After Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir and Fez, it is the turn of the legendary city of Marrakech to welcome a new 100% Moroccan local cultural center from the Ali Zaoua Foundation, “The Jamaâ El Fna Stars ».
This 5th Center dedicated to young people and culture will be inaugurated on November 26, 2021 by the President of the Foundation, Nabil Ayouch and the Vice-President, Mahi Binebine, with the participation of the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication , Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and in the presence of the Wali of the Marrakech-Safi Region, Karim Kassi Lahlou and the Governor of the Prefecture of Marrakech.
For years, through these centers, the Ali Zaoua Foundation has offered Moroccan youth spaces for expression, learning and discovery through initiation into different forms of artistic expression (music, dance, theater, arts visual and plastic…), learning foreign languages (French, English, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean…) and discovering the cultures of the world, underlines the Foundation.
For Nabil Ayouch, founding president of the Ali Zaoua Foundation “This center crowns 12 years of work and passion”. And to add that “we have come a long way since the opening of the first Center les Etoiles of Sidi Moumen in 2014. The opening of this one in Marrakech is of particular importance thanks to the accompaniment of the Ministry and the support. of the INDH, with other large Moroccan and international partners, such as the Luxembourg / Piou Rido Foundation as well as the Chenue group and the Société Générale Foundation. This represents for us a pledge of confidence and an important recognition for all the work accomplished so far with the young people of these disadvantaged districts via the arts and culture ”.
Place of discovery and memory
It is therefore in the heart of the city, a few steps from the unmissable Jamaâ El Fna square that the “Riad El Kébir” building is located, made available by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, which will now house the “Les Etoiles de Jamaâ El Fna” Center in Marrakech.
A monument of more than 1000m2 completely restored which will be able to accommodate 500 to 600 young permanent beneficiaries from the first year around artistic courses such as: theater, dance, music or plastic and visual arts. An artistic and cultural program that can be implemented thanks to the support of major partners such as Société Générale Maroc or the Total Energy Group.
Through its cultural program, Les Etoiles Jamaâ El Fna will highlight the city’s heritage and also introduce young people to the most contemporary artistic expressions. Foreign language courses (French, English, Spanish, Mandarin, etc.) will also be provided in order to allow young people in the medina to open up to the cultures of the world.
The Center will also house several work and rehearsal spaces for the city’s young budding artists (dance studio, music room, recording studio), as well as a library open to the public 7 days a week. A true architectural gem, the Les Etoiles Center of Jamaâ El Fna will also be a space for socio-cultural dialogue and multidisciplinary meetings.
Mahi Binebine will have these words: “This center has a sentimental place for me, who am from this beautiful city of Marrakech. I myself am an example of how art and culture can change and save lives. And that is precisely what we aspire to with the Foundation. If we do all this it is to make young Moroccan stars shine in several cities, several regions, even beyond the borders as we have already seen recently ”.
Highlights of the inauguration
For the inauguration of this 5th star, the Ali Zaoua Foundation has seen the big picture! Indeed, at the dawn of a cultural recovery that promises to be colorful, the opening of the Center Les Etoiles de Jamaâ El Fna had to reflect the cultural richness of the ocher city. Thus, from November 26 to 28, the center will experience several highlights imagined around intercultural and intergenerational meetings that will highlight local talents and the creativity of young Moroccan people:
· Friday November 26 : A Jam Session will bring together on stage an anthology of musicians from the four corners of the city and the country; preceded by a Chaâbi Jazz concert with the musician Saad El Bouamri and his group “Free Soul”
· Saturday November 27 : The Halqa and the art of Aïta will invest the patio of Riad El Kébir to host the play “The funeral of a mortal” directed by Ismail El Fallahi with Reda Redouane, produced by the Ali Zaoua Foundation
· Sunday November 28 : make way for Street art in all its forms with a 100% Hip Hop day by Positive School. On the program, a dance battle, a graffiti competition and a RAP concert with in particular Hassa1 and the duo Toxic.
The center will also be open to children and young people from the neighborhood and the city during the three days to discover various introductory art workshops.
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