Celebrating Young Talent in Theater
The National Improvisational Theater Festival for Middle Schools concluded yesterday at the Ghali Cultural Complex in Casablanca. This vibrant event, organized by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports in collaboration with the Ali Zaoua Foundation, honored numerous school teams that excelled in improvisational theater competitions after three days filled with artistic performances. A total of 24 teams from various regions of the kingdom participated, having qualified through regional and provincial eliminations, showcasing the students' skills in verbal and physical expression, improvisation, teamwork, and creativity on stage.
In the first-year category, the "Nabd Al-Houma" team, representing the Souss-Massa region, clinched the gold medal, while the "Alaash La" team from the Casablanca-Settat region secured the silver. The bronze medal was shared between the "Pirates" team from Rabat-Salé-Kenitra and the "Jara" team from Marrakech-Safi. In the second-year category, the "Tifawin for Improvisation" team, representing the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, won the gold medal, with the "Fursan Ain Asrddoun" team from Beni Mellal-Khenifra taking silver. The third place was jointly awarded to the "Nahda" team from the East region and the "Bnat Al-Bahja" team from Marrakech-Safi.
The judging panel awarded the title of Best Improviser to Yahya Zouzeri and Youssef Tawaf in their respective categories, while Hiba Azdar and Wahiba Al-Amrani were recognized for their outstanding improvisational performances. Mubarak Mazin, the national coordinator for extracurricular activities at the Ministry of National Education, emphasized that this competition represents the culmination of an educational journey that extended throughout the academic year within the participating institutions in the "Middle Schools of Excellence" program. He noted that improvisational theater fosters self-confidence, verbal expression, listening skills, initiative, and teamwork among students.
Furthermore, Safaa Al-Amrati, the director of communication and partnerships at the Ali Zaoua Foundation, stated that the festival reflects the fruits of a year-long artistic support initiative that benefited thousands of students. She highlighted that the partnership with the Ministry of National Education aims to make art a tool for education, inclusion, and the development of creative and critical skills among youth. The judging panel included artists Saad Mouaffaq and Sandia Taj Eddin, who praised the artistic level of the performances and the teams' ability to present innovative scenes while employing improvisational theater techniques with professionalism.
This festival was organized as part of the "Middle Schools of Excellence" program, which encompassed a total of 786 public middle schools across various regions of the kingdom during the 2025-2026 academic year, benefiting approximately 677,000 students. Additionally, it facilitated the training of 23,000 teachers in the fields of cinema in the classroom and improvisational theater, aiming to solidify artistic practices within Moroccan schools.
As reported by casa24.ma.
