issued by the Assilah Forum Foundation.

The Palace of Culture will host a photographic exhibition of the late Mohamed Benaissa, in addition to a collective exhibition of creations by the children participating in the season's talent program.

It is worth noting that the Assilah Forum Foundation organized the spring session of the 46th Assilah International Cultural Season from April 6 to 20 of this past year, dedicated to the visual arts. It included organizing artistic workshops in engraving, lithography, and painting, with the participation of 22 artists from Morocco, Bahrain, Spain, Syria, Romania, Belgium, and the UK, held at the art workshops in the Palace of Culture, in addition to the season's talent workshop (children's art studio).

The Prince Bandar bin Sultan Library hosted workshops for the literary expression and children's writing program during the same session, benefiting over 100 boys and girls aged 8 to 16. The workshops were dedicated to the theme of "Travel Literature" and culminated in the production of a collection of narrative and poetic texts created by these emerging talents under the supervision of educational specialists in children's literature. The Foundation will later publish these creations in a dedicated volume.

On April 20, the children from the workshop participated in a cultural trip to the International Publishing and Book Fair, which was marked by their attendance of the tribute symposium for the late Mohamed Benaissa, organized on that occasion.

Furthermore, during the spring session, the exhibition "Assilah Seasons Visual Arts 24" was inaugurated at the exhibition hall of the Hassan II International Meeting Center, running from April 12 to September 7. This exhibition featured the private art collection of the Assilah Forum Foundation, created during various art workshops organized throughout 2024. It included works by artists from Bahrain, the UK, Egypt, France, Senegal, Spain, Syria, and Morocco, in addition to works by children produced as part of the "Season's Talents" program.

The summer session, held from June 29 to July 6, was distinguished by the organization of the mural painting workshop in the old Medina—a workshop the Foundation has consistently organized since 1978. It saw the participation of 17 artists from Spain, France, Lithuania, Romania, Syria, and Morocco, alongside the organization of a children's mural workshop and the literary expression and children's writing program.

The summer session also featured training workshops in theater and self-development for youth, children, and mothers, in partnership with the "Zelli Art" Association at the "Dar Assabah for Solidarity" space. Additionally, a workshop in music education for children was organized, supervised by musicians from Assilah at the Bahrain Institute for Oriental Music.

It is noteworthy that the Assilah Forum Foundation has consistently organized its International Cultural Season for over four decades, with significant participation from figures in the worlds of thought, politics, media, and creativity. This has contributed to the radiance of the Kingdom of Morocco's cultural image and the enhancement of efforts and positive initiatives in the field of cultural development.