Karbala arts institute hosts annual student festival, calls for dedicated theater space

KARBALA — Karbala’s Institute of Fine Arts for Boys concluded its annual two-day cultural and artistic festival, showcasing student work across visual and performing arts. The event featured exhibitions of painting, sculpture, ceramics, and design, along with live theatrical and cinematic performances. Faculty used the occasion to call for a dedicated performance venue, saying current conditions limit production quality.

“The morning shift of the Institute of Fine Arts in Karbala hosted the fourth annual cultural and artistic festival,” said Ihsan Talib Jaafar, the institute’s director, in an interview with 964media. “The festival included several activities showcasing the work of students and some instructors across the departments of design, fine arts—including painting and sculpture—directing, and both print and interior design.”

Jaafar said the works on display represented a range of artistic styles, “from realism and expressionism to abstract and romantic schools,” and reflected the students’ academic, technical, and personal growth.

Theater productions were held across both days of the festival. “We presented two plays on the final day and one on the first,” said Khaldoun Kamel, head of the theater arts department. “The department is still young, and as student numbers grow, so will the number of productions.”

Kamel expressed concern over the lack of a suitable performance venue. “Talking about theatrical work at the institute is difficult. We don’t have a suitable building for stage performances, so we are forced to use the institute’s courtyards. This deprives the plays of many staging techniques,” he said. “But these obstacles won’t stop us from continuing such activities.”

He appealed to local authorities to support the creation of a dedicated facility. “We hope government institutions will take this into consideration and give us a helping hand in establishing a dedicated theater building.”

In film, Hussein Aboudi, an instructor in the audiovisual department, said students produced nine short films. “We were able to produce nine films, both documentary and narrative, thanks to student efforts,” he said. “Our ambition is to have them screened in other governorates and at international festivals.”

Aboudi noted that some films were shot using mobile phones, while others relied on professional cameras, depending on availability.

In the interior design section, instructor Hassan al-Jawad said all 10 fourth-year students contributed to the exhibit. “These 34 pieces represent the work of an entire academic year under my supervision,” he said.

Ali al-Awad, supervisor of the sculpture branch, said 12 students from the third and fourth years presented 42 sculptural works. “These pieces varied in theme, technique, and color approach,” he said. “They made a strong presence at the festival.”